Our blog may give the impression that we have been busy buying chain metal suits and finding toilets (only the grooviest for us, thanks) for our center on Sunset. All of these things are, in fact, true. However, in the not even two months since the official launch of 826LA East in Echo Park, all of us—staff, interns, volunteers, and students—have accomplished so much more.

The upstairs office is feeling very much like home, complete with black-and-white tables we constructed ourselves. And our Time Travel Mart has been a hit! The still-developing store receives daily visits by patrons of all sorts. Women giggle riotously over our Ricky Martin lunchboxes (brought to you from circa 1999), and shoppers ask about getting our fresh dinosaur eggs through international and intertemporal customs.

A few weeks ago, we once again welcomed Dave Eggers to 826LA East! He's been compiling tutor experiences to help all the 826 chapters, as well as other organizations invoved with children's education. Our tutors were excited to meet with and talk to him about their experiences with drop-in tutoring, and they offered up stories of both funny and frustrating experiences with our students. Hooray!

Speaking of drop-in tutoring, the young love of the students and tutors has gotten off to a wonderful start! Eighty students have registered here at our center, and we see twenty-five or more students daily. Our volunteer tutors have also been wonderful! Thanks for your hard work and your good humor, tutors!

Today is an exciting day here at 826LA East; we launched Stars, Hearts, and Monsters, the first collection of writing by students of the drop-in tutoring program. We are so proud of them! There are stories about caterpillars turned killer, brothers time-traveling to the future, and three friends adventuring together. Thanks to our authors for reading for the eager and star-struck crowd! The reading was followed by book signings and, of course, champagne glasses full of milk and slices of delicious chocolate cake!