Local author Benjamin Giroux opens the first Adirondack Family Book Festival today at John Brown Farm in Lake Placid.

Aug. 20—LAKE PLACID — Children's book author Benjamin Giroux opens the inaugural Adirondack Family Book Festival today at 9:50 a.m. at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid.

"I Am Odd, I Am New," his original poem about living with autism, is an award-winning picture book and critically acclaimed song and music video.

KICK OFF THE DAY

With his reassuring message that being different is a good thing, Ben has been the face of the National Autism Association's anti-bullying campaign.

"I'm excited to be part of this festival, especially since it's the first year," Ben said in a press release.

"It's really cool that I get to kick off the day talking about the importance of giving kids a voice, especially kids on the spectrum."

FESTIVAL LINEUP

Authors and artists will read from and talk about their work and be on hand throughout the day to meet their readers and autograph books.

Authors include Ben, Tracey Baptiste, Jason Chin, Kyle Lukoff, Linda Sue Park, Amy Guglielmo, Kekla Magoon, Calvin Alexander Ramsey, Joseph Bruchac, Maxwell Eaton, III, Rajani LaRocca, Kate Messner, and Laura Ruby.

Plattsburgh author/artist and Creative Director of Reading Rainbow Live Amy Guglielmo has planned crafts activities including making flower and nature crowns and folded creature puppets until 3 p.m.

There are three StoryWalks on site and an opportunity for children to plant sunflower seeds to take home.

LITERARY BACKSTORY

Ben's literary journey began in the 5th grade at Cumberland Head Elementary School in Plattsburgh.

"We had a library class," he said.

"And so during April, Poetry Month, we were given an assignment to write a poem. It was a template, I am. It was I am, I feel, and it goes down the list. Then it has blank after that, and I had to fill in the things. So at school, I filled in most of it. There were three maybe four lines left that I didn't fill out that I finished at home."

After he completed the poem, Ben shared it with his parents, Sonny and Kathryn.

"And we read the poem and our first instinct was just to realize how wonderful it was written and structured," Sonny said.

"The cadence to every line and rhyming and the imagery that his words expressed, we were amazed that a 10-year old had the insight of building a poem like that. Then we re-read it and that's when we kind of realized what the message was of how lonely he felt, and how he was an outcast, and how he didn't fit in, and how he sees himself different from other kids."

Then 10, Ben had been diagnosed with autism two years earlier.

"So, he was dealing with that and coming to terms of what does it mean to be autistic and the other kids aren't," Sonny said.

"He never expressed himself. He never told us how he felt different until this assignment."

The next day, Ben had an anxiety attack contemplating reading his poem in front of his class because he spoke honestly about the impact of his peers' teasing and bullying, and he feared it would escalate.

VIRAL VERSE

Sonny asked Ben if he could post the poem on the National Autism Association Facebook page to get outside opinions during not only Poetry Month in April 2016, but also National Autism Awareness Month.

Sonny's inbox blew up overnight with media requests.

Ben's poem was shared on the association's main page more than 50,000 times.

He was featured on television shows such as Good Morning America and the Today Show.

His accolades included Poet Laureate of the Town of Plattsburgh and Poet Laureate of Beekmantown School District.

Even the late author Anne Rice shared his poem on her Facebook page.

"At that point, I realized that Ben's poem was being seen by millions of people that we needed to protect it somehow," Sonny said.

"So, I messaged Anne Rice, a shot in the dark. Can you give me advice as to how I go about copyrighting or protecting it? Is it too late? Her personal assistant at the time, Beckett, is the one that immediately responded. With us agreeing to it, he would put us in touch with his agent because he is a writer as well. So Beckett sent Ben's information to his agent, Naomi Davis, who within 72 hours signed him as a client to have the book published."

RAVE REVIEWS

Two years later, Ben had a book deal with Schiffer Publishing of Philadelphia.

Vancouver, BC illustrator Roz McLain created the images to accompany Ben's words.

The first edition sold out before its November 2021 release.

"It received the Kirkus Review star," Sonny said.

"Ben is one of the youngest authors to receive that honor. Only 10 percent of their books get a starred review, and they do about 10,000 books a year. Kirkus also named his book one of the Best Children's Book of 2021."

At 17, Ben visits local schools and makes presentations to area students.

Currently, he is working on a book series, whose themes include body shaming and acceptance.

"Loving yourself for who you are and not comparing yourself to others," Ben said.

"My character who is going through the body shaming and wanting to be someone else is a snake."

Email: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com

Twitter@RobinCaudell