BY RONNI DIAMONDSTEIN AND ILLUSTRATED BY NAAVA KATZ
Katie Alvarez
“Hatchet by Gary Paulsen had a strong impact on my life. This was one of the first books that gave me that feeling of wanting to read non-stop to find out what happened in the end. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. It jump-started my love of reading for the sense of adventure. The book delivered a great lesson on perseverance and the will to survive. It spoke to my spirit of being a problem solver and determination to succeed in the face of adversity.”
Katie Alvarez lives in Pleasantville and works in the White Plains School District.
Jessica Rappaport
“When I was four, my older sister Alyssa taught me to read my first book, Kangaroo Stew. My sister infused within me the belief that I was limitless, even when I was diagnosed with an ocular condition that left me legally blind in one eye. My first book opened me to a world where I would regularly escape. I eventually became an English teacher. Now it was my turn – I opened up worlds through literature for hundreds of students. I have always thought that books are an imagination gateway.”
Jessica Rappaport is an Assistant Principal at Seven Bridges School in Chappaqua.
Judy Willsey
“I was never much of a reader even though I was really good at it. My mom was a kindergarten teacher, and I was surrounded by books. But I loved reading the encyclopedia. I loved the little snippets of information and distinctly recall reading about this stuff called ‘gold leaf.’ So apropos as I am a professional picture framer who deals in gilded gold leaf frames every single day. So, there you have it. Catcher in the Rye. Nope. How to Win Friends and Influence People. Nope. Funk and Wagnalls. You bet.”
Judy Willsey is the owner of Framings in Armonk
David Helfenbein
“The Great Gatsby had a strong impact on me. I read it for the first time at Greeley and was particularly moved by the final line of the book, which discusses the relationship between our past, present and future selves. That line resonates even more now that I have returned to Chappaqua.”
David Helfenbein graduated from Greeley in 2004 and is now the Vice President, Public Relations at Burford Capital, the leading financial firm focused on law. He holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis.
Ronni Diamondstein is a journalist, photographer, retired school librarian and the author of Jackie and the Books She Loved. She lives in Chappaqua with her dog Maggie Mae. ronnidiamondstein.com
Naava Katz is an illustrator who lives with her family in Chappaqua. naavakatz.com
