The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

reading

“Oh, the places you’ll go!”

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lindsay-letter-shotDr. Seuss’ words, repeated to me on the threshold of graduating elementary school and then middle school, have again begun to swirl around my mind. That book was the main inspiration for my first-ever Inside Chappaqua article back in 2010, but Dr. Seuss’ messages and motivations have stuck with me and made more sense as I’ve grown and matured. It seems rather silly, doesn’t it? A seventeen year-old obsessing over a children’s book. That’s the wonder of it all, though; our younger selves had no idea of the impact those stories would have on our lives.

Sure, there’s a huge, terrifying, wonderful world outside of Chappaqua. I read all about it in the Magic Tree House books, going on adventures and first learning about history through the eyes of two young children not so different from myself. The books of my childhood shaped who I am, the messages within staying with me and taking on new meanings as I’ve gained more experience in the world.

From Potter to Gatsby, Tolkien to Hemingway, books have always been part of me.  I know that between the covers of a book I will always find escape and a place in which I can lose myself and forget about “real life” for a while.  This lifelong love of reading has fueled my excitement for the first-ever Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival this October.

dr suess bookI am beyond thrilled to reprise my role as Inside Chappaqua guest editor-in-chief and to again work with the original “Dream Team” of Greeley writers, all of us about to enter our senior year.  I thank them for their incredible work and not hesitating to be part of both this and our first issue in September 2011, and wish them all the best this year, in college and beyond. A huge “thank you,” of course, to Grace Bennett, for again providing this extraordinary opportunity, and to my family, for always being there for me. Their constant support and belief in me has increased my confidence and shown me that I have the ability to accomplish anything I put my mind to.

And thank you, Chappaqua, for being an open, enlightening community in which youth can grow and flourish.  Our formative years here will no doubt influence the decisions my classmates and I make going forward; Chappaqua has played a key part in shaping who we are, and now it’s time to put all of that into the “real world.”

Our experiences growing up and the messages we’ve absorbed will stay with us forever, and help us to rise to unexpected and exciting places.

Oh, the places we’ll go, indeed.

–Lindsay Hand 

HGHS Class of 2014

A Literary Event Like No Other: The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival

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By Sarah Jane Weill   

little-girlBooklovers, rejoice! On October 5, 2013, the Bell Middle School parking lot will be filled with more than 70 children’s book authors all armed and ready to meet their readers. It will be an event never before seen here in Chappaqua, and is definitely something to get excited about!

The idea for the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival (or CCBF) stemmed from Tarrytown’s Sunnyside Book Day, an annual event lasting 15 years during which 50 to 60 children’s book authors and illustrators gathered at Washington Irving’s house to meet their fans. The beloved event was a great opportunity for writers and young readers to mingle in a unique environment. However, this past year Sunnyside announced that it would no longer be continuing the event. This unfortunate announcement had one positive effect: it led to the inspiration to bring about something similar to New Castle.

Come One, Come All

The premise of the CCBF is to create an event that will attract a wide spectrum of readers throughout Chappaqua as well as surrounding towns. With an impressive goal of around 3,000 attendees, the CCBF will be a strong community event. “We want this to be an event when everyone comes out,” commented Dawn Greenberg, one of the event’s volunteer organizers who helped bring this idea to life. The event will be a great place to meet people and a chance for the long-time Chappaqua families and the newer families to meet.

The schedule for the event is casual, flexible and accessible to all. Authors and illustrators will have their own tables and be available for book signings and conversations with fans, along with having books for sale. Some authors will be partaking in readings that are open to everyone; there will also be arts and crafts activities to enjoy. Local restaurants and food trucks will provide the food; in addition, all desserts will be literary-themed and sold by the Great American Bake Sale. Admission is free, so families are encouraged to come and go as they please, enjoying as much as they want in the fashion they want to.

Coming Together

The most exciting part about this event is the list of authors and illustrators expected to be in attendance; to name just a couple, Tony Abbott, author of the Secrets of Droon series, and Victoria Kann, author and illustrator of Pinkalicious, will both be there. With 70 authors already signed up and more on a waiting list, a wide range of books from all genres will be represented. All of the authors on the list are from around the area; a great number of fantastic children’s and Young Adult authors who live in Chappaqua are attending the event.

Many of the authors were originally a part of the Sunnyside Book Day; other authors have either been recruited by friends already planning on attending or by relatives living in the area who heard about the event. Most of these authors work from home, and are therefore thrilled to get the opportunity to interact with their fans. Their enthusiasm, coupled with the excitement of young readers, will make the CCBF that much more thrilling and rewarding.

A Group Effort 

Getting an event like this up and running is no easy task. The entire preparation for the CCBF has been run completely through no-pay volunteer efforts, as the CCBF is run by a non-profit organization. All of the money needed for the event has been acquired through various fundraisers such as a special tea with some of the authors and an art auction that sold off pieces created by some of the illustrators.

People from all parts of the town have come together to help out with the preparations; Greenberg recalled that once she got the idea for the festival, she called her friends and immediately got positive responses. “This job is only possible because of the enthusiasm,” she remarked. The organization of the CCBF has largely been a group effort; the community’s excitement over this upcoming event clearly shows how hard people have worked to make the event a success.

Adding to the event’s remarkableness is its great efforts to give back to the literary community in the area. Three charities that work to promote literacy and encourage reading and writing–LitWorld, Behind the Book, and Pace Literary Center–will have their own spaces at the event. These charities are all crucial in the literary community, and the mutual support between them and the CBFF will come to benefit everyone.

Looking forward, if all is successful, those responsible for the CCBF are hoping to make this an annual event. This would not only make our town stronger, but it would also connect Chappaqua to the outside literary world; it could become a huge aspect of the fall festivities in town.

“October is the perfect time of the year, as it’s the lull between back to school and Christmas,” added Greenberg. It is an event that is very much needed in our community; it can be something that readers, writers, and people from all throughout Westchester can look forward to. So, book lover or not, mark your calendars and get ready for a new, exciting event here in Chappaqua!

mouse cookie bookSarah Jane Weill is a senior at Horace Greeley High School. Growing up, her favorite book was If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. 

Reading has Gone to the Dogs

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By Maggie Mae…with Ronni Diamondstein

Eight-year-old Marielle of Briarcliff Manor never misses an opportunity to read to Too Tall.
Eight-year-old Marielle of Briarcliff Manor never misses an opportunity to read to Too Tall.

Since I was a puppy I have heard people say to my owner, “Maggie should be a therapy dog.” Because I am small, calm, very gentle with children and a hypoallergenic poodle they thought that would be a good job for me.  And I like to have people pet me.  My owner said that these dogs visited hospitals, elder care centers, schools and other places to help people feel better and happy. Then I heard about a therapy dog that has children read to him at the Chappaqua Library. I thought this was really a great thing since I love when my owner, who is a former School Librarian, reads to me. So I contacted Miriam Budin, Head of Children’s Services, to find out about their program Short Tales for Too Tall.

Children sign up for a fifteen-minute session to read to Too Tall, a retired rescued Greyhound racing dog. Accompanied by his owner, Anne Quick, Too Tall listens to each child read either a book of their choice or one that the library provides. “We’ve had a number of different therapy dogs over the past ten years and have structured the programs in a variety of ways, but we’ve come to feel that a private session with the therapy dog feels extra-special, even though it limits the number of children who can participate” says Budin. “The response to Too Tall, a particularly elegant, gentle and gracious dog has been wholly positive.”

When Quick, a Young Adult Librarian adopted Too Tall, she immediately began to train him as a certified therapy dog as well as a  R.E.A.D (Reading Education Assistance Dog). Too Tall told me he likes the children reading to him and especially enjoys the treat they give him at the end of the session. “Even though it may look like I am sleeping with my eyes closed, completely relaxed with my head in the child’s lap, I am paying attention,” says Too Tall. “I have a vivid imagination and close my eyes to picture the stories being read to me.” And he adds that Quick reads to him all the time too. “Her mission in having people read to me is not only to introduce and foster a love for learning and literacy, but also to share me with others and teach people what ‘greyt’ pets retired racers make.”

“Dogs don’t care if you read fast or slowly. They just like to be with people,” said Quick. A parent of one of Too Tall’s readers told me that she brings her seven-year-old son so that he has a “noncritical” listener. Her son had brought his own copy of a Henry and Mudge book by Cynthia Rylant, which is a popular series about a boy and his dog. Marielle, an eight-year-old from Briarcliff Manor wouldn’t miss a session with Too Tall, “I love reading and I love dogs!”

Too Tall can’t take his eyes off Thomas as he reads to him about a boy and his dog. Photos by Ronni Diamondstein
Too Tall can’t take his eyes off Thomas as he reads to him about a boy and his dog.
Photos by Ronni Diamondstein

Quick says she always gets terrific feedback and that the parents enjoy it as much as the kids.  “Some of our readers were afraid of dogs before meeting Too Tall. Some were afraid of reading,” says Budin. “Anne Quick and Too Tall have such an encouraging way about them that the response to their visits has been entirely positive.” Short Tales for Too Tall will continue this fall at the Chappaqua Library. Check the Chappaqua Library website for more details about this special program for children: www.chappaqualibrary.org.

Wow! All this talk about reading makes me want to sit on my owner’s lap and curl up with a good book. Then maybe I can be a R.E.A.D dog too!

Contact Maggie Mae Pup Reporter at maggiemae10514@gmail.com

Maggie Mae lives in Chappaqua with her adoring owner Ronni Diamondstein, who, when she isn’t walking Maggie is a freelance writer, PR consultant and award-winning photographer who has worked in the US and abroad.

Maggie Mae’s Must Do:

Top Hat and Tails Gala October 18th

Launching a new feature to highlight pet events, charities and organizations and am wagging my tail with joy to tell you about a special event for the SPCA of Westchester, the 11th Annual Top Hat and Cocktails Gala. This hot dog of an affair will be held at the Ritz Carlton in White Plains on Friday, October 18, 2013 from 7:00 to 9:30PM. Step out in style with your dog for a fun evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, canine ice cream bar, animal communicator, live music, dancing and a silent auction. Tickets are $200 per person. Well socialized dogs and their owners will enjoy this event that supports the many wonderful programs of the
SPCA of Westchester.

For more details visit

www.spca914.org.

The Chappaqua Challenge at the Chappaqua Library

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The Chappaqua Library has begun registering for the Chappaqua Challenge. This highly popular, low-key reading program has been an annual event since 1983. Fourth, fifth and sixth graders form teams of 3-4 people, take four months to read from a list of twelve selected books, and write questions about one of the books. During the actual Challenge, which will take place on March 16th, 2013 at 2 p.m., the teams will quiz each other. No score is kept and there are no winners or losers. Each participant will earn a gift certificate to a local bookstore, and there’s a party immediately afterwards.

Space is limited, so those interested in participating should register as soon as possible. Please see our website, www.chappaqualibrary.org, or call the Children’s Room of the Chappaqua Library at (914) 238-4779, ext. 3, for more information.