International Children's Book Day (ICBD), which is designed to promote reading and spotlight children's books, is observed annually on or around author Hans Christian Andersen's birthday on April 2.
Locally, the Village Library of Morgantown celebrated ICBD with an Author Day on April 2 featuring children's author Lauren Nappi and mystery author Lisa Betz, both of whom are members of the library's board of trustees. Betz serves as board president.
Nappi's book, "A Peanut's Tale: A Duckling's Journey on Children's Lake," is based on a true story as told to her by her mother, Terri Elliott, who is the book's illustrator. "It's about a duckling who wanders away to Children's Lake and meets two friends," Nappi said, noting that the lesson of the story is about the rewards of helping others and the importance of family.
Children's Lake is an actual lake in Boiling Springs in southcentral Pennsylvania; Nappi grew up feeding the ducks and swans on the lake. The book is illustrated with landmarks from the community. To learn more, visit http://www.apeanutstale.com/childrenslake.html.
Betz's debut novel was "Death and a Crocodile," a light-hearted mystery set in first-century Rome. The book tells the story of amateur detective Livia Aemilia, whose father dies under suspicious circumstances. With the help of her maidservant, Livia sets out to find the killer before her innocent brother is convicted of the murder. In addition to the courageous women, the book includes eccentric characters and a sausage-stealing cat. The book won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year in 2021.
"Fountains and Secrets" is the second in the series of the Livia Aemilia mysteries. In this book, Livia becomes interested in solving a missing persons case, but her husband is reluctant for her to get involved, knowing that she could be in danger. Soon their lack of trust in each other leads them to behave in counterproductive ways that threaten their new marriage and personal safety. The lesson behind the books is that trust and honesty are more important than winning the battle of the wills. To learn more, visit http://www.lisaebetz.com or contact Betz at lisa@lisaebetz.com.
Author Day also featured a sale of baked goods to benefit the library. Children made crafts, enjoyed snacks and listened to both Betz and Nappi read from their books.
The Village Library is located at 207 N. Walnut St., Morgantown. For more information about upcoming activities, call 610-286-1022 or visit http://www.villagelibrary.org or http://www.facebook.com/VillageLibraryofMorgantown.
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