Firefighters, pirates, a rambling bear, and a team of sled dogs were among the characters children found at the Bolton Free Library’s 3rd Annual Children’s Book Festival held Saturday on the library lawn. The festival featured author readings, a free crafting table, newly released works and old favorites with the opportunity to meet the authors.
Also this year, Laurenne Teachout, Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) Senior Librarian, set up a display of books and equipment available for New Yorkers who are unable to read or use printed materials due to visual or physical disability. The service is free to those who are qualified, and books and equipment are shipped via the U.S. Postal Service. “We have all the best sellers,” says Teachout, and the Talking Books and Braille Library offers various devices, such as a digital Braille reader, that allow those with visual impairments to download Braille books from the TBBL.
The NYS TBBL program is part of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, which has several hundred thousand titles available in a wide range of genres and formats. To apply for the service and search the library’s online catalog, visit the New York State Library website.
Bolton Free Library’s 2026 Children’s Book Festival Authors
Tim Hoppey
Tim Hoppey is a retired New York City firefighter who worked in Spanish Harlem. His first book, “Tito, The Firefighter,” was inspired by a young boy who lived next to the firehouse. The boy visited the firehouse every day and loved to sit in the fire trucks but really wanted to join the firefighters on a call, which wasn’t possible.
“Most of the kids in the neighborhood are bilingual,” says Hoppey, and when the boy helped translate for English-speaking firefighters trying to assist someone who only spoke Spanish, it gave Hoppey the idea for his book, which combines English and Spanish in the text.
Mike Ornstein
Imagine it’s your first day of kindergarten, and you board the bus to discover a pirate is in the driver’s seat. Don’t fear; this pirate helps ease first-day-of-school anxiety for his little passengers. Ornstein’s newest book, “Snowflakes on our Tongues,” celebrates the excitement of a snowfall on Farmer Pumpernickel’s farm.
Christina McKay-DiCristina and Susan DiChristina
The richly illustrated “The Barely There Bear” is a mystery set in the Adirondack region. It may be purchased packaged with a tiny stuffed bear, just right for small hands. The authors will soon be releasing a sequel, “The Return of the Barely There Bear.”
Jasmine Shae Antonucci
Jasmine Shae Antonucci is a marine biologist. She says she wrote “Friends with the Ocean” to make her work fun and relatable for kids. Her book takes a deep dive into the ocean to learn about the creatures living there. This summer, Antonucci is working at the Darrin Freshwater Institute, an environmental research center in Bolton Landing.
Sarah van Rijsewijk
Sarah van Rijsewijk and her family live in the Northern Adirondacks on their homestead Moonglow Acres, where they are raising Alaskan Malamutes. Van Rijsewijk’s book tells the story of one Christmas when Santa’s reindeer were sick, and Santa asked for help: could sled dogs pull his sleigh so he could deliver toys on Christmas Eve? The idea for this magical story, van Rijsewijk says, came as she helped her daughter write letters to Santa.
Paula Putney
Paula Putney is a familiar face at the Children’s Book Festival. Last year, she brought her debut work, “Frankie’s Adventure,” about a young boy with a very active imagination. The next book in her series, released last fall, is “Frankie Meets Carlie the Caboose.” A third book is scheduled for release this month, and a fourth book in the series that will feature Frankie and bike safety is in the works. Putney is also the author of two novels for adults.
Patricia Martin
Patricia Martin lives in Bolton, and her novel, “The Memory Jug,” is set in the lakeside town, although the author changed the town’s name. Martin is also the author of “Lulu Atlantis and the Quest for True Blue Love,” about Lulu’s love for a daddy longlegs spider, and “Travels with Rainie Marie.” Martin says she has two more books in the works, one for middle-grade students and a picture story book.
More programs are coming to Bolton Free Library
Although this is the library’s third Children’s Book Festival, it is the first for newly installed Library Director Christiann Gibeau. Gibeau credits long-time Assistant Director Sarah Jordan with organizing the popular event. She also discussed the library’s direction going forward, saying rather than seeing the library as a place to just “hang out,” they want the community to see the library “as a destination.”
New library outreach materials for summer 2026 map a path through Meet the Author events, creative writing, genealogy, and art workshops, Tuesday Morning Storytimes, music-based learning experiences, and an Emergency Preparedness Training program.
Gibeau would also like to add more STEAM (an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Music) programming for children and adults. The library has explored grant opportunities to fund mobile STEAM activities to present science challenges and increase year-round programming. Gibeau also would like to expand programs for seniors and is planning a Monday film matinee series once they are through the busy summer season.
Update 08/02/26: The spelling of Sarah van Rijsewijk’s name was corrected.
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