- April 17, 2024
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Elf on the Shelf co-author, Carol Aebersold, signed copies of the book for the OKES students. Aaralyn Weeks, Austin Weeks, and Ethan Aromanda visit with her after the talk. Photo Jacque Estes
The media room was packed all day at OKES, as author Carol Aebersold visited the school. Photo Jacque Estes
Elf on the Shelf, co-author, Carol Aebersold, read to the children at Old Kings Elementary on Thursday, Nov. 19. Photo Jacque Estes
Everyone wanted their photo taken with an author. Ethan Aromanda, Austin Weeks, Sophia Dolney, Samantha D'Ascheberg, Aaralyn Weeks, Asa Fortner, Jake Bowling and Cole Osypian pose for their photo. Photo Jacque Estes
Special guests at school are always a treat, but when the guest has ties to the North Pole, you better be on your best behavior.
"It’s pretty cool to have the author sign the book.” Austin Weeks, fourth-grade student at Old Kings Elementary
Carol Aebersold, co-author of “Elf on the Shelf,” visited Old Kings Elementary on Thursday, Nov. 19, to read to the children, sign books and explain a little bit about how she and her daughter, co-author Chanda Bell, wrote the book.
Aebersold, who lives in Palm Coast, explained to the children how she rewrites her books many times before they are ready to be published.
There has always been an elf on Aebersold’s shelf.
“I had an elf as a child, and then I got married and it came with me, and my children grew up with it,” Aebersold said. “One day my grownup child said, ‘We should write this down and share our tradition with everybody.’”
That comment evolved into a TV special that is shown throughout the holiday season, a float in the Macy’s Day Parade, and a sequel, “An Elf on the Shelf: A Birthday Tradition.” Pinterest.com has pages dedicated to the bright-eyed elf, suggesting that kids aren’t the only ones who enjoy his annual visits.
The Birthday Tradition book was a big hit with the students.
“I liked the Birthday Tradition” said fourth-grade student, Ethan Aromanda. “I had never heard of it before,”
For aspiring author, Austin Weeks, son of Kim Weeks who organized the event, the books were great, but what he really liked was meeting the author.
“I liked the signing books at the end,” he said. “It’s pretty cool to have the author sign the book.”
Aebersold works with her twin daughters, co-author Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts, a former QVC host, who now runs the business end of things.
“I worked in an ad agency and I used to be a music teacher,” she said. “One of my daughters has a degree in broadcast communication and she had a close friend who is an animator, so we pulled him in. This is very much a family thing.”
The book comes with an elf -- an elf with no name. The “adopter” gives the elf a name and registers him, or her, on elfontheshelf.com. Once registered, the elf receives his Christmas magic that allows him to fly to the North Pole every night to tell Santa Claus who has been naughty and nice. Each morning the scout elf returns home, showing up in different places, and watches as the children search for him.
Aebersold said her childhood elf, Pancake, sits in her office.
“He comes back every Thanksgiving, and he still has his magic,” she said.
