The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

connections

Take a “Walk in the Words”

by

…and Experience the Magic of Books and Connection at The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival on October 15

Take a “Walk in the Words” and experience the magic of books and connection at The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival on October 15, 2022.

Inspired by the beautiful and diverse stories told by the 150+ authors, the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival (CCBF) celebrates literacy, the power of words, and the unifying quality of books. Festival organizers thank Hudson Talbott, author of American Library Association (ALA) honor book, A Walk in the Words, for creating this year’s incredible poster art, and for showing readers that words are stepping stones and that they should always take their time to “savor the story!” (Talbott).

The 9th annual Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival will take place on October 15, 2022 at the Chappaqua Station from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Many fan favorites are returning, along with beloved traditions, including author signings, sponsor activities, story time, and musical performances, and there will be lots of exciting new additions. While the festival made a much-anticipated return in 2021, albeit on a small scale, organizers anticipate this year to be a perfect fall day for readers and families to meet their favorite authors and enjoy all the town has to offer.

“It’s a thrill to be heading into our ninth annual festival,” Dawn Greenberg, Executive Director of CCBF, said. “We are so happy that it’s bigger than ever with some very exciting new authors plus our many favorites from years past. We are expanding our family fun zone and our food truck area, too. We really want families to come and spend the day…and then to take some time to explore our beautiful town! Fall is the best time in Chappaqua. Combine that with smiling kids meeting their favorite authors–it’s a day like no other.”

Historically the festival has been a county-wide favorite, and has drawn authors, illustrators, and visitors from many neighboring states. Among those are local authors and illustrators including Nick Bruel (Bad Kitty), Barbara Dee (Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet), Sujean Rim (Zoogie Boogie Fever), and Matt (Pet) & Mara Van Fleet (Three Little Mermaids). Recent award winners Veera Hiranandani (How To Find What You’re Not Looking For) and Kyle Lukoff (Too Bright To See) will return as part of the day’s lineup; and celebrated authors, Phil Bildner (A High Five For Glenn Burke), Mike Curato (Where is Bina Beat?), Alyson Gerber (Taking Up Space), Chris Grabenstein (Mr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game), Dan Gutman (My Weirdest School), James Howe (Bunnicula), Victoria Kann (Pinkalicious), Alan Katz (Awesome Achievers in Technology), Torrey Maldonado (What Lane?), Janae Marks (A Soft Place to Land), Kate Messner (Over and Under the Waves), Laurie Morrison (Coming Up Short), Co-authors Gae Polisner & Nora Raliegh Baskin (Consider the Octopus), Lauren Tarshis (I Survived), and Mark Teague (King King’s Cousin) will ALL be in attendance again, just to name a few!

Some of the highly anticipated new additions include Selina Alko (I is for Immigrants), Melanie Conklin (A Perfect Mistake), Carrie Firestone (The First Rule of Climate Club), Josh Funk (My Pet Feet), Valerie Goldstein (Violet’s Victory), Rajani LaRocca (Red, White, and Whole), Claribel Ortega (Witchlings), Eric Rosswood (Strong), Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (Operation Sisterhood), Elly Swartz (Dear Student), and Jennifer Thermes (Manhattan: Mapping the Story on an Island).

Also new to the festival (and traveling great distances to meet readers) are rockstar husband & wife team, Chris Barton (How to Make a Book (About My Dog)) and Jennifer Ziegler (Worser), Lisa Fipps (Starfish), Christina Diaz Gonzalez (Invisible), and Sally J Pla (Benji, The Bad Day, And Me).

Emily Barth Isler (Aftermath), who will be flying in from California shared that, “The opportunity to connect with other authors in person is always exciting, but meeting readers and getting to connect with the people we truly write the books for is the best part.”

The full roster of authors, illustrators, and sponsors can be found on the CCBF site. Be sure to check it out so you can plan your day!

The power of books and connection

The CCBF board actively seeks to ensure that all readers find books that both highlight their identities and help them to develop empathy towards others. This mission is grounded in the work of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop who is widely respected for her commentary on the importance of diverse books which reflect the world in which we live. In her 1990 essay, she wrote:

“Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms the human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience.” (Bishop, 1990).

A little over 30 years later, as many diverse children’s books have become the targets of criticism, CCBF is proud to promote literacy and openly stands against censorship and book banning. The board and all volunteers hope the event serves as a beacon of hope and a reminder of the power of words and the many ways books unite us.

Jyoti Gopal (American Desi), who volunteered at the Chappaqua Book Festival in the past, is “excited to participate as a debut author this year!” She says, “Books were a lifeline for me growing up but I rarely found books that represented me. I love the range of stories and genres that are available at the Festival and am thankful that I will be one of the many voices represented there–it’s vitally important for children to be able to see themselves and their experiences in books, to see that their identity is affirmed and valued. And it’s a super fun day!”

Festival organizers will follow up-to-date guidelines and protocols regarding social distances, crowd numbers and masking policies. They will ensure that the festival is a safe space for all and encourages everyone to do what makes them feel most comfortable and excited to attend and enjoy the day.

9th Annual Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival

Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Chappaqua Train Station
ccbfestival.org

Ten Reasons to See What Temple Beth El is All About!

by

Courtesy of Temple Beth El

1. Temple Beth El welcomes all who wish to participate in Jewish life with an inclusive and enriching community, led by our award-winning clergy: Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe, Rabbi Maura Linzer, and Cantor Elizabeth Sternlieb.

2. Our vibrant Religious School emphasizes experiential learning and family education, with a wide array of programming that includes trips to Washington, D.C. and New York City.

3. The TBE Early Childhood Center provides children of nursery school age with a fun, exciting, and developmentally appropriate program in a warm, nurturing preschool environment.

4. Attend our monthly Tot Shabbat and Family Worship Services that engage our younger congregants. Save the date for our Scout Shabbat on February 28!

5. Holiday and festival celebrations for all ages – Join us for the Vodka & Latkes Adult Social prior to our Chanukah Service or be part of the cast for our upcoming Purim Spiel: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel!

6. Deeply meaningful High Holy Day services filled with reflection, prayer, celebration, and community.

7. Numerous Adult Programming and Education opportunities that range from an annual Scholar-In-Residence program featuring prominent figures in the Jewish spiritual, intellectual, and political arenas to Sunday morning classes with our clergy.

8. Deep commitment to tikkun olam, social action, and social justice with our new Year of Mitzvot programs. Volunteer for our Emergency Shelter Partnership, Cooking for Neighbors Link, or our annual “Soup’er Bowl” Sunday!

9. A commitment towards inclusion and outreach to individuals and families of all backgrounds and needs, as well as a welcoming approach to interfaith families.

10. Making connections with our friends and neighbors in the broader community through Interfaith initiatives and creating joint programs with Antioch Baptist Church and the Upper Westchester Muslim Society.

Visit us at bethelnw.org

Building Connections with the New ‘Chappaqua Reads-Chappaqua Includes’

by

Photo by Regina Walsh McKie

In the 1970s a little girl contracted meningitis.  After a long recovery she began to feel better, but something was clearly wrong. While much of her health returned, she was profoundly deaf.  Advances in science brought this girl a hearing device called the Phonic Ear which helped her hear!  But the Phonic Ear was far from the small, discreet cochlear implant many people today are familiar with.  It was a heavy, bulky box strapped to her body, with wires that ended in earpieces inserted into the ear.  And it was far from seamless in its operation.  Consistency, volume and the ability to separate out background noise were still being refined.  Thus armed, this little girl was sent into the wilds of public education.

Photo by Lori Morton

This is El Deafo, a graphic memoir written by Cece Bell and it’s the springboard from which Chappaqua Reads -Chappaqua Includes was launched.

Chappaqua Reads – Chappaqua Includes is a joint partnership between the Chappaqua PTA and the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival.  Its goal is a year-long conversation about empathy and inclusion which celebrates a love of reading and a desire to build connections through a community read.  To date, Chappaqua Reads – Chappaqua Includes has given 2,000 copies of El Deafo to teachers, administrators, community members and families within the Chappaqua Central School District.

While it’s fun and exciting to get a free book, the question remains — what’s the point?

It is hard to read the news today and not feel sad.  Division is everywhere.  Community values feel like something out of Our Town, quaint and distant, like hand-churned butter.  Solipsism and selfishness are on the rise.  In the face of all this, the creators of Chappaqua Reads – Chappaqua Includes asked, what if you could turn the conversation.  Use the platform of the Chappaqua PTA (with well over 80 percent of Chappaqua Central School District families in membership) and the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival  (in its seventh year welcoming over 7,000 visitors and growing), to talk about community, empathy, inclusion and to foster a love reading at every age.

Empathy.  Inclusion.  Community.

Three simple words.  Easy to look up in the dictionary.  Easy to believe that they are part of a shared and agreed upon lexicon.  Chappaqua Reads – Chappaqua Includes seeks to challenge that easy assumption.  Like most things worthwhile, putting the concepts of empathy and  inclusion in action and building community around them is hard work, full of second guesses and disagreements.  It is only together, talking about these values, how they work in our home, our schools and in our community and, yes,about how they sometimes fail, that we can find a way forward to a greater community, that values empathy and is always expanding inclusion.

Photo of Maggie Mae by Ronni Diamondstein

Stepping beyond the pages of El Deafo, Chappaqua Reads-Chappaqua Includes has teamed up with the Chappaqua Library, the Chappaqua Central School District, Scattered Books Bookstore and the Town of New Castle Recreation Department to create programming throughout the community to enhance and deepen that conversation.  After a kick-off at the Chappaqua Rotary Club’s Community Day, programs have included: the Chappaqua Library and Town Rec Department’s StoryWalk® in Gedney Park; the Chappaqua PTA’s guest lecturer Michele Borba author of UnSelfie,  who discussed the importance of raising empathetic children in a self-obsessed world, the PTA’s follow-up book discussion group, and a community- wide “Find Cece” scavenger hunt for middle and elementary school students hosted by Scattered Books Bookstore.

In December, the Chappaqua PTA will welcome Addy and Uno, a family musical about disability, The TSA Youth Ambassador program, where kids talk to kids about tics and tourette’s syndrome, a screening of Intelligent Lives hosted by Horace Greeley High School’s Ambassador’s Club, and classes to introduce kids to American Sign Language.   The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival will host a skype conversation with author Cece Bell.  Across classrooms throughout the Chappaqua School District teachers at every level will discuss themes in El Deafo and highlight values of inclusion and empathy.  In late winter or early spring the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival will host a create your own graphic novel program.   The Chappaqua Library will lead third and fourth grade students in book club discussion featuring El Deafo and lead younger kids in a “What’s your Superpower” arts and crafts activity where kids are asked to dig deep and find the superhero within themselves. Finally, in the spring, any books families would like to donate back to Chappaqua Reads – Chappaqua Includes will be shared with neighboring schools to inspire their own reading programs.

In the end, after all the celebrating, reading and fun, we hope that everyone comes away knowing that empathy is a superpower that can combat loneliness.  It’s the strength to see beyond the surface and make a connection.   While it is so easy to ruin someone’s day with a snide remark or a mean word, with empathy and sincerity, we each have the power to truly see other people, recognize their humanity and extend empathy, kindness and inclusion.

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

Cece figures are hidden throughout town as part of a scavenger hunt. Photo courtesy of Whispering Pines.

 

News about Chappaqua Reads-Chappaqua Includes was provided as a courtesy to The Inside Press by the program’s founders and collaborators: The Chappaqua PTA and The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival.

Cameras and iPhones and Kindles, Oh My!

by

By Amelia Abemayor

Technology.

iphone2It’s all around us; in our homes, our schools, even hidden in the deep depths of the earth. But what is it, really? By definition, technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. However, in a world where the number of Facebook friends defines a person and cell phones have practically become extensions of our bodies, technology has truly developed into more than just a simple dictionary definition.

Whether you’re a new-age Kindle or Nook owner or prefer to stick to plain old books, it is hard to imagine that we once lived in a world where technology did not have a major presence in everyday life. As society grows more and more dependent on technology, it seems as if we are losing the ability to survive without it. Just thinking about a day without my electronics gives me the chills, and leaves me wondering: what technology can we not live without?

I first looked at myself, your everyday teenage girl (who, according to her parents, happens to be a “technology addict”). I chose a random, standard day, and set out to go about my life normally; but this day was different. It was a day sans technology: I went to school with no phone, no laptop, and essentially (what felt like) no dignity. I soon realized the drastic effects technology has on me. Whether it is in class, or simply sitting at the school lunch table, technology’s presence has become irrevocably entwined with my life.

While I sat there with nothing but my backpack, my friends and peers were attached to their phones and practically drooling over their computers. Even teachers and staff throughout my classes relied on every piece of technology in their classrooms to teach. The struggle soon became real. It was hard to come to the realization that my life had been controlled by my electronics all this time, but I still tried to stick the day out.

camera2That was, of course, until I got home. I felt empty, like something was missing; the withdrawal symptoms really hit when I got home from school. Unfortunately, my experiment failed miserably as I checked every single notification possible the second a computer was in sight.

Although my attempted research was unsuccessful, I was still eager to further investigate our world’s relationship with technology. I talked to friends, family, even my 84-year-old grandmother. The answers were all different and unique in their own way, just like every update of the iPhone. Some said they could go days without the buzzing and beeps, while others said they would experience the same withdrawal affects I dealt with that day.

It’s really crazy to think about. Could you go a day, even an hour without air conditioning? What about no cars, trains or planes? It would feel like the apocalypse, or the return of the Middle Ages. Technology has become so completely ingrained in our lives that it would be virtually impossible to eliminate it for even a day.

All in all, our love-hate relationship with technology keeps on growing and growing as our world keeps on advancing. Soon enough, the thought of a technology-free world won’t even be present in our minds. The world we live in today, and the future that awaits us, is constantly depending on technology in every single way.

amelia bookAmelia Abemayor is a senior at Horace Greeley High School. Growing up, her favorite book was Amelia Bedelia.