Published: August 21, 2008 09:11 am         

Book, movie series set in C’town

By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer

Children’s book author and screenwriter Ramon Cassinari may not live in Cooperstown, but he fell in love with the village after just a few visits. He said when the idea of his latest children’s book, ‘’The Cooperstown Caboose,’’ came to him years ago, it was instantly understood it would take place in Cooperstown. Cassinari, who was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., said he has always wanted to write stories for children. He said he loves kids and wants to give them good, entertaining stories.

``It is such a drive that I quit my job and started (writing) about 15 years ago,’’ said Cassinari via email. ‘’The Cooperstown Caboose,’’ a series of unfortunate and surprising events involving children and strange phenomena, was originally written as a screenplay. Cassinari turned to screenwriting in 2003 and completed three full-length motion picture scripts. His first script was a family comedy called ‘’The Skeleton Family.’’

``I wrote the screenplay, ‘The Skeleton Family,’ first, enjoyed it and then wrote, ‘The Cooperstown Caboose,’’’ said Cassinari. ‘’I actually re-wrote ‘The Cooperstown Caboose’ a few times. My agent and Hollywood wanted more ‘wow’ factor — I wrote it with more ‘wow’ factor.’’

Cassinari said a production company in Hollywood and another agent both told him the screenplay would make a great book, and that is how the book ‘’The Cooperstown Caboose’’ was born.

‘’I don’t know which I love better, screenwriting or writing manuscript,’’ said Cassinari. ‘’It was another avenue to tell a story, both totally different. As an author writing a novel you paint the picture with words. Screenwriting is mostly with dialog and you have to leave it up to a director to interrupt.’’

Cassinari said he enjoys writing stories with a question of truth in them. His first published book, ‘’The Legend of Little Nessie,’’ is about the baby Loch Ness monster, which some say is real while others say is only legend. The introduction of ‘’The Cooperstown Caboose’’ says Cassinari heard of an alleged incident in which a group of kids were transported into another dimension, and that even today investigations are still being conducted.

Although the incident is fantasy, Cassinari said he embellished the story and brought it to life.

Cassinari has finished writing two motion picture scripts for ‘’The Cooperstown Caboose’’ story series and is currently working on the third screenplay. Cassinari said he has five more ‘’Cooperstown Caboose’’ stories outlined for the series.

The book’s sequel, ‘’The Return of the Cooperstown Caboose,’’ which is also the title of the second screenplay, is completed and needs a final edit before it is released, according to Cassinari. He said he hopes the second book, which is about the main character going back to Dimension Zero, is published in January.

The stories have been dedicated to the kids of Cooperstown, according to Cassinari. The Poughkeepsie native said he wanted Cooperstown to be the first to know about the story, and really wanted the grass roots to begin in Cooperstown.

``Hollywood needs to hear and see interest in the story,’’ said Cassinari. ``I’m confident ‘The Cooperstown Caboose,’ with the kids of Cooperstown behind it, will make the producers and production companies notice.’’

If a motion picture is made of the series, Cassinari said he would like to see it filmed in Cooperstown. He said all of the ‘’Cooperstown Caboose’’ stories have the village as a backdrop in them and he believes the village would be a fantastic movie set.

``I want to really push for using actors from Cooperstown,’’ said Cassinari. ``Of course there will be extras. I will do whatever I can to have auditions getting actors, mostly kids starring roles in the movie. I think that would be awesome.’’ Cassinari said he would also like to get kids from the Cooperstown schools to participate in an illustration contest for his book ‘’The Cooperstown Caboose Returns.’’ Once an illustration is chosen, Cassinari said he would have it placedáon the chapter page oráopposite theáchapter page and would include the child’s name at the bottom of the illustration.

‘’The Cooperstown Caboose’’ book follows the struggles of kids who find themselves trapped in a strange new world. The story begins when a bolt of lightning hits the Cooperstown Caboose, which plunges a group of friends into the unknown world of Dimension Zero. The friends have no idea on how to get back home, nor do they know what to do within the new world. Half of it is filled with strange and wonderful things including a princess, a baby Loch Ness monster, flying cars and UFOs. The other half is filled with darkness, danger, huge insects and angry giants. The book has been released through Xlibis and can be purchased locally at the Book Nook and Augur’s Corner Book Store. It can also be found at all major Internet resellers.