Keppel Elementary School, Glendale, CA
Last Friday I was one of six authors visiting classrooms at Keppel Elementary School in Glendale, California. The day was sponsored and organized by the wonderful hard working volunteers of the Glendale Assistance League, a service organization that arranges four such events in the Glendale schools every year. My fellow authors at Keppel were Carter Higgins, Tim Egan, Alexis O’Neill, Joe Cepeda, and Julie Berry, each of us assigned to a different grades.I spoke to students in kindergarten and first grade, going to four classrooms during the day. The week before our visit, the librarian had read my book Hatching Chicks in Room 6 to the classes I visited. During my visit the children were eager to share with me what they had learned and to ask questions. We also talked about other kinds of birds and I measured their wingspans. I also read part of my book Wiggle and Waggle and we all sang the Wiggle and Waggle song together. I also shared my book A Day and Night in the Desert and demonstrated how I create my cut paper art illustrations. At the end of the day I joined all of the authors in the cafeteria for the book sale and signing. It was a most enjoyable day!
I thank all the members of the Glendale Assistance League that make this program possible for the children of Glendale. I especially thank Karen Saunders for inviting me to be part of the visit to Keppel, to Linelle Vincenti for organizing the schedule of the day, to Margery, my partner for the day and who guided me around the school, to Debby Dow, the school librarian for her help, and to Maureen Palacios of Once Upon a Time bookstore in Glendale, for providing the books for the book sale.
I do many author days, but usually speak to large groups of children. It was a treat to be in the classroom with smaller groups and have the opportunity for a more personal interaction with the children. Thank you Glendale Assistance League for a wonderful Authors and Illustrators Day.
My books available for purchase and autographing