Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Librarian Jeannie Varnuska figured if anyone could get Andasol Avenue Elementary students hooked on reading, it would be the Dr. Seuss characters themselves. So on Tuesday, she dressed as Daisy-Head Mayzie, walking around the Northridge school with a daisy sprouting from her scalp.

On Wednesday, she was a Dr. Seuss elephant complete with trunk and floppy ears. And by Thursday, she was in a cat suit and bright red tie as the Cat in the Hat.

Her antics were part of a nationwide Read Across America celebration of youth literacy that coincides with the birth of Theodor Seuss Geisel, creator of “The Cat in the Hat,” the Grinch and Sam-I-Am.

Throughout Los Angeles County, students and teachers marked the event sponsored by the National Education Assn. by donning the red-and-white striped hats of the Cat and reading aloud their favorite Seuss books.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get them to read,” said Varnuska, her whiskers, which had been painted on, smudging a bit. “I’ll even stand on my head.”

All 552 Andasol students contributed a patch to create a 60-foot-long “Quilt of Books.” Made of construction paper and decorated with sequins, buttons and ribbon, the quilt filled the walls of the school auditorium.

At Augusta Mayo Elementary School in Compton, Principal Faye Sarfan promised her students she would dye her hair Dr. Seuss-green if they read 700,000 pages before Thursday.

The kids responded by reading 800,000 pages, enough to fill about 700 Gutenberg Bibles.

“Yeah, it’s worth it seeing her hair green,” said third-grader William Franks.

At Andasol the week’s events included a slumber party for kindergartners complete with Dr. Seuss books and plush toys and a literary tea party for fifth-graders, where they discussed their favorite books.

On Thursday volunteers from the community read to the kids.

Northridge resident Arline Littman came to read the Dr. Seuss book “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” to her grandson’s kindergarten class.

“It’s my favorite,” she said of the story about a little boy who has outlandish fantasies on his way home from school. “I can’t get enough of it.”

Students at Van Nuys Elementary were entertained by 17-year-old Tina Diep, a junior at Van Nuys High who read Dr. Seuss’ “Horton Hatches the Egg.”

Tina, who plans to become a teacher, is a longtime Seuss fan. “Dr. Seuss was wonderful,” she said. “I’m glad they’re doing this to keep his work alive.”

Also part of Thursday’s event at Van Nuys Elementary was the launch of a two-month Dr. Seuss Book Drive, sponsored by the school district, United Teachers of Los Angeles and the LAPD. New and used Dr. Seuss books that are collected will be distributed to LAUSD elementary schools.

Collection bins will be located citywide at 55 schools, 19 police stations and some business. To find the closest bin, call (800) 822-8089.

The Dr. Seuss celebration continues today at Andasol Elementary, where the staff will host a green eggs and ham breakfast for 132 students who have read at least 25 Dr. Seuss books.