Huntington Beach leaders come together for Read Across America Day

Peterson Elementary School was abuzz with Huntington Beach leaders on Friday morning, each of whom brought a book to read as part of National Read Across America Day.

One guest reader actually read a book that she wrote herself.

Huntington Beach Fire Dept. Marine Safety Division Captain Leslie Schwene finished writing a book on beach safety last year, “Let’s Go to the Beach! Beach Safety Tips with Lifeguard Leslie.”

Robyne Wood of Robyne’s Nest, left, and former City Council member Jill Hardy read to kids during the annual Read Across America event at Peterson Elementary in Huntington Beach on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“Whenever we get asked to do this, there’s never a book about beach safety,” said Schwene, who was named the department’s first female Marine Safety Division captain in 2022. “I thought, why not write one? ... I love reading. My mom instilled that from an early age. You can go somewhere without packing a suitcase.”

Her book was funded through the Huntington Beach Fire Department Outreach Foundation, she said.

After reading it during one of three 15-minute classroom stops Friday, Schwene was peppered with questions by students in Jamie Anderson’s second-grade class.

“The message I try to instill in them all the time, but especially this week, is the importance of reading and writing,” said Anderson, adding that she has been teaching at Peterson since 1997. “It’s important that we do it every day, because any job they’re going to have when they’re older, they’re going to have to be able to read and write.”

Huntington Beach Fire Chief Eric McCoy reads “I Want a Dog” to a group of kids at Peterson Elementary in Huntington Beach on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

The Peterson Read Across America event, organized each year by past PTA presidents Laura Costelloe and Deanna Garza, has become a beloved tradition in the Huntington Beach community.

Friday’s eighth annual event featured reading from Mayor Pro Tem Casey McKeon along with City Council members Gracey Van Der Mark and Butch Twining, and many other city leaders.

They were guided around campus by Peterson fifth-grade ASB students for their three blocks, before watching a performance of Peterson kindergartners and taking a group picture outside.

A Dr. Seuss book on display during the annual Read Across America event at Peterson Elementary in Huntington Beach on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

National Read Across America Day is celebrated each year on or around March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Some on campus at Peterson on Friday wore the comical tall, red-and-white striped “Cat in the Hat” hats.

“I think it’s more amazing each year,” Peterson Principal Kevin Smith-Johnson said of the event. “It really just echoes Huntington Beach as a city. We get support from every department, each side of the aisle, and it’s an event that everybody can rally around.”

Guest reader Mari Barke of the Orange County Dept. of Education is interviewed prior to the annual Read Across America event at Peterson Elementary in Huntington Beach on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)