Join us Sunday, May 18th from 1 PM- 4 PM on the front lawn of Berkley High School for the 2nd Annual READ IN THE PARK Book Festival. Aimed at children and young adults, there will be authors, celebrity readers, music, storybook charcters, food and fun activities for the whole family. Authors planning to attend include; NPR host Charity Nebbe, Susan Collins Thomas, Denise Rodgers, Howard Fridson, Stephen M. Jones and Bryan Chick. Sponsored by the Berkley Educational Foundation and the Book Beat, funds raised at the Read in the Park festival go to support community literacy programs.
Meet the authors and their books May 18th, here's a preview:
Our Walk in the Woods (Hardcover) "Nothing is more fun than a walk in the woods on a sunny spring day. Abbey and her dog Kirby get up early every Saturday to explore the hills above the river, but they don't always see things quite the same. Abbey likes to smell the lovely spring flowers. Kirby likes to chase the small animals he smells along the way. Abbey checks out the animal footprints in the mud. Kirby loves to burrow in the dirt. Abbey sits in the sun on the riverbank, feeling the wind on her face. Kirby paddles in the water, chasing the ducks and geese. Although they may not always agree, they'll walk in the woods again tomorrow." - Mitten Press
Chinwag Theater producer Charity Nebbe spent much of her childhood in rural Iowa of the 1850's. There she enjoyed milking cows, churning butter, and tending the geese. Attacked by an enraged goose, young Charity's life was despaired of--but a scientist, Dr. Sylvester Lapa-Lapa, At Des Moines' famous Zoroastrian Hospital, put the child into a primitive form of suspended animation. Thus, she came to live in this century, Raised by her great-great-nephew's family. This experience accounts for her unusual knowledge of, and interest in, Iowa history, odd experiments, and Daniel Pinkwater.
In this century Charity claims to have been born in 1975, she has two brothers, two foster brothers, a foster sister, and two parents (one mother and one father--actually collateral descendents). She grew up just outside of Cedar Falls, Iowa where she spent the bulk of her time raising baby animals (her family rehabilitates wild orphaned and injured animals with state and federal licenses), reading books, pretending to be Wonder Woman, and playing with the dogs and cats. Charity went to Iowa State University where she majored in political science with minors in English and Biology.
She now lives near Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband (Rob), two dogs (Sara, pictured above, and Mandy), and five cats (Arthur, Vivian, Toby, Chance, and Q). She works at Michigan Radio where she produces The Todd Mundt Show from NPR and cleans the restrooms. Nebbe is the host of All Things Considered on Michigan Public Radio. "Woods" is her first book.
Cesar Takes a Break (Hardcover) When the children are away…the animals will play. Susan Collins Thomas makes a sparkling picture book debut with this hilarious story of class pets on the loose; colorful and humorous pictures by Québécois artist Rogé add to the great fun. Life is great for Cesar the iguana. After all, he went from living in Pets-A-Plenty to an excellent new home in Ms. Lee’s elementary school classroom—with 25 best friends to pamper him. But now spring break has arrived, the kids are gone, and poor Cesar’s a puddle of sadness. Until…he takes a vacation too! From classroom to classroom he wanders, meeting all the other school pets and making hilarious notes in his journal. Before long, he’s feasting on strawberries, dancing the Iguana Shuffle, and playing hockey in the teacher’s lounge. Will he ever want to return to his cage? Cesar’s having a blast—and young readers will too!
Denise Rodgers: A Little Bit of Nonsense (Hardcover) his attractive hardcover book is filled with 65 whimsical poems by The Poetry Lady herself, Denise Rodgers, and illustrated by Michigan artist, Julie Martin. The book is divided into four sections; Characters I've Known, Monster Meat Stew, Noah's Ark, and Looney Ideas.
Known to her close fiends and family as The Poetry Lady, Denise Rodgers is a professional writer who has been reading and writing poetry since she was 14, when her older sister had the nerve to get married and leave her alone with hours and hours of quiet time to read and write. She lives in Huntington Woods, Michigan, with her husband Peter and black and while English Cocker named Jagger (no relation to Mick). She and her husband have two sons. David attends Michigan State University. Ted is a law student at Wayne State University in Detroit. Visit the Poetry Lady website at: thepoetrylady.com
Howard Fridson: Our Family Treasue (paperback) An inspiring book about creativity, friendship and family. The story is taken from the author's own family history and tells the story of his lovely eccentric aunt Else who collected odd bits of things and made her life a joyous creation. The book is a heartfelt journey of two friends who share a creative afternoon. Fridson's illustrations are soft pastel pencil and crayon drawings that add to this timeless tale of memory and family. Included is a diagram to help children and adults create their own version of Else's cut-out paper square dance.
"When Howard’s Aunt Elsie turned 75, Howard wrote a story about her and drew a few pictures to present at her party. Elsie had always been like a second mother to Howard and his brother, Marty. After she passed away, Howard thought it would be nice to finish the book as a gift to all the cousins and their children. In this way they would always remember their wonderful Aunt Elsie. To his surprise, Howard discovered cousins he never knew existed, from Canada to Viet Nam. The cousins were very excited to read the book, and they insisted that everyone should be able to read about their aunt. The result is “Our Family Treasure.”
Howard Fridson is an artist who lives in Huntington Woods, Michigan with his wife Cathy. They have three grown boys named Nate, Blake and Russel. Howard studied art at Wayne State University where he drew a comic strip for the school newspaper called “The Adventures of Captain Bopper.” He majored in Fine Arts and began painting murals upon graduation. Since then he has continued to paint and has illustrated books, including “Maya’s First Rose” by Martin Scot Kosins.
Steven M. Jones: Charlemagne Mack: Rise of the Queen (Paperback)
It’s time to discover "The Urban Harry Potter”
Detroit, Michigan based playwright Stephen M. Jones has created a buckle up and hold on rollercoaster of an adventure novel for teens in his new book Charlemagne Mack: Rise of the Queen.
It all began with a toad in a bowl of Jell-O. Smart, sassy and cool Charlemagne (Charley) Mack is a twelve year old African American, living in The City. Raised on MTV and VH1, Charley is a pure product of our culture. She’s an honors student (or a “colored egg” as she refers to herself), a gymnast, and … the queen of the Sky Conjuring People??
Most little girls dream of being a princess, but Charley is thrust into her position as queen at the age of twelve and finds that the glamorous benefits of royalty are swept aside in the face of mystery, danger, adventure and responsibility.
Charlemagne’s journey is that of a child who reluctantly leaves childhood behind for a reality nothing like she could ever have imagined. The book is filled with the desire and struggle to; find out who you really are, to learn from adversity, to embrace curiosity and education, and to cherish the value of friendship along the way.
America’s first African American princess is on her way, hip hop, pop and lock and dreadlock. Steve speaks to a generation of urban youth and we believe is the next great African American author.
Stephen M, Jones is a copywriter and playwright, with his first play “Back in the World” voted best Play by the Detroit Free Press. Charlemagne Mack is the first of a trilogy and Stephen Jones first children’s book.
Take a look at what critics say and why Charlemagne Mack Rocks
“The intelligence of this novel has real warmth to it, and mythology and cultural history unfold throughout like delightful discoveries. The salient detail is personal empowerment, and the strength and happiness that come from knowing who you are even as you struggle to make things better. Charley rises to the occasion in charming and touching way, I can’t help but wonder what’s in store for her in Journal #2.” -- Hatie Haegele, Philadelphia Inquirer
“Charlemagne Mack, a 12-year-old African American, is an honors student in a poor part of The City. She lives with her uncle and aunt until the day a giant spider named Miss Lettie comes through her bedroom window to warn her that she is in grave danger. Charlemagne escapes to Louisiana and is surprised to discover that she is not simply an above-average student to whom odd things sometimes happen, but is instead Queen of the Sky Conjuring People. She learns to deal with her new identity, ruins the plans of some very bad, bad guys, and learns about her family…This book definitely helps to fill a gap in fantasy/science fiction featuring strong African-American characters.” --School Library Journal
“Harry Potter fans will love this book! Smart and sassy Charlemagne, a twelve year old black girl, learns the value of love, trust and faith in herself as she is transformed into Orisha, Queen of the Sky Conjurers.”-- Florence Waszkelewicz Clowes, author of Bones in the Backyard
“Welcome to the world of Charlemagne Mack; not your average kid, but a Queen by nature. This story is full of spells, demons, monsters and bad things lurking in the walls of a mystical library. Sit back and take this journey of personal acknowledgement through the eyes of a child….”
APOO Book Club
Bryan Chick: The Secret Zoo (Paperback) This book, which is the first of a series, is a fast-paced mix of mystery and fantasy. There is enough action and suspense to keep the most reluctant reader entertained while simultaneously emphasizing the importance of friendship and teamwork. It promises to be the beginning of a popular series --School Library Journal
Noah Nowicki and his younger sister live next to the Clarksville Zoo. One night, Megan mysteriously vanishes, leaving behind only a few pages from her diary as clues. Noah and his friends, Ella and Ritchie, who call themselves the Adventure Scouts, set out to rescue her. They befriend a batch of sentient yet nonspeaking zoo animals that include a polar bear named Blizzard; Podgy, a penguin; and Marlo, a Malachite Kingfisher. These creatures, who claim to know what happened to Megan, lead the Scouts into the zoo, which has a secret entrance to a fanciful land called the City of Species where animals and humans live alongside one another.
Bryan Chick spent most of his childhood bumping into things. Mostly awkward and shy, he wasn’t particularly good at paying attention, and he was bored with things his imagination couldn't manipulate. His love for writing began when he realized how cool and rewarding it is to flood the contents of his mind across stacks of paper.
The idea for The Secret Zoo came to Bryan when he was only nine-years-old. He used to wonder what it would be like if zoo exhibits had secret doors for kids to get in—and the animals to get out. Why would the exhibits have secret passages? What would this mean? Over time (lots of time—like twenty years), the idea matured in complexity and length, until finally developing into what it is today, a story outlined as seven full novels.
Bryan lives with his wife and three young children in Clarkston, MI. Overall, he’s a pretty simple man—a father and a husband before anything else. He is terrible with remembering names, simple math, and geography (on last account he could name maybe two-thirds of the fifty United States—and don’t ask him to convert that fraction to decimal).