Along with 300 others, I was bewitched last Friday night by a small woman with a giant presence in the unlikely setting of the Adams Elementary School cafeteria. The author Julia Alvarez can work as much magic in person as her beloved character Tia Lola. For unrushed hours she was Tia Julia to all.

I cannot imagine another author, especially one as celebrated as Julia Alvarez, talking to cafeteria crowded with all ages, admiring each piece of artwork inspired by their work and then interacting with an hour long line of children clutching a paperback edition of her work to be signed with a personal message. Julia Alvarez clearly loves people, especially children. A purple Mexican head dress woven into her dark hair the Latina writer engaged with everyone in the packed room and seemingly endless line.

Co-sponsored by Secret Garden Bookshop the event culminated the second annual "Adams Reads the Same Book" program. Marlene Friend is the longtime librarian at Adams Elementary. Suzanne Perry is the Events Coordinator at Secret Garden Bookshop. Last summer they began researching which authors would be touring Seattle the following January. Ms. Friend had followed in the footsteps of Whitman Middle School (and Seattle Public Library) by launching "Adams Reads the Same Book" in 2007. She is always looking for ways to promote reading, and build community beyond the walls of the school.

Funded and promoted by the Adams Parent Teacher Association it's still a challenge to choose a work that is outstanding and appropriate for K-5, with an author willing and able to engage with 400 students. The list starts long and quickly narrows. Julia Alvarez, best known for her adult novels, "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" and "In the Time of the Butterflies" was a long-shot. The award winning novelist, essayist, poet and teacher was "more of a celebrity than a movie star," in Ms. Friend's estimation.

But never underestimate the power of librarians and independent booksellers. Ms. Alvarez, touring her new book "Return to Sender" would be in town and paperback editions of her highly appropriate "How Tia Lola Came to Stay" (with the word visit crossed out in the title before stay) were available in English and Spanish. Ms. Friend didn't want to share the news until it was official; then was mildly disappointed that more co-workers were not familiar with the works of Alvarez. Her first book, "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" was ground-breaking in the rise of Latino literature. Advance notice of her visit stopped me in my tracks on Market Street.

Was it really possible that Julia Alvarez would be reading in the cafeteria at Adams Elementary School? Not only was it true, Ms. Alvarez later said she was considering it the "highlight of her trip."

Between the delicate logistics involved in securing Ms. Alvarez and the actual event there were circumstances that could have seriously impeded Adams from reading the same book. The order of 350 books had to be "drop shipped" by mid-December so that families could have copies to read over the Winter Break. The shipment arrived between snowstorms and volunteers helped Ms. Friend prepare each copy with bookmark and ribbon. "Tia Lola" was to go home with every student on Thursday, Dec. 18. What prompted Ms. Friend to send them home on Tuesday instead? Who could have guessed there would not be school again until Jan. 5?

The day before the event Ms. Friend was in the library, greeting students from every classroom as they hauled in bins and Red Flyer wagons of books. She was excited and anxious and curious about what type of response there would be from the greater community, while trying to convincer herself she'd be content if at least 100 people showed up.

The cafeteria was mobbed. Secret Garden Bookshop had a table filled with all of Ms. Alvarez' work: her novels, her picture books, essays, novels for young adults. Sitting on chairs and the benches attached to the folding tables of elementary schools children were holding their books. Everyone laughed along with the photos that Ms. Alvarez projected of her extended family in the Dominican Republic and her own beloved aunts (such as Tia Lou with her wandering beauty mark). Ms. Alvarez encouraged questions, particularly from children, always exclaiming, "That's another great story."

For Ms. Alvarez every minute is filled with stories - "if you pay attention." She said that her head gets so big with stories, "I can't stand it!" Responding to many specific questions about "Tia Lola" she let the audience in on a secret. She has written another book about Tia Lola in Vermont and something unexpected occurred at the end. "I may have to write a third book about her to find out what happens."

Alvarez reluctantly called an end to questions (after children throughout the audience volunteered their choice of magical objects). The librarian stood in front of crowd. "Stay seated," she ordered, anticipating the rush of 300-plus people toward the diminutive Ms. Alvarez to have their books signed.
"Let her get settled," and then away from the microphone, "and let's see if this will work."

It all worked. All the families reading about a magical aunt from the Dominican Republic who brings color and magic to children transplanted to cold Vermont; the attention span of all ages and even the patience of young children who waited for over an hour for the time at the side of Tia Julia. A second grader offered his specially made parrot pinata to Ms. Alvarez, who gently explained that it wouldn't fit in her carry-on bag.

At 9 p.m. the cafeteria was mostly empty. Suzanne Perry and her daughter were dismantling the Alvarez bookshop in the back of the room. Still Ms. Alvarez was signing books for the last people in line, chatting with each person. I passed by Marlene Friend the librarian, "Final comment?"

"Wow," she said. "Wow."