Reading fun at Old Mill Road Elementary School

Newly published local author Dina Martinelli gave Old Mill Road students a sneak peak at her breakout book, "Don't Give Me That Pricely, Princely, Puny Purple Pony, Neither," on Monday.

Martinelli toured the school, visiting grades three through five for read-aloud sessions with students.

The story, available at Barnes and Noble and www.BarnesAndNoble.com through Publish America, shares the story of a young prince who teaches a lesson to readers about appreciating the simple things in life after being lavished with luxurious gifts.

In her act of giving, Martinelli surprised the Old Mill Road community by donating the proceeds from all of her pre-order book sales to the school.

"Book sales aren't as important as fostering the love of books," she said.

Comments about this story? SZeidler@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.