The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

reading

PARK AND READ: A New Westchester County and Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival Collaboration

by

Park and Read, a captivating summer read-aloud program aimed at fostering a love for reading in young children, is set to take place in picturesque Westchester County Parks. This engaging initiative, organized by Westchester County Director of Programs and Policies, Childcare & Education Roseanne Finizio in collaboration with the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival Executive Director Dawn Greenberg, offers an enriching experience for children aged 3 to 6.

Taking place on weekdays Monday through Thursday, from July 10 – August 10, at 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m., the Park and Read program will feature interactive storytelling sessions in both English and Spanish. Experienced and noteworthy storytellers will bring stories to life, creating a vibrant and immersive environment for children and families to enjoy.

The first reader will be Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who said the program is just what kids need as they unwind in the summer: “The Park and Read program combines the joy of storytelling with the beauty of Westchester County Parks, creating a magical experience that fosters a love for reading. We are excited to inspire young minds to get lost in the joy of books.”

Finizio said: “As a former educator, I have witnessed the profound importance of reading and the transformative impact of reading to children. With the Park and Read program, I am delighted to have the opportunity to foster a love for reading among children and create memorable moments of joy under the summer sun.”

The program schedule is as follows:

·         July 10-13: Location: Willson’s Woods Park Venue: DeMatteo Terrace Address: 8 Bradford Road, Mount Vernon, NY 10553

·         July 17-20: Location: Glen Island Park Venue: Grass area outside of bathhouse (Pavilion 1 held for inclement weather) Address: Weyman Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10805

·         July 24-28: Location: Tibbetts Brook Park Venue: Grass area in front of bathhouse (Catering Hall held for inclement weather) Address: 355 Midland Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10704

·         July 31 – August 3: Location: Saxon Woods Park Venue: Grass area adjacent to children’s playground (Pavilion held for inclement weather) Address: 1800 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605

·         August 7-10: Location: Kensico Dam Plaza Venue: Grass area outside of office Address: 1 Bronx River Parkway, Valhalla, NY 10595

The Park and Read program welcomes children accompanied by a guardian and admission is free. Pre-registration is not required; however, participants must adhere to the Westchester County residency rules.

Greenberg said: “The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival is thrilled to partner with Westchester County Parks for this initiative. By bringing literature to the heart of nature, Park and Read aims to create a memorable summer experience for children while encouraging the practice of shared reading at home.”

For more information about the Park and Read program, please email RFinizio@WestchesterCountyNY.gov or call (914) 995-2501.  More information can also be found at https://parks.westchestergov.com/park-and-read

About the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival: The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival is an annual event held in Chappaqua, NY, that celebrates children’s literature and authors. With a mission to inspire a love for reading and learning, the festival brings together authors, illustrators and families for a day filled with literary activities, book signings and storytelling sessions.

News Courtesy of Westchester County’s County Executive Office

The Magic of Mary Pope Osborne: The Beginning of Our Love of Reading

by

 

“The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster. Then everything was still. Absolutely still.”

Mary Pope Osborne’s timeless words are the start of a thrilling adventure. For countless children – including the two of us – these words were the entryway to the wonders of literature and a lifelong love of reading. And this year, book lovers of all ages will have the opportunity to meet Osborne herself at the Tenth Annual Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival on September 30, 2023.

The Magic Tree House books were a staple of our childhoods. We eagerly awaited the release of the latest book in the series and the thrill of exploring the Osborne display at the Roaring Brook School Scholastic Book Fair every year. Osborne’s stories not only took us on incredible adventures – from a 19th century twister in the United States to ancient Greece and beyond – but showed us what was possible in the world of books.

Words As a Window to the World

The Magic Tree House series launched our journey towards becoming voracious readers. For our young minds, it was incredible to travel to far-off places and times with our friends Annie and Jack–and learn a few things along the way. As noted by The New York Times in 2008, Osborne’s writing is simple and direct – modeled after Ernest Hemingway – and allows readers to lose themselves in a captivating exploration of time and space. With the intrepid siblings leading the way, young readers like us could travel to the ends of the earth, meet historical figures, and expand our minds and imaginations with each turn of a page.

Osborne’s work is as undeniably magical as Jack and Annie’s tree house, and its power grows from the author’s own philosophy that “writing is a miracle.” Her enduring success has been driven by her deep love for the craft and fundamental understanding of the magic that words can hold, especially for children. As her remarkable storytelling ability makes reading accessible for new readers, Osborne’s stories continue to touch the imaginations of so many, generation after generation.

Over 30 years after the first installment in the series, Dinosaurs Before Dark, was published, her astoundingly prolific career–as author of over 100 children’s and young adult books–continues to be bolstered by her deep commitment to literacy, getting books in the hands of underserved students, and speaking and meeting with her readers.

An Eagerly Awaited CCBF Debut

This year will mark the first time that Osborne joins thousands of readers and fans at the beloved Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival – ccbfestival.org – celebrating its tenth anniversary.

“I am so thrilled to be participating in the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival this year,” Osborne shared. “Books play such an important part in a child’s development, and the festival’s mission to connect kids with authors will do wonders for helping them develop a lifelong love for reading.”

We know that we are not the only ones who are excited for Osborne to be a part of this year’s CCBF, which did not exist when we were discovering the world of books. We have no doubt that we would have spent the entire day hitting every table, meeting our favorite authors – our heroes – and begging our parents to buy every book available for our shelves that had long since run out of room. CCBF is a Town gem, made all the more special by the participation of authors like Osborne whose work has been transformative for so many young readers. We are thrilled to witness Chappaqua’s commitment to fostering imagination in the next generation.

Though we 20-something sisters have grown up, graduated from college, and moved away to start our adult lives, we will remember and cherish Osborne’s world for the rest of our lives. It was a privilege to grow up alongside Annie and Jack, exploring the many faces of the world and its history through the worn, re-read pages of the Magic Tree House books. Though we may never journey through the Egyptian pyramids, walk on the moon, or fight alongside Washington in the Revolutionary War, the Magic Tree House will always be home to us.

Straight Out of Pleasantville, Ben Cheever’s TV Show About Books

by

Photo by Carolyn Simpson

How Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang charmed newspaper readers, what Irving Berlin, the writer of “God Bless America,” had to do to overcome extreme poverty and become a successful composer, the story of the carnival showman who invented the incubator, saving thousands of premature babies, and a fictional, emotionally scarred psychiatrist who struggles to heal herself comprise a small selection of the book discussions Ben Cheever has featured on his talk show, “About Writing” on Pleasantville Community Television.

The problem with the show is that when you watch the episodes, available on the PCTV76.org web site, you will want to read the books Cheever talks about.

Among the authors Cheever has had on the show are Molly Jong-Fast, Debra Borden, Frank McCourt, and James Kaplan, as well as actors Debra Winger and Rob Lowe, who have also written books. He’s hosted his sister Susan too, who has published memoirs about their family, and biographies of Little Women author Louisa May Alcott, and the poet E.E. Cummings, among other books.

“Authors would do PCTV when their books came out,” Cheever explained. “My pitch to them is that the show will go on the web, so people all over the world can see it.”

When Cheever interviewed Andrew Blauner, editor of The Peanuts Papers – Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & The Gang and the Meaning of Life, Blauner revealed that he managed to meet Schultz and described the cartoonist as “gentle and generous.” With a boyish sparkle in his eyes, Cheever called comic strips “a clandestine joy.”

Cheever, a Pleasantville resident, author of seven books, and editor of a book of his father’s letters, conceived of the show with Herbert Hadad, a well-known essayist and contributing writer for The New York Times, who lived in Pocantico Hills, because he wanted to help people “whose writing I really admired. I was excited to be able to talk to writers about their books,” he said. Hadad and Cheever co-hosted “About Writing” for about a year. When Hadad got a job with the U.S. Department of Justice, Cheever kept on doing the show.

“The world does not take notice when you write a book,” Cheever explained. “I wanted to help people in a way that I didn’t get. It was a long road to be a writer.”

After college, Cheever worked for the Rockland Journal News in Nyack for six years, covering church news, the Orangeburg town government, and the county legislature, then writing feature articles. He moved on to Reader’s Digest, where he worked for more than a decade in multiple roles, including copy editing and editing the condensed book section and the “Life in These United States” and “Laughter is the Best Medicine” sections.

When his father, John, died, Cheever edited his letters for a book.  Then he started writing his own books.

“It took me three years to write The Plagiarist,” his first novel, Cheever said. The book was well received, but his third book was rejected by publishers. “It really hurts to get a novel turned down,” he said.

“There are easier ways to make money (than writing). After I couldn’t sell my third novel, I sold cars, and worked at CompUSA, and Borders (the defunct bookstore chain). I was making sandwiches at Cosi. I worked at Nobody Beats the Wiz (an electronics store, now out of business), a Franklin Quest store,” a business management and motivational products company, and even as a security guard for a perfume factory for one nerve-wracking night.

Cheever worked in the service industry for five years and wrote about his experiences in the book, Selling Ben Cheever – Back to Square One in a Service Economy.

He regained his footing as a writer and went on to author two more novels, as well as Strides – Running Through History with An Unlikely Athlete, about his passion for running. Cheever  estimated that he has run 70 to 80 marathons. His two sons had a quilt made for him with tee-shirts from several of the marathons he’s run, from Athens and Bordeaux to Philadelphia, New York City and Yonkers.

He also ran a 10K race with almost 800 American soldiers in Iraq during the second Gulf War, on the grounds of Saddam Hussein’s 60-acre vacation estate, converted into a camp for the U.S. Army, enduring temperatures above 100 degrees.

“I love running. I run almost every day,” Cheever said. He runs in Rockefeller State Park, near where he bought his first house.

“The trails are 17 feet across. The park has views of the Palisades.”

As a lover of dogs, Cheever wrote a children’s book, The First Dog, about Adam and Eve and their dog, the first canine to ever live, of course. He devoted one show to service dogs, interviewing a Pace University professor on a pilot program in Pleasantville teaching health professionals about the benefits of these animals.

Cheever’s advice for young writers and readers is this – “The idea that a book is not a success if it doesn’t sell a lot of copies” is wrong, he said. He suggests that writers “make an intimate connection between people who don’t know each other. The magic moments are when you read something that is transportive. Read a really good book and you know you’re not alone.”

His ultimate advice is something he learned from DeWitt Wallace, founder, and editor of Readers’ Digest and a generous philanthropist – the things you will be known for are “the things you have given away.”

To access “About Writing” shows on the web, go to PCTV76.org, click on the “Watch Now” drop down menu, then the “Media Library” tab. Scroll down to “View Content By” on the right-hand side of the screen. Click on “Most Watched – All Time,” which will bring you to Cheever’s show with Rafael Yglesias, discussing his book, A Happy Marriage. Click on “Watch Now” and you will see on the right-hand section of the screen, “More in this Series.”

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

The RETURN of the CHAPPAQUA CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL

by

Community, Inclusivity & History to Come Alive again this Fall on October 2

In the past year and half, COVID has caused many events and milestones to be cancelled–from birthdays to Bar Mitzvahs, vacations to family reunions. In Chappaqua, the town missed one of its most beloved events, the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival (CCBF), which is set to make a much-anticipated return this Fall.  

Now in its 8th year, the Chappaqua Children’s book Festival will take place on October 2, 2021 with many familiar faces and traditions, as well as some changes.

“We are beyond thrilled to be back,” said Dawn Greenberg, Executive Director of, who originally championed bringing the festival to town almost a decade ago. “This feels like a true celebration, a reawakening in this town. This event truly brings our community together–from our planning committee to volunteers, local business, and even local authors–and we cannot wait to bring something familiar and joyful to town after such a rough time.”

A Community Tradition

Each year, thousands of visitors descend on Chappaqua for the CCBF, to enjoy a beautiful Fall day meeting their favorite authors and enjoying all the town has to offer. This year, due to COVID, the day might look slightly different, with a scaled back author list (about 60) and a new location (the Chappaqua Train Station), but many of the familiar faces and activities will remain, including author signings, panels, sponsor activities, and costumed characters. The festival will follow up-to-date COVID guidelines and protocols, regarding social distances, crowd numbers and masking policies.

All guests over the age of two will be required to wear masks.

“The CCBF is an “all hands on deck” volunteer event spearheaded by the indefatigable Dawn Greenberg and others who tirelessly promote literacy, reading, and countless beloved authors while reminding us that even in the era of screens, there are few things more valuable than a good ole’ fashioned paper book,” said Jeremy Saland, Acting Town Supervisor. “The Chappaqua Hamlet and greater New Castle are fortunate to host this festival and showcase the people and spirit that makes our community so welcoming to visitors and a place we are fortunate to call home.”

Despite the reduced number of authors, organizers are working to get as wide a mix as possible, from genre to subject matter and age group. Local authors and illustrators including Matt and Mara Van Fleet, Sujean Rim and Bob Bianchini will be on hand, as well as fan favorites like Dan Gutman and Alyssa Capucilli and Pat Schories of Biscuit fame. The full roster of authors and community sponsors can be found on the CCBF site.

Focus on Inclusivity

In addition to a wide mix of genres and ages, the festival will also focus on content, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Celebrated author Torrey Maldanado (What Lane), Mike Curato (Flamer) and Brendan Kiely (All American Boys) will participate, with special panels and presentations in the works.

“It is our mission to represent ALL voices,” said Greenberg. “We are so fortunate to be able to draw these esteemed authors, whose works can start so many important and often difficult conversations.”

History Celebrated & Jean Craighead George, Remembered and Honored

An exciting celebration will take place at this year’s fest, of famed Chappaqua resident Jean Craighead George’s 100th birthday and the inclusion of many of her books, some unpublished. This Fall marks the debut of her never-before-seen book, Crowbar, revised by her children Luke and Twig George, and illustrated by longtime collaborator, Wendell Minor, a veteran CCBF author who will attend again this year and feature many of George’s classics in his booth. 

This celebration coincides with a new town initiative, where a local park will be named after the author, a fitting tribute to the author who wrote about nature for children.

“All is decidedly not right with the world. but when young readers, authors, illustrators, and educators converge to celebrate literacy at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, all will be right with the world,” said Alan Katz, author. “The Festival is always one of my favorite days of the year, and I am thrilled and grateful that the organizers have found a safe and healthful way to bring it back. The plans to honor the wonderful Jean Craighead George make it all that more special.”

 

8th ANNUAL CHAPPAQUA CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL

Saturday, Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Chappaqua Train Station

ccbfestival.org or facebook.com/chappaquabookfestival