More than 75 youth at Crestwood Children’s Center were captivated when local author Sally Valentine read to them from her Rochester-based books, “The Ghost of the Charlotte Lighthouse, ” “Theft at the George Eastman House,” and “What Stinks? An Adventure in Highland Park.” Sally’s visit to Crestwood on August 12 was part of a reading program in which the children all tried to read 10 books over the summer. Sally brought along a lilac bush and a lighthouse figurine to show the children as she read to them. She ended her presentation with a question and answer period. “The kids were really curious about how you write a book,” says Crestwood Clinician Transition Coordinator Elisabeth Tayrien. “Sally told them that it takes a lot of time. She also said that she had to go to several publishers before she found one who was interested in her books. She really pushed the idea of not giving up, which is a great message for our kids.”
Sally also donated autographed copies of her books to all of the Crestwood cottages and the Elementary Day Treatment library. “The kids get very excited about reading when they’ve met the author and she has signed the books,” Elisabeth says. “Barnes & Noble was also very good to us and supported the summer reading program. They gave all the kids who read ten books a free book and a bookmark.”
Elisabeth says that, beyond the obvious educational and language skills benefits reading provides, it plays an important role in the lives of the children at Crestwood. “We really encourage reading,” she says. “We schedule a half-hour of reading time every day in the residential program. The kids have also put books in the comfort boxes we keep in the cottages. When kids are upset, we have them take something from the comfort box and go to their room to get away, think things through, and calm themselves down. Reading helps them to cope.”
Elisabeth hopes Sally’s visit will become an annual event at Crestwood. “Sally is so passionate about local history and I was impressed with how well the kids paid attention. It was a great experience for all of us.” It was also an opportunity to learn new things about Rochester. “You can live somewhere your whole life and not really know a lot about it,” Elisabeth says. “Now we want to schedule field trips to visit the Charlotte Lighthouse and the other places in Sally’s books.”