Pupils were found reading in the commons under sun umbrellas, with beach towels — some even wore their sunglasses.

The only thing that was missing at Forder Elementary School was sand as pupils celebrated Read Across America Week.

The “Reading at the Beach” event was a schoolwide activity where all pupils could visit the commons area throughout the day and bring their favorite books to read, according to a Mehlville School District news release.

Pupils were given a Hawaiian lei before they began to read to put them in the beach mood as music played in the background along with the sounds of ocean waves.

It was a time when pupils could lounge, relax and read their favorite stories.

Reading teachers Margie Shaughnessy, Erin Grisham and Mary Widitz organized the “Reading at the Beach” and “Counting Coins for Reading Counts” activities.

Pupils donated coins that will go toward purchasing books for the lending library. Pupils donated $450 worth of coins for new books.

If pupils were caught reading, they had the opportunity to win a book and an item that could be used at the beach, according to the release.