Read-A-Thon

I went to a public Montessori elementary school in Cincinnati where most of our learning happened while sprawling out on the floor, or on these carpeted platforms in the room or hallway. Yes, we had desks, but I hardly remember sitting at them. We stayed in the same classroom for three years, and luckily, my 4th/5th/6th grade teacher was particularly enamored of reading and writing. This served me well and encouraged me in many ways. (Though--as I found out the hard way--going to seventh grade without knowing long division is a bad idea!)

Anyways, my absolute favorite days were our classroom Read-A-Thons. This was pretty much an excuse to curl up in whatever cubby or corner we wanted, whisper a bit with friends, fulfill sugar cravings, and devour as many books as we could. It was like a big slumber party, except we read instead of slept. I remember the pure satisfaction and comfort of settling into a good book and losing track of time and place. There was a peace and elated exhaustion on the bus ride home at the end of those reading days. I loved it.

Which brings me to the point of this post. I still love it. And I feel so lucky to have wiggled my way into the editorial assistant position that I have at Timber Press. In the few short months I've been here, I've been reading, reading, reading. The topics range from low-maintenance gardens and American meadows to chile peppers and black plants; maybe the gripping drama of a Judy Blume classic is missing, but the education and thrill is still there.

If I hosted a Read-A-Thon in my office would anyone join me? All we need are snacks, pillows, sleeping bags, and some manuscripts. And maybe some more snacks.

Mollie Firestone, editorial assistant