Saratoga author Elizabeth Macy has been sharing Lucky’s story with young readers for years through her three picture books in the Lucky’s Adventures series.
Now, with her first chapter book for ages 7–11, Lucky’s Adventure: The Saratoga Rescue takes readers on a deeper, more emotional journey.
Adapted from the original picture book and inspired by the true story of Lucky finding her forever home—and then getting lost in Saratoga! This chapter book is told from Lucky’s and her mom’s perspectives. It captures their bond, the emotions of being lost, and the incredible community that rallies to bring her home. Lucky explores the Saratoga Race Course, the parks, SPAC, Downtown, and Saratoga Lake.
Along the way, she meets new animal friends and a guardian angel who teaches her valuable lessons—though not without a few surprises, close calls, and heartfelt moments.
Featuring 30 black-and-white illustrations, this chapter book is a perfect gift for fans who grew up with Lucky’s Adventures and a captivating new adventure for first-time readers.
Books by Mark Clarke, Illustrated by Kelsi Lee Lytle
Article Written by Megin Potter
In two children’s books written by Mark Clarke, bright watercolor illustrations by Greenfield artist Kelsi Lee Lytle draw you further into charming stories that cultivate curiosity and a deeper understanding of the world.
There’s a Ghost in My Closet (2023) is a relatable tale for children ages 7+, that follows a young girl (whose imagination runs wild!) and her older sister as they learn that no matter what vivid thoughts are floating around in their heads, there is an explanation for everything that goes bump in the night.
The story’s characters remind Kelsi of her own experiences growing up in Saratoga Springs with two older brothers, she said.
“Illustrating this book was a groundbreaking experience for me,” said Kelsi. “It was my first time illustrating a children’s book, collaborating with an author from start to finish, and getting my feet wet.”
The book’s rhythmic storytelling shares an uplifting story about coming out of your shell with the help of someone you love, overcoming your fears (whether real or imaginary), and confronting whatever is lurking in those dark, scary places. The positive message and colorful imagery invite children to acknowledge their feelings, help them to talk about what they’re afraid of, and encourage them to connect with someone who cares.
A Grand Adventure
For her second collaboration with author Mark Clarke (a retired public-school teacher), Kelsi completed the graphite full cover jacket of “Pooh: A Three-Act Play” (2023). The following year, the immersive HUGE (2024), was published, a book for children ages 8 to 12, that amplifies the excitement of exploring a new place with synonyms that are bigger than big, larger than large, they’re HUGE!
The iconic imagery of the Big Apple’s bustling Times Square, towering Empire State Building, and vibrant Yankee Stadium are among the exhilarating sights you’ll visit in HUGE, a book that celebrates the city’s inherent beauty and history with watercolor illustrations painted in the style of famous artists including Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Robert Indiana.
Stretching her imagination with full-color illustrations that use an exaggerated perspective, Kelsi takes you on a great adventure around New York City through the eyes of a child.
Both books, There’s a Ghost in My Closet and HUGE, are available on Amazon.
More Indelible Than Ink
As a kid, Kelsi enjoyed spending time in the library, looking through picture books and seeing the simple (but memorable) collages made from handmade cut paper by writer and illustrator Eric Carle for his classic children’s book, The Very Hungary Caterpillar.
In her own work, Kelsi creates distinctive, engaging, and educational illustrations for children that are a stark departure from the realistic detailed portraits that she burns for her Etsy shop, Imbued Ink. For more than a decade, Kelsi has been completing hand drawn and painted portraits, as well as meticulously detailed wood-burned works of art. Wood burning, or “Pyrography”, is a time-honored art form. By “writing with fire” Kelsi creates intricate designs, patterns, and custom pieces for clients. Within her portfolio of work are inscribed lyrics, tabletops, wall plaques, and the Legacy Society Donor Board at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs.
Imbued Ink’s one-of-a-kind portraits, etched in wood and sealed, capture the life and character of their subject. Skillfully crafted, these uniquely organic expressions of people, animals, and the natural world are full of rich texture and depth, making them meaningful gifts that will last for generations.
For more information and custom orders, follow @imbuedink on Facebook, @imbued_ink_customs on Instagram, @imbued_ink_arts on YouTube. and visit www.imbuedink.com
Local author Farial English has done it again! With the release of The Boy Who Wanted to Fly, her second heartwarming adventure story for kids ages 6-8, English tells the story of a wheelchair-bound youngster named Max, who loves nothing more than observing and participating in the natural world around him.
The book’s cover illustration shows Max seated on a window box— binoculars in hand, wheelchair nearby—smiling as he takes in his birds-eye view of the town below and watches the sky above as a majestic falcon soars by. Max’s mobility may be limited, but his curious mind and imagination soar every bit as freely as that falcon coasting on the currents beyond his window sill. Max’s bedroom walls are painted with fluffy white clouds. A model airplane and an Origami dove hang from his ceiling.
“One day,” he whispers, “I’ll fly and touch the sky.”
But how, we wonder, will he do it?
The Boy Who Wanted to Fly (Miriam Laundry Publishing Company, August 2025) is available in multiple formats ($7.99 Kindle, $14.99 Paperback, $24.99 Hardcover) at Amazon and wherever books are sold. www.farialsbooks.com/boy-who-wanted-to-fly
A strange ‘red bird’ in the sky and the promise of a vacation at the beach, “where there’s always wind,” lead Max to brainstorm in earnest and achieve his lofty goal. As often happens in life, however, success does not come right away. Through trial, error, persistence, and the help of his sister Maya, Max ultimately experiences the freedom and thrill of flying in a most unique and wondrous way.
“At its heart, The Boy Who Wanted to Fly is a book about imagination, perseverance, and believing in the impossible,” Farial English reflects. “This story holds a special place in my heart because it was inspired by my beloved cousin Amna, who passed away recently. At the age of two, she contracted polio, which affected her mobility for the rest of her life. I watched her journey as she moved from leg braces to crutches, then to a scooter, and eventually to a wheelchair. Through it all, Amna remained strong, positive, and full of life. She was—and still is—a true inspiration to everyone who knew her.”
In Pakistan, where Amna was born, doctors offered little hope that she would live beyond the age of 10. But Amna took their dire prediction as a challenge! Not only did she become a certified medical technologist, but she emigrated to the United States, became recertified here, learned to drive, and went on to have a long and amazing career in the scientific field. Amna never thought of herself as disadvantaged. Rather, she made the most of her situation and savored life fully, sharing her passion and joy with everyone she met.
Amna passed away last year at the age of 71, and one year later, she was honored as the inspiration for The Boy Who Wanted to Fly: a book dedicated, in part, to the “unwavering spirit” of this amazing woman.
Brilliantly illustrated by Max Rambaldi, The Boy Who Wanted to Fly is a testament to Farial English’s love of books and her belief that a well-told tale can broaden a child’s world view, stimulate the imagination, and offer powerful life lessons. English read hundreds of books to her three sons when they were young. Although her own children are grown and gone now, the author’s love of the written word and her affection for children and the joys of childhood adventures shine through in every heartfelt page.
Fifth grade is off to a rocky start for Max Camp. After his mom leaves the family and moves cross-country to California, Max is forced to leave their nice house in town and move with his dad to a rundown fixer-upper in the country. Max had a million friends in his old neighborhood. Now, his only neighbor is Mrs. Pitkin: a grouchy old woman who yells at him every chance she gets!
Max is miserable until a bony, beat-up stray cat wanders into his back yard. Max begins feeding and befriending the sickly animal, determined to adopt him. But Max’s financially-struggling dad is dead set against it. The stray’s health and happiness lie in Max’s hands. It’s up to him to make this adoption happen! But how can he convince his dad to come onboard?
In this compelling story of resilience and hope, a young boy discovers the power of creative thinking and teamwork in tackling life’s tough challenges.
A frequent contributor to Simply Saratoga, Wendy Hobday Haugh’s stories, articles, and poems for children and adults have appeared in dozens of national and regional publications, including Highlights for Children and Woman’s World. Her first-person stories have appeared in 18 different Chicken Soup for the Soul books.
“Actually, this is my second book for middle-grade readers,” she says with a smile, “but since my first book was about dogs (SLED DOGS, co-authored by Brigid Casey, 1982), I thought it only fair that my next book would be about cats. As a freelance writer, I’ve always leaned more toward writing ‘short,’ so I view my two longer works as bookends: one at the start of my career and one many years later—with hundreds of shorter pieces in between.”
UGLY CAT (published by BookLocker, November 2025) is available at BookLocker, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other book sellers; paperback $15.95.
The author fell in love with felines many years ago when her grandmother showed up on her doorstep with a milk crate filled with adorable, blue-eyed Siamese kittens. “I was pretty young at the time, maybe four or five, but I’ve never forgotten the thrill of that day. While raising my own family, we always had two cats in the house. And my three grown sons have all gone on to fill their homes with frisky felines. I can’t imagine a world without our furry, purr-y friends.”
A former piano teacher, mom to three, and proud grandma to a teen and tween, Wendy Hobday Haugh lives and writes in Northville with her husband and two quirky cats.
Written correspondence is a bridge connecting people to one another.
Joan Tepper-Neal adds authenticity and emotion to her thoughtful greeting cards – at the holidays – and during other special occasions. It’s part of a writing practice that has recently blossomed into something larger.
When Words Mean More
As a girl, Joan’s mother discovered her daughter’s artistry and believed in her abilities, said Joan, “She always told me that I could do anything I wanted, and if I didn’t, I didn’t want it badly enough!”
While studying as an undergrad at the University of Miami, Joan sat on the bathroom floor and journaled as a form of catharsis. “I’m a very, very sensitive person. My feelings go down to the tips of my toes.”
Joan graduated from the New York Academy of Theatrical Arts and maintained the habit of heartfelt handwritten correspondence throughout her life. Now a widow with two adult children, Joan’s writing has taken on a life of its own.
“It just falls out of my head. The words come and I have to write them down because I’m so afraid I’m going to forget what I was thinking. The words just pour out of me.”
Joan and her husband, Ronald Neal, were together for 30 years. He used to love her writing, and she received loads of praise for the handwritten notes she sent out, all filled with meaningful messages (she collects blank cards if you have any!).
After Ronald’s passing, she sat in her bedroom looking through all the musings she had saved. She said aloud, “Honey, I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to write.”
Rich and Engaging
Joan’s writing is a snapshot of a moment in time, her emotions, and a shared experience.
It’s all part of her artistry. A self-described fashionista and a greeter at Saratoga Saddlery, Joan said she receives elaborate compliments on her style and personality. Her writing is about fun, laughter, dancing, singing, drinking, (and everything else possible!). Her poetry is distributed on Fridays to an email list of 100+ (because Fridays are days meant for rejoicing, she said).
To grow her writing practice, Joan has performed at Caffe Lena’s 2024 Open Mic Nights (where she also volunteers); it’s read aloud during the Well-Noted Writing Club meetings hosted by Asheley Cruz, founder of Coral and Blue, a children’s stationary company; and has worked with mentor, renowned poet Suzanne Rancourt. Her work has also been shared by Pat McBride McFriesen, the host of regular literary and musical salons in Saratoga.
“I’m like a drummer starting out in a garage band trying to get bigger and bigger,” she laughs.
A Legacy of Love
Joan photographs the cards she writes to chronicle these handwritten keepsakes. Looking back through them, she is given a glimpse of the past, reminded of the relationships she values, and discovers a legacy of love (a word she believes is used much too nonchalantly these days).
“When you get to know me, you will love me,” she said. Also a hostess at The Wine Bar, where she makes friends easily, Joan said she has a fan club full of people rooting for her writing success.
“My writing has SOUL,” said Joan. “I love words but I’m not a good reader,” she added, “When I’m writing, words come into my head, and I’m not sure where they come from or if I’m using them correctly, so I have to look them up, but still, there they are.”
To receive a new piece of Joan Tepper-Neal’s poetry in your inbox each week, email her at joantepperneal@gmail.com
The Saratoga New Year’s Eve celebration will kick off with free outdoor entertainment by DJ RVMBA on Ellsworth Jones Place, located just outside of the Saratoga Springs City Center, along with a spectacular fireworks display launched from the top level of the City Center’s parking garage.
∅This portion of the event, held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve is designed to offer a family-friendly option that is available to the public at no cost.
Afterward, Saratoga New Year’s Eve ticketholders can enjoy an evening filled with a diverse array of live entertainment at multiple downtown venues including the Saratoga Springs City Center, Universal Preservation Hall and Caffe Lena. For tickets visit saratoganye.com
The festivities will conclude on New Year’s Day with the Saratoga First Day 5K, a fun tradition for runners and anyone looking to begin 2026 with a healthy activity.
New for 2026, the First Day 5K is partnering with the Saratoga Springs Lions Club to support one of the club’s core missions of diabetic awareness and education. An optional donation for this cause can be made upon event registration. To register visit fc4events.com.
The Line Up
Saratoga Springs City Center
The Allman Betts Band
Maggie Doherty
The Belle Curves
Heard
Ally the Piper
Doc Horton
Glass Pony
UPH
Nicotine Dolls
& More
Caffe Lena
Reese Fulmer and the Carriage House Band
This year’s event was organized through a partnership between the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Discover Saratoga, the Saratoga Springs City Center, the Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association, the City of Saratoga Springs, Proctors Collaborative, Caffe Lena and the Saratoga Regional YMCA, along with support from sponsors Adirondack Trust Company, Druthers Brewing Company and the Saratoga Springs Special Assessment District.
Book cover of “Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution” via the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Angelica and Elizabeth Schuyler had just reached their early 20s when their country home in present-day Schuylerville was incinerated.
“On October 11, surrounded and desperate, his army depleted by casualties, [General] Burgoyne petulantly put the torch to Schuyler’s house, barns, and mills, reducing everything to ashes and charred timber,” writes Amanda Vaill in her new book, “Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution.” “On the thirteenth he began negotiations for capitulation, and on the seventeenth his entire army of nearly six thousand men, seven thousand muskets, and forty-two cannon—in addition to tents, blankets, and other military provisions—was surrendered to Horatio Gates at a meeting place ‘150 rods south’ of the still smoking ruins of Schuyler’s estate.”
The Schuyler sisters not only bore witness, but also participated in a turbulent time of war, death, and the pursuit of a republic. The odds seemed to be always stacked against them, just as the ragtag colonists were thought to have little chance of success against the British Empire—that is, until Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga changed everyone’s fortunes.
The remarkable story of the Schuylers, especially the glamorous Angelica and the steadfast Elizabeth (wife to Alexander Hamilton), have been recounted time and again, most famously in the “Hamilton” musical and in Ron Chernow’s brilliant biography, “Alexander Hamilton.” But there’s often been a tendency to cast these characters in supporting roles, relegating them to shiny accessories.
The historical record reveals Angelica and Elizabeth to be fascinating figures in their own right; well-read, insightful, and influential women living in a time when women’s ambitions were restricted. Vaill, a bestselling author and Emmy-nominated screenwriter, explores their stories in her new book.
In advance of her Dec. 3 appearance at the Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, Vaill spoke with Saratoga TODAY about her new tome. Below is our interview, which has been edited for length and clarity.
Saratoga TODAY: Of all the things you could have written about, why the Schuyler sisters?
Amanda Vaill: If you look at my past publications, you’ll notice maybe that what I seem to be attracted to are these kind of turning point moments in history when things are changing. The ground is shifting under everyone’s feet… I’m attracted to this like bees to honey and I like thinking about the way people interact with those moments; how they’re caught up in them, how much they can influence them or not, how much they are affected by them. And in this case, I had these two women who did something so different from what they would have been expected to do. They didn’t just marry the right guy, they married the wrong guy [laughs]. They married really wrong guys, and one of them actually so much so that she had to elope, and her parents threatened to disown her. Of course, they didn’t. But Alexander Hamilton, even though Philip Schuyler became enamored of him…he was a real outsider. And the fact that these women decided, ‘Oh, I think I’ll cast my lot in with this guy,’…I thought that was awfully intriguing.
ST: I’d love to talk a little about Eliza. On paper, Angelica’s life seems so exciting and romantic, but Eliza always seems like someone who gets cast as a dull background character.
AV: Oh, you have put your finger right on it.
ST: What makes Eliza more interesting than perhaps we’ve been led to believe?
AV: If I may say so, I think a lot of historians who’ve looked at [Angelica and Elizabeth Schuyler] are as enthralled by Angelica’s flirtatious charm as men in her own time were, and I think they all kind of want to date her… But the fact is, [when] these very same people think about Eliza, ‘Well, she was a good housekeeper. She could do the household finances. She could bear a bazillion children. She could do all of these things. They’re not very glamorous. Don’t I wish I had that person at home to do all my stuff for me.’ I feel as if people have willfully not paid attention to the evidence in front of their eyes. She is a beautiful woman. She was as beautiful as her sister. In some respects, maybe more so… They’re ignoring the things that she did to help Hamilton’s career, and it’s not just by being a hostess, although she was one. When people maintain that she wanted Hamilton to leave the government, they’re only relying on one witness for this… She also, of course, helped Hamilton with drafting his political papers and memoranda. She was there when he wrote the memoranda that justified the Bank of the USA. And in fact, [she’s] probably the person who read all of the horrific, thick tomes about economic history because it’s her name in those books, not his… She has an incredible ability to run things. Once Hamilton is dead, she’s able to collect all of his papers, which is an extraordinary undertaking. This little woman is traveling all up and down the eastern seaboard copying letters… She ran an orphanage for 20 years, an entirely woman-run nonprofit, and got it a state charter. She got money from the state. She got bills passed that would enable it to receive funding. She did all of that. This woman is really pretty formidable.
ST: Near us, we have the Schuyler family’s country estate. Could you talk about why you think these types of sites are important? If you go to the estate, what can you learn about the family and about the people who lived there?
AV: The thing that’s really stunning about going to the historical residence is the scale that life was lived on in this country. If you go to England or any of those stately houses, they’re Downton Abbey. They’re giant, huge things. Even the grandest places here are not that imposing. It’s a big house that you could kind of manage by yourself. I mean, you couldn’t manage it by yourself if you had to do all the cleaning and everything yourself and keep things up to the standards that people wanted, and also take care of all the agricultural work that went along with them because these were working farms and they needed a lot of attention. But they’re not immodest. There’s a scale that’s human about them, and it makes you suddenly realize that these are people that lived at a scale that’s a little less grandiose than you might imagine, given the fact that Philip Schuyler owned thousands and thousands of acres of New York State… The other thing is the relationship that the houses have to the land around them. When you go to see them, you can see how the people lived in them and related to their surroundings in a way that you wouldn’t if you had never seen it. And of course, in the case of the Schuyler Mansion—where so much of the furniture has been reassembled or they’ve made real efforts to replicate some of the objects that they had to make the house appear, at least in part, the way it might have when [the Schuylers] were there—you get a sense of: What was the material texture of life for these people? What kind of beds did they sleep in? How many people slept in a bedroom? All that kind of stuff is fascinating.
ST: Based on your research, what do you think the Saratoga estate meant to the family?
AV: Oh, a lot. The first house, the one that was burned by Burgoyne, Catherine Schuyler was really fond of that house. She loved it. I think it must have caused her terrible pain when it was burned. But [Philip] rebuilt it pretty much as fast as he could. Right after it was destroyed, he used Army carpenters and construction people and he really got that house put up pretty quickly. It’s grander now than it was because originally, when it was first built, the floors of the second story were the ceiling of the first story. They weren’t putting insulation and layers of stuff in between. It was just, ‘Get something put up here quickly.’ Because they wanted to have a place there. He had all of that real estate and all of the farms and the mills and the fisheries along the river there, and I think it was important to him to be able to be close to them to supervise them. But the family also appears to have had a real fondness for the house and the country because Albany was not New York City, but it was a pretty bustling small city. And Saratoga was just the country, and I think they loved it the same way people do now.
Amanda Vaill will appear in person at the Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs on Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. Her book about the Schuyler sisters, “Pride and Pleasure,” was released on Oct. 25 and is available everywhere books are sold.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Tang Bazaar will return to the Skidmore College campus on Dec. 5, allowing more than 50 student vendors to sell their original artwork, pottery, clothing, jewelry, accessories, and other wares to hundreds of expected shoppers.
The one-day marketplace will run from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. at the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery. The event is open to the public. Although each vendor will have their own payment system, most will accept Venmo.
A few highlights of this year’s bazaar will be spoon jewelry (which student organizer Sophie Schulman-Cahn said has been a bestseller for the past few years), hand-painted calendars, handmade leather goods, chainmail jewelry, and even an original novel.
“Last year, about 800 people attended the Tang Bazaar, making it our most attended event,” Schulman-Cahn told Saratoga TODAY. “Many students have told me that it is their favorite Skidmore event, and I feel very lucky to be a part of making it happen this year!”
For more information, visit tang.skidmore.edu/calendar/2705-2025-tang-bazaar.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Once known as “the world’s most dangerous band,” Guns N’ Roses will perform amongst mineral springs and pine trees at the bucolic Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on July 26.
The group’s global 2026 tour also includes stops at a number of stadiums, including MetLife in New Jersey, the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
Guns N’ Roses made their mark on music history with their 1987 debut album “Appetite for Destruction,” which featured rock anthems “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City,” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine.” The record ranks as one of the best-selling albums of all time in the United States, shipping around 18 million units. The group’s success continued into the 1990s with a series of chart-topping albums: “G N’ R Lies,” “Use Your Illusion I,” and “Use Your Illusion II.” Today, nearly 40 years after the release of their first album, the group averages around 27 million listeners each month on Spotify.
Tickets for the Guns N’ Roses’ SPAC show will go on sale to the general public on Friday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Hedonistic heavy metal rockers Motley Crue will perform at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on July 29, 2006, Live Nation announced recently.
Crue’s SPAC stop on their “Return of Carnival of Sins Tour” will include opening acts Tesla (the hard rock group, not the car company) and Extreme.
The Los Angeles-based band has amassed more than 100 million album sales, 22 Top-40 mainstream rock hits, and 3 Grammy nominations during their storied career. The band’s mythology has continued to grow in recent years with a pair of streaming hits: “The Dirt,” a biographical Netflix movie about the group’s history, and “Pam & Tommy,” a Hulu series about drummer Tommy Lee’s marriage to Pamela Anderson.
Tickets for the SPAC show are currently on sale via spac.org.
