Children’s Museum Runs Its Reading Marathon This Weekend

The Los Angeles Children’s Museum’s 60-hour Reading Marathon, which started last night, continues through Sunday afternoon as volunteer Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts camp out in the museum and read and listen to stories through the night.

Topics change every hour. Today’s schedule includes African stories at 11 a.m., Armenian stories at noon, Middle Eastern at 1 p.m., Latin American at 2, Chinese at 3 and bilingual Spanish stories at 4 p.m.

The marathon is a rare opportunity for visitors to explore the museum during off-hours. Between today’s closing at 5 p.m. and Sunday’s 10 a.m. opening, families may visit the museum free for a two-hour stint, which must include a minimum of a half-hour listening to stories. Families must call the museum in advance to arrange this. After-hours stories begin at 5 p.m. with Korean tales. The schedule continues with prehistoric times at 6 p.m., magic at 7 p.m., music at 8 p.m., science fiction from 9 to 11 p.m. and scary stories from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Throughout the night, there will be myths and legends, and kids reading comic books aloud. Sunday the museum opens with toddler tales at 10 a.m., stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer at 11 a.m., Carl Sandburg Rootabaga stories at noon, musical stories at 1 p.m., survival stories at 2 and stories by Leo Politi at 3. The marathon ends at 4 p.m. with a reading of Munro Leaf’s “The Story of Ferdinand,” read by the author’s son, James G. Leaf. Cake will be served after the reading.

This ambitious project is an official event of the Year of the Young Reader, proclaimed by Congress for 1989, and is intended to focus on the important role that books and reading play in the development of children. The museum is at 310 N. Main St., Downtown. Admission during regular museum hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) is $4; under 2, free. Information: (213) 687-8801.