WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES AUGUST 10, 2017 19
Children’s book author writes a story to help kids face their fears
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@A_GIUDICEREPORT A tax accountant has recently
fulfilled a lifelong dream
by publishing his own children’s
book as an homage to his
late father and all the life lessons
he was taught while growing up as
a first-generation Italian-American
in Ridgewood during the 1970s.
Growing up in Bushwick in the
late 60s, and later in Ridgewood in
the 1970s, Michael Cascio learned a
lot from his father on how to stand
up for himself, how to work hard
and take care of his family, and
most importantly how to face his
fears.
Cascio reminisced about the
times his father taught him how to
deal with bullies, and to face his
fears head on.
“Ridgewood was really a beautiful
place, everybody was really close.
We all looked out for each other
and had each other’s back,” Cascio
said. “My memories of Ridgewood
are great because it was that go between
from being in a scary place
to being in Long Island now.”
Although Cascio works as a tax
accountant at Ramusevic, Cascio
& Kaplan, CPAs PC in Elmhurst,
he has always had a passion for
writing ever since his fourth grade
teacher, Joan Pilla, really taught
him how to read and encouraged
him to be a better student.
“Fourth grade rolls around and it
was one of those special moments in
life where the right person comes
along,” Cascio said. “She realizes
early on that my reading isn’t really
up to standards, and she realizes
also that I was probably pretty
smart. And for whatever reason
she took a liking to me … and she
pulled out a Dr. Seuss book and
started teaching me how to read.
She basically launched my desire to
be a good student. I owe a lot to her.”
Pilla sparked a love of writing
in Cascio that has stayed with him
throughout his life.
As time rolled on and Cascio
started his own family and moved
to New Hyde Park, he began noticing
that his children were afraid of
things like noises from the attic, or
sinister-looking shadows from a
tree branch. So, just like his father
did, Cascio began helping his kids
with their fears by making up little
rhyming stories that they could say
and remember that things aren’t
always as scary as they appear.
Eventually Cascio had a desk full
of Post-It notes with these rhymes
on them, and came up with the idea
of putting them together into a little
poem. He was then invited to his
son’s school to read some Dr. Seuss
books and his own poem.
To his delight, the students loved
the poem and his son’s teacher encouraged
him to get his story illustrated
at published. And in January
2017, Cascio had his book “When I
Was a Child I Was Always Afraid.”
“This always meant a lot to me
because it’s my children’s story. It’s
a story I wrote for them based on
lessons that I learned from my dad.
Based on their experiences, some of
my own experiences,” Cascio said.
“I was that little kid that would hide
under the covers at night in the
Bushwick apartment. To me it is
more of a story of three generations
than just something I wrote down.
The thing that I love the most about
it is that it’s something I wrote from
my heart for my kids to share with
my kids, and any time I get to share
it with other kids, it’s fantastic.”
When Cascio reads his book to
school children they love how the
story helps them look at things
differently and be brave enough to
face their fears.
Cascio also has another book in
the works based on his childhood,
and is thinking about writing a
story about bullying in the future
as well.
“When I Was a Child I Was Always
Afraid,” is available on Amazon and
on the publisher Mascot Books’
website. Customers can receive 30
percent off their purchase of the
book at Mascot Books until Aug.
21 by just typing the code “30” at
checkout.
BUZZ
Photo courtesy of Micheal Cascio
Michael Cascio recently published a book to help children face their fears.
Classic artist Jean Herber to be honored at CTK art show
An art show honoring the late
classic artist Jean Herber of
Maspeth, will take place at
Christ the King Campus on Saturday,
Aug. 19 from 1 to 7 p.m. at 68-02
Metropolitan Ave. in Middle Village
at the CNL Center (Door #10).
Herber’s artistic journey began
when he was born in Neuenheim,
Germany in 1892. With no formal
training in the arts, Herber was
a self-taught painter who began
working at an early age. He and his
wife were married in 1911 and they
had three children. Herber earned
a living as a house painter while
continuing to create his portfolio of
artwork, which included a variety
of styles and formats such as oils,
watercolors, and pencil sketches. He
moved his family to New York City in
1928 and settled in Maspeth.
Herber had entered numerous
paintings in art competitions
throughout the city, including those
held at the Metropolitan Museum
of Art. In 1944, one of his paintings
came in second in the competition,
losing out to world-renowned abstract
painter, Jackson Pollok.
Sponsors of the Exhibition Committee
are Pat Bocchino, Dianne
Costello, Marilyn Trentacosti, Michael
Trentacosti (public relations),
Joe Trentacosti, Carol Thorgersen,
Gail Herber, Richard Herber, Gene
Herber, Sondra Mc Gill (curator),
Eva Mc Gill, Genevieve Spanarkel,
Barbara Albert, Constance Maltese,
and Serphin Maltese. Photo courtesy of Christ the King High School
