Through storybooks, children can live out their fantasies and allow their imaginations to come to life  Connecticut native Ron Roy serves as a guide on such journeys with his three series of children’s mystery books. He spent nearly a decade writing the books in his “A to Z Mysteries” series, then the “Capital Mysteries” and most recently, the “Calendar Mysteries”.  Fans of all his popular book collections will have a rare opportunity to participate in a question and answer session moderated by NBC's Brad Drazen at a special fundraiser to benefit Playhouse on Park.

“My goal as a writer has always been to encourage children to read more actively,” said Roy. “Truly, reading is the way to the future that not only provides a solid education to our upcoming leaders, but also, an escapism into new, fun realities that rival any video game of today!”

“Playhouse on Park is an incredible treasure in our local community,” adds Roy.  “Besides books, plays are another method for expanding the minds of children and this event definitely blends the two forms of artistic expression!”

Ron Roy was born in Hartford, Connecticut.  Fueled by his passion for reading in childhood, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Connecticut and his Master’s in Early Childhood Education from the University of Hartford.  After graduating from college and graduate school, he taught within the Connecticut elementary school system for 10 years before becoming a children’s author.  His first book was published in 1978.  In 1997, Random House published his “A to Z Mysteries” series, which has sold millions of copies worldwide.  Visit www.ronroy.com for more information.

 

 

 

 

Master of Ceremonies: Brad Drazen
Brad Drazen's alarm goes off at 2:22 a.m. every weekday to prepare him to wake up the state as co-anchor of NBC Connecticut News Today. He him has won several awards for his work, including four Boston/New England Emmy Awards: for Feature Reporting, News Writing, and his role as Executive Producer and Host of the NBC Connecticut specials "Connecticut Discoveries" and "Destination Education."

Brad grew up in Binghamton, N.Y., and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Anderson School at UCLA. Before coming to NBC Connecticut, Brad worked as a reporter at the CBS affiliate in Traverse City, Michigan, and in marketing for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer.
 
Brad spends a lot of time and energy working in the local community. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Mandell Jewish Community Center and the Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools, and has been on the Campaign Cabinet for the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut for the past five years.

Brad’s proudest achievement is his family. He lives in West Hartford with his wife Lauren, a Chinese teacher at Hall High School, and his three kids: Noah, Max and Liv.

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