What was your first book? The one you carried everywhere and knew by heart? The one with tape on the spine? The one that opened the door…

There are just ten days until our “What Was Your First Book?” Read-A-Thon on May 19th, where twenty locals will settle in at Elliott Bay Book Company and take turns reading aloud the stories they loved first. If you’re in the Seattle area, we hope you’ll drop by that day for one story or six. Our event is free, and kids are especially welcome.



Schedule:
11:10 AM Poet Daemond Arrindell reading Where The Wild Things Are
11:20 AM Elizabeth Kruse reading Wait til the Moon is Full
11:30 AM Sherman Alexie reading The Snowy Day
11:40 AM Jennie Richie reading The Monster at the End of This Book
11:50 AM  Rat City Rollergirl Shovey Chase (Jennifer Warnick) reading Click, Clack, Moo
12:10 PM Poet Martha Silano reading The Little Red Hen
12:20 PM Librarian Misha Stone reading from Frog & Toad Together
12:30 PM Congressman Jim McDermott reading from The Black Tanker
12:40 PM Cupcake maven Jody Hall reading from Where the Sidewalk Ends
12:50 PM Seattle Police Officer
1:10 PM Brian McGuigan reading from The Light in the Attic
1:20 PM Seattle Firefighter reading The Fire Cat
1:30 PM Overlake High student Jennifer Zhan reading from The Phantom Tollbooth
1:40 PM Seattle Police Officer
1:50 PM Seattle Public Schools teacher Erin Dunlap reading Blueberries for Sal
2:10 PM Seattle Monorail driver Craig Nelson reading The Little Red Hen
2:20 PM Seattle Police Officer
2:30 PM Stranger columnist Paul Constant reading The Monster at the End of This Book
2:40 PM Lacey Jane Henson reading from Gnomes
2:50 PM US Air Force pilot Brendan Harrison reading Football Fugitive


We’ll also have a silent auction of first-loved books beautifully inscribed by Mayor Mike McGinn, actor Tom Skerritt, author Shawn Wong, and local poets Heather McHugh, Kathleen Flenniken, Frances McCue and Elizabeth Austen.

We will also have four prize drawings of baskets filled with amazing items! Here’s a small sampling of what’s in these baskets: a full session of classes from Arena Sports Redmond (or one lucky kid’s Lil’ Kickers birthday party); Loaf-of-the-Month Club from Grand Central Bakery; a custom-made pie by poet Kate Lebo; yoga session punchcards from FOUR local studios; dining gift certificates to Oddfellows, SMITH, and McMenamins; flying trapeze classes; and toys/books from Clover, Moonjar, Kids on 45^th, and Top Ten Toys.
To keep you fortified while you listen to stories, we’ll have babycakes from Cupcake Royale in addition to snacks and refreshments donated by Central Co-op, Trader Joe’s, Metropolitan Market, QFC, and Costco.


We hope you’ll come by Elliott Bay on the 19^th and celebrate the transformational power of first books with us.