GALLIPOLIS — Eighty five fourth graders from Washington Elementary School joined with over 500,000 other students from around the world to try and break the world record for the Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously by reading a passage from Charlotte’s Web at noon Wednesday.

The classic tale by E.B. White tells the story of a pig, Wilbur, and his unusual friendship with Charlotte, a spider. Members of the fourth grade read the story each year as part of their curriculum.

The students will be taking a special field trip to see the new live-action Charlotte’s Web movie next week.

Event organizer and fourth grade teacher Martha Davis found out about the record-breaking attempt through Walden Media’s website, and decided it was the perfect opportunity to get her students involved.

“Charlotte’s Web is a charming and delightful book,” said Davis. “It has a lot of underlying values and morals. It’s a story of what life should be about — helping the underdog.”

“They all work together to save Wilbur,” said fourth grade teacher Linda Vollborn, a member of the event staff. “This book shows children that no matter how bad things may look, you can always work together to make them better.”

Melody Shupe, children’s librarian at Bossard Library and Amy Wilson, reference librarian at Davis Library at the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College, acted as official witnesses as Christi Mash, representative for Gov.-elect Ted Strickland, participated as the lead reader for the event.

The current world record for the Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously was set in the United Kingdom in 2004 when 155,528 students read the Wadsworth poem “Daffodils.” Despite strict documentation requirements, Davis is confident that a new world record will be set.

“There is a lot of paperwork involved, and it’s all very official,” said Davis. “If the numbers hold true, we’re going to break the world record.”