Chapters Hosts Authors of Young-Adult Books

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Chapters Bookstore welcomes Stacey DeKeyser and M.P. Barker for at Valentine's Day "KidsHeartAuthors Experience."

DeKeyser is the author of fiction and nonfiction for young adults and middle-graders. In her new book, "Jump the Cracks," a 15-year-old girl is accused of kidnapping when she finds an abandoned child on a train and then hides him from his abusive father.

Soon she's on a cross-country journey with the boy, as each "right" decision gets her deeper into trouble — and farther away from home. Victoria has vowed to protect the little boy no matter what. But can she keep that promise? The book has fast-paced suspense about a determined girl who becomes both rescuer and abductor of a child at risk.

Set in Western Massachusetts in 1839, "A Difficult Boy," by Barker, tells the story of two young indentured servants — one of them Irish — who must overcome their differences to outwit their abusive master and win their freedom. Writing the book allowed Barker to combine her childhood dreams of becoming a novelist and owning a horse with her grown-up jobs as an archivist and historian. Although she never did get that dream horse, she got to invent one in Ivy, the mare taken care of by her characters.

Both authors will be available for a meet and greet between 10 and noon on Saturday, Feb. 14. Light refreshments will be served.
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Multiple Departments Respond to Lanesborough Structure Fire

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Multiple fire departments responded to a structure fire off Narragansett Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. 

The Fire Department received a call from the owner of 6 Bangor St. reporting a smoke and flames at around 1:44 p.m.

Firefighters arriving on scene reported heavy smoke emanating from the the 1940s single-family ranch home in the thickly settle neighborhood.

The blaze was brought under control in less than an hour and there were no civilian or firefighter injuries. 

"The homeowner was outside doing some work, evidently, opened the door when she came back in the house, and there were flames and smoke, so she backed out and called us, and that's all we know right now," Deputy Fire Chief Glen Storie said around 2:35 p.m. 

The fire was out at that time, and first responders observed "quite a bit of damage" to the home. The cause is still under investigation. 

Lanesborough, Cheshire, and Pittsfield departments responded to the scene, and Hancock covered the station during the call. 

"The first crew in knocked the fire right down with the first engine," Storie said. 

Smoke could be seen coming from the back of the home. Part of Narragansett Avenue and Bangor Avenue were blocked off while firefighters battled the blaze. 

 

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