'Elf on the Shelf' Author Visits Levittown

East Broadway kindergarten students attended an assembly with Chanda Bell, co-author of “Elf on the Shelf.”

Teacher Susan Polaski entered a national contest for a visit from Bell, and East Broadway was one of 11 schools throughout the nation out of 15,000 entries to receive a personal appearance from Bell, based out of Georgia, who wrote the literary sensation with her mother Carol Aebersold.

“Elf on the Shelf” is about an elf that appears in random places in the weeks prior to Christmas to watch over households and report good deeds to Santa. More than six million copies have been sold worldwide, and the book has sparked the tradition of placing an elf on shelves throughout millions of American households.

During the assembly, Bell talked about the importance of tradition and fun facts about the writing process. She explained that she prefers writing on a computer and that every young author should pay attention to the spacing of words in their writing, capitalization and spelling. She also revealed that “Elf on the Shelf” was rewritten 420 times before being published.

“A good book is never done the first time you write it,” Bell told the students.

Bell also read her newest book titled “The Elf on the Shelf: Elf Pets Reindeer” about a tiny reindeer that must use his heart full of magic with the assistance of elves to help Santa’s sleigh.

After the reading, the students had the opportunity to ask questions, and Bell signed personal copies of “Elf on the Shelf.”

Submitted by Levittown Schools

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