Blandford Elementary students earned $1,400 in books through Usborne’s Reading Incentive Challenge, Reach for the Stars.

In March 19 students took the challenge as a way to help them reach their Accelerated Reader goals for the school year, and to raise money for new books for the media center and classrooms.

The students read a collective total of 6,328 minutes during a 10-day period. A kindergartener, Chesney Miller, second grader, Payton Pardue, and fourth grader, Savannah Leslie, were the top readers with a combined time total of 1,460 minutes. They received an extra award for their participation and effort.

The media center will receive slightly less than $900 in free books. Teachers will receive more than $200 in free books for their classrooms. The participating students will receive more than $500 in reward books for their participation.

Two fourth graders, Savannah Leslie and Eric Long were the top pledge collectors. Leslie collected $230 and Long collected $205.