YORBA LINDA : Principal Gives Bryant Ranch Students Something to Read

Bryant Ranch Elementary School students can find their principal, Janet Morey, in the school library at all hours--if not in person, then as the author of several collections of mini-biographies kept on the bookshelves.

Morey, hired in late November to replace former Principal Bonnie Drolet, has written three collections of biographies of famous Americans and world leaders with her writing partner, Wendy Dunn.

“When I was a teacher, I used to assign my students to read mini-biographies,” Morey said. “One day, Wendy--a parent of one of my students at the time--told me there weren’t a lot of them around and that I should write some. I agreed, but only if she helped.”

The first book they wrote was “Who’s News,” a collection of biographies on 49 notable people, including Nelson Mandela, Lech Walesa and Pablo Picasso, published in 1985.

“Famous Mexican-Americans,” which includes profiles of astronaut Ellen Ochoa, golfer Nancy Lopez and labor leader Cesar Chavez, was published in 1989. “Famous Asian-Americans,” with biographies of tennis star Michael Chang, broadcast journalist Connie Chung and architect I. M. Pei, followed in 1992.

A fourth book, a collection of biographies of famous Hispanic Americans, including Montreal Expos baseball manager Felipe Alou, is due out this spring.

Morey said each biography is short enough that fifth- and sixth-graders can easily read several in one sitting.

“We want kids to read these profiles and learn enough about at least one of these people to want to read more,” Morey said. “They are the appetizers before the main course.”