Passing along Armenian culture

As Aline Bezdikian’s children have matured, so have the topics of her children’s books.

Bezdikian wrote her first children’s book in Armenian in 1999, when her daughter Lori was 4. That book, “Lori and the Rosebud,” was geared toward 5- and 6-year-olds, and grew out of what Bezdikian regarded as a dearth of contemporary books in Armenian for children.

In December, Bezdikian published her sixth book, “Letters to Dikran the Great,” which is suited to young readers closer in age to her son Nareg, who is 9, and daughter Lori, now 12.

Bezdikian’s books have evolved as her children have grown, she said, because they are the primary inspiration for what she writes.

Their conversations, challenges and daily lives prompted her to delve into a new book.

“I hear things from my kids, and I put that into writing,” Bezdikian said.

Bezdikian’s most recent book consists of a series of eight fictional letters written by a boy and addressed to Dikran the Great, a king from early Armenian history.

In those letters, the boy writes about modern-day issues facing Armenian children, such as the difficulty of learning the Armenian language while surrounded by English, or how to understand why Christmas is celebrated on different days by Armenians and non-Armenians.

In addition to the reflections of the book’s fictional letter-writer, the book references Armenian history. Bezdikian tries to incorporate educational topics on science, geography and history in her books, as well as moral lessons.

“There are two parallel things going on in the books,” Bezdikian said about this combination of facts and values.

This sixth book, published in December, is her favorite, Bezdikian said, because it deals with very modern subjects.

Bezdikian’s books are self-published, and are sold in Glendale bookstores like Sardarabad Book Store, Abril Armenian Bookstore and Berj Armenian Bookstore.

“They are very popular, and I am out of stock right now,” Harout Yeretzian, the owner of Abril Armenian Bookstore, said about Bezdikian’s books.

“I think she is a very good mother, and she relates very well with the kids,” Yeretzian said about Bezdikian.

Bezdikian’s most recent book was illustrated by David Karmiryan, 18, who was in Bezdikian’s Armenian language class last year at the Ribét Academy in Los Angeles. Bezdikian, who teaches journalism, French and Armenian at the school, saw some of Karmiryan’s work from his high school art class, and later asked him if he’d be interested in doing the illustrations.

Karmiryan said he was happy to work on a project that benefits Armenian culture by keeping children interested in reading in Armenian.

“I respect what she’s doing for the Armenian society, writing books for children,” Karmiryan said.

Bezdikian’s purpose in continuing to write was in equal parts to help pass on written Armenian and to teach children about the world.

“There are so many things to teach the next generation,” Bezdikian said.

“There are so many things they need to know about their culture and history.”