Do you know 60,000 youngsters who needed orthopaedic medical care during the past year? Probably not. However, the Orthopaedic Institute for Children (OIC) does. That’s how many youngsters were treated at their Urgent Care Center and outpatient clinics by some of the most talented and caring physicians and surgeons in the country. OIC provides over 90 children’s clinics each month. Injuries range from broken bones in need of casting or surgery, scoliosis and cerebral palsy to congenital abnormalities with not one patient being turned away because of a lack of funds or insurance.

The La Cañada Flintridge Orthopaedic Guild (LCFOG) will celebrate 58 years of caring and support for OIC, formerly known as Orthopaedic Hospital, with its annual Book and Author Luncheon on Oct. 27. The volunteer guild was organized in 1957 as an auxiliary dedicated to the support of the Charitable Care for Children Program. All funds raised at the Book and Author Luncheon go directly to the Charitable Children’s Guild for donation to OIC.

Two distinguished authors join illustrator Keika Yamaguchi (previewed in the Sept. 10 issue of CV Weekly) at the luncheon being held at Angeles National Golf Club. One author is Karen Keskinen, who will travel from her home in Santa Barbara to speak about her second book in a Santa Barbara-based Jaymie Zarlin mystery series, “Black Current.” Although she now lives in Santa Barbara, Keskinen was born in Salinas, California. She grew up around the block from John Steinbeck’s childhood home thanks to her grandparents surviving the 1906 quake and leaving San Francisco to take up hotel keeping in Salinas. Those who lived there in the ’50s or ’60s you may have seen Keskinen as a young schoolgirl walking down the street with her nose in a book. She notes that she was very privileged to attend schools that were mixed, racially, culturally and by income levels.  Race and class emerge as major concerns in both her novels, “Blood Orange” and “Black Current.”

One of Keskinen’s passions, in addition to writing, is being an advocate for mental health services. A portion of the proceeds from the Jaymie Zarlin series is donated to The Rosalind Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.

Another writer at the luncheon is Shari Shattuck, a local actress, author and film producer who lives in the Angeles National Forest where she can do a lot of hiking when time permits. Shattuck has more than 200 television shows, films, mini-series, movies of the week and commercials on her resumé.

Publisher’s Weekly selected her first book, “Loaded,” as one of the Best of 2003. Since then, she has published five other novels, co-produced two films “Redemption” and “Scream at the Devil” with her husband. She has survived two fires, four mudslides and many rattlesnake relocations.  On the lighter side, she served as a classroom representative parent association member for her two daughters’ classes.

Guests at the LCFOG Book and Author Luncheon with find Shattuck a very entertaining author and speaker. She will present her latest book “Becoming Ellen” published in 2015 which follows the very popular “Invisible Ellen” published in 2014.

The Book and Author Luncheon is by invitation and those who would like to take part on Oct. 27 can contact Marianne Jennings at (818) 249-5443 or email fajmlj@aol.com; an invitation will be sent.

The Angeles National Golf Club is located at 9401 Foothill Blvd. in Sunland.