Story Night

A birthday invitation for the sleepover where the reading is the main event. Sleeping bags go down in a ring on the living room floor, heads toward the middle. Every guest arrives with a pillow, a flashlight and one stuffed animal from home, and the stuffed animal is introduced by name before anyone takes off their shoes. The chapter books come out after dinner.

Lights go off at the stated hour. The flashlights come on about forty seconds later, aimed at the ceiling, and the reading continues from there. One guest falls asleep during the second chapter and is covered up without comment. Two are still whispering at eleven. In the morning everyone is at the table in pajamas, and the bears come to breakfast.