Author/Illustrator Mary Ann Fraser plays Alexander Graham Bell with her lab assistants, from left, Lucas Jerail, 7, and David Patatanyan, 8, at R.D. White Elementary School (Photo by Ruth Sowby)
Veteran children’s authors and first-time authors practically took over Glendale’s R.D. White Elementary School on Oct. 16.
They took part in Glendale Assistance League’s Authors and Illustrators Day.
Starting in 1997, the event has become a premier program for teaching children about literacy and the love of books.
To start the day, author/illustrator Mary Ann Fraser from Simi Valley visited a classroom of 52 second-graders expertly kept in line by teachers Linda Aftandilian and Scarlet Vartanian.
Assistance League volunteer Debbie Kaegler of La Crescenta introduced Fraser, who has written 60 books. For the children, she focused on her latest book that she authored and illustrated titled “Alexander Graham Bell Answers the Call.”
Fraser compared an author/illustrator’s task to that of an inventor.
“An inventor is curious, asks questions, looks for answers and never gives up,” she said.
The youngsters had already read in class three of Fraser’s books.
Assistance League Glendale also held a book sale after the school day for children to purchase books — at a 20% discount — that were written by the authors and illustrators the children met.
The organization also presented a $1,000 voucher to the school library to buy books. In addition, league members gave books to the school in honor of Authors and Illustrators Day.
When fifth-grader Eric Davtyan, 10, was asked whether he wanted to be an author when he grew up, he said he’d just as soon be a soccer player.
