Colfax Elementary School and Walter Reed Middle School alumna, Jennifer Amiel visits North Hollywood from the San Francisco Bay Area to speak with students about her archaeology adventure novel, Chloe Diggins and The Eternal Emperor on February 22, 2013.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to hear first-hand from an author and archaeologist,” notes Colfax Elementary School teacher Michelle Tepper. “It’s even more exciting that she attended our school from kindergarten through sixth grade.”
Raised in North Hollywood, Amiel will speak to students about the process of writing an adventure novel and her work as an archaeologist as inspiration for the book. Chloe Diggins and The Eternal Emperor, written for nine- to twelve-year-old readers, follows the tween daughter of an archaeologist to Peru as she discovers an ancient artifact, races to find a lost Inca treasure, and struggles to save her family. About the book’s heroine, Amiel states, “Girls deserve great role models today. Chloe was born from my desire to create a character who is strong-minded, smart, a little daring, and not afraid to get some dirt under her nails.”
Amiel’s appreciation for books and antiques developed early. She admits, “I was the 13-year-old who would save all her birthday money to go to Dutton’s Books on Laurel Canyon and scour their special section of antique books.”
After graduating from North Hollywood Senior High School, Amiel went on to study anthropology with an emphasis in archaeology at the University of California at Santa Barbara and later earned a Master of Arts in museum studies from JFK University. She has fieldwork experience in archaeological excavations on the Santa Barbara coast, on the California Channel Islands, and in the Middle East.
Amiel plans to take Chloe Diggins on archaeology adventures throughout the world and enjoys engaging with students during school visits. “It’s great fun to speak with students. They are always eager to give me tips on where Chloe should go next. I’m sure the students in North Hollywood will be no different.”
More information about Chloe Diggins and The Eternal Emperor (2 Muses Publishing) and Amiel can be found at www.chloediggins.com.
