Dust motes danced in the sunlight when Mrs. Gotobed cranked open the window. The air tasted of snow soon to fall. It was a little cold but she knew once the children arrived the little library would soon warm up. Quickly, Mrs. Gotobed emptied her paper sacks of used books.

There weren’t as many books as she had hoped. With Dougie’s bad hip, they were not able to hit as many secondhand bookstores as they normally did. Fortunately, a few of the bookstore clerks were dearhearts and set aside many treasures for her from the bargain bins. Treasure Island, Wilbur, Encyclopedia Browns, the well-loved volumes were stacked on the free shelf by the checkout counter. Mrs. Gotobed was shelving an illustrated The Secret Garden when the sounds of Sister Thomas’ class filled the library foyer.

Turning Mrs. Gotobed put on her serious librarian face. A hush shushed over the students. The librarian ushered the students towards the reading room. Sister Thomas taught the special reading class, focusing on children with learning disabilities. The nun and the retired librarian had struck up a friendship at a coffeehouse murder mystery reading group. Together they brainstormed how to spark a love of reading for kids who struggled to read. Over Josephine Tey and espressos, they came up with the idea to have Sister Thomas’ students read to younger children.

Each morning, Sister Thomas brought five or six of her middle schoolers in to be readers. Mrs. Gotobed selected the stories and set up the reading room. The student readers were compensated with their choice of free books. Anisha, one of the student readers, had recommended naming the readers the Real Illuminati but eventually the group dubbed themselves the Day Breakers since they read at the library before school started.

The warm smell of freshly brewing coffee percolated across the library’s first floor. Each morning, mothers chatted together over coffee and fruit or hid away in the quiet of the stacks as their kids waited for story time to begin. Each morning the under-age five set listened enraptured to be around big kids. Mrs. Gotobed watched a light blaze in the youngsters’ eyes as the stories came to life. Each morning there was storytelling.

“Yo, Mary, you know more of my kids want to join the Day Breakers?” Sister Thomas said.

“Looks like we’ll have to start the Real Illuminati after all, Sis."