Media Alert: Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Westchester Library System, Yonkers Public Library, The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, and BOCES Announce One Book Westchester

Yonkers, N.Y. (Nov. 2019) – The Yonkers Public Library Crestwood Branch will be hosting a press conference on November 21, 2019 at 2:00 pm, where Westchester County Executive George Latimer, along with the Westchester Library System, The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, and BOCES will proudly announce the One Book Westchester literacy initiative. One Book Westchester is designed to bring the community of Westchester together through books written by local authors, focusing on the rich history of our County. The books chosen were selected by librarians from the Westchester Library System and voted on by members of the One Book Westchester Committee. The committee is offering three reading selections to target three different age groups. Also, throughout 2020, different activities and events will occur across the County in support of this shared reading experience. The book selections are: Adult novel: Dear George, Dear Mary: A Novel of George Washington’s First Love, by Mary Calvi. The story of George Washington’s relationship with New York heiress Mary Philippe, crafted from hundreds of letters, journal entries and witness accounts. Mary, a resident of Yonkers, NY, said, “History lies hidden in every hometown just waiting to be discovered. One Book Westchester will allow us to explore together what for centuries has been buried. Romance, deception, and war – all of them taking place right here in our backyards.” Young adult/Middle School novel: The Night Diary, by Veera Hiranandani. Written in diary form, the book tells the story of 12-year-old Nisha, who is fleeing India with her family in 1947 after the country becomes independent of British rule. “I’m so honored and grateful for my work to be recognized by the local community through One Book Westchester. I always hoped that The Night Diary would reach as many people as possible and encourage young readers to be curious about their world and open to the differences around them. Thank you for helping me do that with this important initiative.”  Elementary School author: Author and illustrator, Eric Velasquez uses his beautifully drawn books to detail the immigrant experience. Many of his books are written in English and Spanish. Eric’s latest book Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford won the 2018 Walter Award from the WNDB organization as well as the SCBWI’s The Golden Kite Award and The International Latino Award Honor. “As a twenty-five year resident of Westchester County, it is a great honor for my work to be highlighted through the One Book Westchester initiative. Through my stories and illustrations, I have always tried to provide my young readers with an up-close and personal view of people and places that they might not have had a chance to experience. One Book Westchester is giving me the opportunity to do that on a larger scale.” For more information please contact the Yonkers Public Library directly at 914-337-1500.