The guest at Greenbriar Elementary School last week at times had a mysterious air about her.
All the better to stir students’ interest in writing.
Mary Elise Monsell, a writer of children’s books who lives in Evanston, read excerpts from her books, talked about her career and dressed in a strange disguise to grab the attention of students at the District 25 school, 2330 N. Verde Drive, Arlington Heights.
Monsell is the author of eight children’s books, the first of which was published in 1988, titled “Underwear.” She is also the author of a four book series about a penguin detective who works in Chicago named Mr. Pin.
“I like mysteries, I like penguins and I like Chicago,” Monsell told the students.
To engage the creativity of the students, Monsell held a quick writing workshop.
She walked behind a curtain and made a loud crashing noise followed by moaning. She then crept out from behind the curtain disguised in glasses and a fake nose and a large trench coat. Quickly, she went back behind the curtain.
“What was the first sound you heard?” she asked the children after returning without her disguise.
She and the children then wrote a description of what they had just witnessed.
“I kind of liked the mystery about it,” said Jake Stevens, a Greenbriar 3rd grader, about Monsell’s disguise. “It was kind of fun to try to figure out who the person was.”
