8 The QUEE NS Courier • MAY 22, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Queens native explores borough in new children’s book BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com @aaltamirano28 A new children’s book is taking young readers on a journey around the world with the first magical stop in Queens. Demetra Tsavaris-Lecourezos, who was born in Jackson Heights and raised in Woodside, is the author of a new children’s book and series titled “Young World Travelers and the Magical Crystal Globe,” in which a group of kids from Florida are transported to any time period they want, wherever they want. The first book of the series debuted May 18 at the World’s Fair Anniversary Festival. It takes these young world travelers back in time to experience the site of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs, the Queens County Farm — before it was a museum — and a Civil War fort in Bayside, Fort Totten. “You pick up books in the bookstore and you are learning about the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building, but never about the structures in Queens,” Tsavaris- Lecourezos said. The concept of the “Young World Travelers” series began nine years ago when Tsavaris-Lecourezos gave birth to her daughter Katerina, a year after marrying her high school sweetheart. Together with her husband, Constantinos (Gus) P. Lecourezos, she began to come up with an initial concept of writing a movie script that would be educational for children and revolve around traveling to Greece. After realizing the large costs involved with turning the script into a film, Tsavaris-Lecourezos decided to create a children’s book. She wrote four books in total with the characters traveling to places in Egypt, England, Greece and New York. In 2009, her husband passed away and Tsavaris-Lecourezos moved to Tarpon Springs, Florida, with her daughter. At the end of last year a friend suggested she take her concept to a publisher, and when Tsavaris- Lecourezos approached publisher thewordverve inc., her ideas were accepted. “It was all falling into place, I had no idea,” she said. “I’m rolling with it and I’m really excited.” The “Young World Travelers” series is dedicated to Tsavaris- Lecourezos’ husband and mother. In the book the children receive a magical crystal globe, which allows them to time travel, from Mrs. Eva, who was named after and inspired by Tsavaris- Lecourezos’ mother. The 43-page book’s illustrator Rick Sanders is also a Queens native. Though Tsavaris-Lecourezos and he first met through thewordverve, they were coincidentally born in the same hospital. During the World’s Fair Anniversary Festival, Tsavaris-Lecourezos held two readings to share the book with visitors of all ages. “I was so honored to have been invited to such an event,” she said. “It was amazing and an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to debut my book there.” To preorder “Young World Travelers and the Magical Crystal Globe,” visit www.thewordverve. com/young-world-travelers. Illustration © Rick Sanders Demetra Tsavaris-Lecourezos’ (left) new children’s series “Young World Travelers and the Magical Crystal Globe” takes readers around the world with the first destination in Queens. QUEENS LIBRARY ANNOUNCES FREE CODING LESSONS THROUGH ONLINE TECH PORTAL BY LIAM LA GUERRE lguerre@queenscourier.com/@liamlaguerre Why pay thousands of dollars for coding classes? Just go to the library. The Queens Library recently announced its users will have access to Treehouse, a free online interactive education LAGUARDIA NOW $2 OFF Expires 12/31/14 With coupon only $2 OFF Any Ride To Manhattan/Queens Minimum $20 Not to be combined with any other offer NEWARK NOW $5 OFF Expires 12/31/14 With coupon only KENNEDY NOW $3 OFF Expires 12/31/14 With coupon only 23-03 Astoria Boulevard • Astoria • 718.204.5861 “LI# B01506” platform that teaches programming languages and how to build websites, so members can obtain more skills and qualify for higher-paying jobs. Through Treehouse, library members will be able to learn how to program a website, create an Android app, and get an introduction to Javascript, Rails, iOS and more. Users need to have a Queens Library card and account, which are free and available to apply for at any library branch or online for anyone who works, owns property or goes to school in New York. The library will also host free Treehouse orientation sessions at the end of May and in June at its Flushing branch and at the Central Library in Jamaica. Dates and times are listed below. Flushing Branch: May 30 at 3 p.m.; June 6 at 10 a.m.; June 30 at 3 p.m. Central Branch: May 31 at 2 p.m.; June 12 at 10 a.m.
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