ROGERS — Mathias teacher Olivia Olsen has a special gift for her new granddaughter, but she won’t say what it is because it would spoil the ending of her newly published book, “Eva’s Gift.”

Olsen’s granddaughter, Eva (pronounced “Yeva”) was born in Russia, she explained.

Olsen’s son met Eva’s mother when they were both studying in Virginia, she explained. They moved to Russia so he could get to know her family, but are now back in the U.S. along with 1-year-old Eva.

It was during the months that Olsen waited to meet her new granddaughter that she wrote her first children’s book. As she wrote and rewrote, she read it to her class at Mathias Elementary School. She dedicated the book to all of the students who helped her.

Long before she had a Russian grandchild, Olsen collected items related to the last czar of Russia. She loved the tragic story of the Romanov family. She owns a set of Matryoshka dolls also known as Russian nesting dolls. Each doll bears the likeness of a member of that last royal family.

Eva was born in the region where the Romanov’s were killed, Olsen said. Her Russian grandmother is named Olga like one of the Romanov daughters. With the connections to the Romanov family, it was natural to incorporate the Matryoshka dolls into her story. But they aren’t Eva’s gift, she said.

She chose to write for an audience of fourth graders. Fourth graders are old enough to appreciate the story, but young enough to believe in the magic the story contains. When she wrote, Olsen imagined Eva as that age. It was a way of feeling close to the granddaughter she had never met.

When the real Eva finally saw the book that bears her name, she reached for it, Olsen reported. The book is only one part of the real Eva’s gift.

Scholars, Pages 9 on 11/04/2009

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