The Education Foundation luncheon committee members, from left: Terri Genova, Shannon Schafer, Nancy Horan (last year’s luncheon author), Carol Jackson, Meredith Van Pelt, and Kathy Mikalsen.
By Amy Macintyre
From the 1850’s to the late 1920’s thousands of orphaned children traveled on train cars to find either loving homes or hard labor in distant cities across the country. These events inspired Christina Baker Kline to pen a fictionalized account, resulting in the best selling novel Orphan Train.
Hopewell Valley residents will have the opportunity to discuss this book and Kline’s other works with the author herself at the annual Book Lovers’ Luncheon. The Sunday Nov. 22 event is hosted by the Hopewell Valley Education Foundation (HVEF) at the Greenacres Country Club in Lawrenceville.
Although Kline will be at the center of attention during the luncheon, the event would not be possible without Carol Jackson. She launched the annual event in 2006 after coming up with the idea as a way to raise money for visiting children’s book authors to the Hopewell Valley school district.
Before working with the HVEF, Jackson worked as a volunteer on the assembly committee while her children were in elementary school. There, she made it her mission to help bring authors into the schools to give lectures and visit the classrooms.
“I just think students get inspired from reading the books and meeting the authors,” she said. Through her work with the assembly committee and the HVEF, Jackson has helped bring authors to classrooms across the district.
A longtime educator, the Hopewell resident was a math teacher at Hopewell Valley High School from 1972 to 1978. She currently works as an assessment specialist in math at Education Testing Service in Princeton. Outside of work Jackson is a board member of the HVEF and previously served as president of the board from 2001 to 2007.
An avid reader and member of a book club herself, Jackson says the luncheons provide an excellent opportunity not just to raise money for the school district, but for fellow book lovers to meet the authors in person, listen to them speak and spend the afternoon with others who share a common love for reading.
This year will be the 10th annual luncheon and over the years, the event has featured an impressive roster of distinguished authors. Jackson started the luncheon with one of the nation’s most prolific authors, Joyce Carol Oates. Oates, a professor of creative writing at Princeton University since 1978, was Jackson’s first choice and after calling the University and then her agent, she was able to book her for the event in 2006.
Jackson’s criterion for the chosen author was decided from the beginning: the author must be an excellent speaker. For her, the quality of the lecture outweighs the fame or notoriety of the author, although the later always helps draw an impressive crowd.
The caliber of previous authors, Jackson says, also helps her attain the best authors to come to the event; many of whom she says receives far less compensation than they would usually get for an appearance.
Along with Oates, previous authors include Lisa Scottoline, John Chatterton & Richie Kohler, Hillary Jordan, Sheila Kohler, Alice Hoffman, Amor Towles, Jamie Ford, and Nancy Horan.
During the event, attendees also have the opportunity to meet the author during the book signing and bid on baskets donated by local book clubs. Attendees are also encouraged to donate a book they’ve read in a book club to be resold at the event for $5 each, which usually raises an additional $600 for the foundation, Jackson says.
You don’t have to be a part of a book club to attend the event, but book clubs are an integral part of the luncheon. Jackson says 85 area book clubs are represented at each year’s event, and many of the clubs provide her with a list of the books they’ve read over the past year, which she compiles into the brochure.
“It’s a camaraderie of going to an event with a group and discussing books,” Jackson explained, but if anyone is attending solo, she assures no one will be sitting alone. “It’s a fun event even if you don’t know anybody. Nobody feels left out.”
Diane Miller of the Hopewell Valley Library has attended each of the luncheons. Miller runs the senior book club at the library and is also part of another book club that meets privately at club members’ homes.
“You meet a lot of people who have similar interests as you,” she said. “It’s really a lovely experience.”
Miller has read Orphan Train with her senior book club and although it’s not her favorite genre of book, the novel led to great discussions within her club aand she looks forward to hearing Kline speak.
“I’ve never been disappointed,” Miller said. “It’s always been a great pleasure. It’s really a lovely experience.”
Annually, the luncheon raises approximately $8,000 to $10,000 and the proceeds go directly to funding the HVEF’s Author in Residence program, Jackson said. A collaboration of the HVEF and the Hopewell Valley Parent Teacher Organizations, the program chooses an author each year to visit the school district. According to the HVEF, the visiting authors teach about writing, creativity and share their experience and knowledge with the students.
Previously, the Author in Residence program has drawn children’s book authors, illustrators and poets including Neil Waldman, Irene Kelley, Luray Gross, Judy Freedman, Dan Gutman, Stephan Kellogg and Sarah Weeks, Margery Cuyler, Lisa Funari-Willever and Hopewell Valley High School graduate Peter Brown, who has won the Caldecott Honor Book Award.
For the luncheon, Jackson says she could not organize the event without the help of her committee. Members include Terri Genova, Shannon Shafer, Meredith Van Pelt, Kathy Mikalsen and 2014 visiting luncheon author Nancy Horan.
The Book Lovers’ Luncheon will be held on Sunday, November 22 from 11:30 am to 3 pm at the Green Acres Country Club, 2170 Lawrenceville Rd. in Lawrence.
Tickets are $60 and must be purchased in advance. Although the country club accommodates 250 people, the event often sells out. Tickets can be purchased at online at eventbrite.com/e/10th-annual-booklovers-luncheon-tickets-17953066104 or visit hvef.org to download a form and mail in a check.
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