La. business brings bookstore to school campuses
BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer
Shortly after John and Michelle Cavalier opened a brick and mortar shop, the couple included school book fairs as a major piece of their independent bookstore business. Today, even after moving to a larger building in Denham Springs and expanding to a store in Lafayette, book fairs are still a part of their business plan.
Since 2011, Cavalier House Books has been trekking across south Louisiana to public and private schools to conduct their book fairs.
The company began while the Cavaliers were in college at Southeastern. They would place orders in the computer labs between classes, and they kept the books at John Cavalier’s parents’ house, hence the name. The idea for book fairs came to John Cavalier when he was working at Book Warehouse in Baton Rouge in 2003. He asked his boss at the time why they didn’t do book fairs, and he told Cavalier that fairs were too much trouble.
Cavalier said that the amount of work and muscle required to put on one weeklong fair would not be worth the return on investment. Instead, scheduling and spacing out many fairs throughout the year makes the work worth it He typically works with about 40 schools each school year
Over the years, he and his father used carpentry and
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Louisiana woman faces the wild on Fox show
stake, awarded to the last remaining competitor and their family
BY JUDY BERGERON Staff writer
Who gets married, buys a house and is voluntarily dropped into the Canadian wilderness alone, all in a couple of weeks’ time?
Meet Meagan Delatte, the feisty fitness trainer from Louisiana currently competing on Fox’s new survival adventure competition series, “Extracted.”
In the series, Delatte, a native of Baton Rouge now living in Mandeville, and 11 other competitors fight to survive frigid temperatures, treacherous terrain and the threat of four-legged predators in a remote forest near Whistler, British Columbia. Meanwhile, their family members are at a secluded headquarters watching the contestants navigate their surroundings via a 24/7 live feed. Each family has the power to decide their loved ones’ fate. They can push the extract button to remove them from the competition. The participants have $250,000 at
Back at HQ watching out for Delatte are her father Gerrad Delatte, of Baton Rouge, and best friend Abby Hayes, also a Baton Rouge native now living in Park City, Utah. Delatte and Hayes are lifelong friends, and when other Delatte family members couldn’t arrange to be part of the show, Hayes stepped up.
The Delattes are longtime adventure racers.
Gerrad Delatte, 56, explained that in an expedition adventure race, the contestants navigate the course with a map and compass, hitting various checkpoints along the way in this human-powered experience.
“You either hike or run. There are mountain bike sections and there are water sections. So you jump in a canoe or kayak and you hit different transition areas to change from one discipline to another,” he said. “So they mix it up.”
Gerrad Delatte and his daughter completed a four-day race in Florida where they slept on the side of trails for a few hours and then started traveling again
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PROVIDED PHOTO FROM FOX
Survivalist competitor Meagan Delatte is seen at her campsite in the second episode, titled ‘Gimme Shelter,’ of the Fox series ‘Extracted.’
STAFF PHOTOS BY HILARY SCHEINUK
Annie Ponceti, left, and her daughter Addie Ponceti 9, look through the books at the local authors table at the Cavalier House Book Fair at Episcopal High School
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ingenuity to design mobile cabinets and display tables that make setting up and breaking down a breeze.
For school librarians, this makes for an easy setup because most of the books are already in the carts and on the shelves when they arrive They do not have to set up shelves and unbox hundreds of books. John Cavalier says he is built for the hard labor in maneuvering the heavy carts around.
For many readers, the magic words “book” and “fair” conjure up memories of order forms, special pencils and shelves of crisp new books.
“I did my share of corporate book fairs in the past,” said Tiffany Whitehead, librarian at the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, “and I mean, they’re great and nostalgic, but after I hosted my first fair with Cavalier House, I said
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They learned how to manage their sleep while exploring nature.
The duo has also gleaned some knowledge of competitive survival by following TV series including “Alone, “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race” and “Naked and Afraid.” But “Extracted” proved to be a challenge that Meagan Delatte 30 was not expecting.
“So I work out every single day I do it for a living, I’m a personal trainer I teach classes. I do wellness coaching,” she began. “So me, the go-getter, I was lifting heavy I was probably in the best shape of my life going into it endurance-wise.”
Her dad and Hayes had somewhat the opposite advice for her
“They were like, ‘Megan, you need to put on a lot of weight before you go, and you need to chill out. You need to slow down,’” she said. “And in my head, I just could not understand that.”
So she went to her dad for other advice, like how to build a fire and shelter Once in the wild, the younger Delatte said she realized the challenge was all mental. Meanwhile, back at HQ, Gerrad Delatte and Hayes, although comfortable (with a warm bed and meals), had their own dilemmas. From a giant video screen and individual smaller ones, the families could watch their loved one’s activities 24 hours a day A blessing and a curse, they could also hear each survivalist, but not vice versa.
“My typical day would be to wake up and try to be there for Meagan whenever she would awake to see how she was doing and feeling and listen and see what her needs would be,” her father explained
The dynamics of the other families in HQ, experiencing the same things they were, was a challenge as well While forming alliances, families also had to consider how that would affect their own progress in the competition while negotiating for supplies.
For example, in the season premiere, each family had the opportunity to enter the supply room, gather supplies for their loved one (all that would fit into a lidded box) and completely close and lock the box — all in 60
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I’d never go back. The level of support that they provide is not something you’re getting anywhere else.”
Whitehead says that Cavalier House makes it easy for the librarians and the school A staffed book fair includes John Cavalier setting up the fair, working the register and running the show which allows librarians and teachers to continue their regular responsibilities.
He also offers unstaffed book fairs for which he trains the librarians or volunteers, drops off materials and sets up the fair, but he does not stay to run the fair. Librarians and volunteers work the registers and monitor the shelves.
From public schools in Livingston and Ascension to private schools in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette, Cavalier House curates the selection for each school and its specific needs.
“They bring a good fair, especially for us being a pre-K3 through 12th grade school,” said Whitehead. “They build out a fair that brings us exactly what
seconds. The limited supplies up for grabs proved to be a competition of conscience — deciding if they should take more or leave supplies for others further back in line.
“You know, as a dad, you don’t want your daughter to suffer It is very stressful, and I will not lie about that,” Gerrod Delatte said.
“It took a toll, but I know that Meagan is a strong woman, and she can handle a lot.”
He and Hayes decided that their loved one would tell them when she was ready to leave. Whatever happened, they would be proud of what she accomplished.
Once dropped by helicopter into specific areas of the forests, the Louisiana contestant and her competitors were required to stay within their respective zones. Some were successful at building crude shelters. Others, aside from outerwear, slept exposed to the elements.
“I would wake up in the morning, and it’s still dark out,” Maegan Delatte said. “Some mornings I didn’t feel good, so I had to just lay there until I felt OK. I’d maybe go down to the creek. And I would pick blueberries.”
The contestant says that she talked to herself every day to get through the experience At night, the noises spooked her, though.
“You’re by yourself. You hear things, and the first thought in my head is, ‘Oh my God, there’s a bear.’ I was so scared every single night in the dark,” she said.
She leaned on the support of her family members in HQ and trusted that they would help her
“Not being able to talk or have anyone around me, if I saw an insect, that was the best part of my day,” she said. “Human interaction, it is so important. And I will never ever take that for granted ever again.”
Leaving for “Extracted” so soon after her wedding may seem unorthodox to some, but those who really know and love Meagan Delatte probably weren’t surprised.
“I’ll say this, he (new husband Foster Murphy) knew what he was getting himself into marrying me. That’s all I gotta say about that,” she said. “I talk about him probably every single minute on the show. You’ll see.”
“Extracted” airs at 7 p.m. Mondays on Fox.
Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@ theadvocate.com.
we need.”
Soline Holmes, the preschool and lower school librarian for Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans, has solely worked with Cavalier House for her school’s book fairs.
She likes supporting a local independent bookstore and working with the Cavaliers in a personal way
“We have a religion table for our different grade levels,” Holmes said. “We do specific studies of the saints, so I know he picks out things that will fit in with our curriculum.”
Another way Cavalier personalizes the fair for Academy of the Sacred Heart is by having a special section of Louisiana Young Readers Choice Awards books because their students are consistent readers and voters.
In addition to a curated selection, Cavalier House also brings its Louisiana books and local authors.
“I love their Louisiana collection,” Whitehead said. “That’s not something that you’re going to get with another
fair It really is like having part of a bookstore on our campus.”
John Cavalier credits his wife with the store’s excellent selection and says that she is the heart and drive behind the company They prepare to bring double the inventory they expect to sell to each fair just in case the fair is larger than expected.
“Book fairs are exhausting but rewarding,” John Cavalier said “The rewards are easy because we’ve made great relationships with different librarians over the years. The store has been around so long, and we’ve been doing book fairs for so long that kids have grown up with us, and now they are teachers themselves.”
There isn’t a specific book fair season. When school is in session, Cavalier House book fairs are happening. For more information, visit cavalierhousebooks.com/bookfairs.
Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.
Meanwhile, her dad Gerrad Delatte and best friend Abby Hayes are back at hedquarters monitoring their daughter and bestie out in the wildness of Canada and attempting to help her progress in the competition. They could win $250,000.
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STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK
John Cavalier stands near a display featuring
authors at the Cavalier House Book Fair at Episcopal High School.
PROVIDED PHOTO FROM FOX
Meagan Delatte, middle, is one of 12 competitors on Fox’s new series, ‘Extracted.’
Pizza is a crowd pleaser that gives everyone options
Cooking with kids can be a challenge Knives and heat may present a safety concern, the kitchen can get messy quickly, and chaos may ensue. However, some of my most treasured moments from when my kids were younger occurred when I leaned into the chaos and invited them to join me in the kitchen. Over the years, we have baked a variety of cakes, brownies and cupcakes, experimented with some of their breakfast favorites and explored the world of fresh pasta. Time and time again, however, we circle back to one of our favorite meals to make together: homemade pizza. The pies are truly a crowd-pleaser and give everyone control over their meal, which, as a mother of two children with very different palates, was critically important to avoid dinnertime meltdowns.
My eldest is a fan of the traditional pepperoni pizza, recently adding bacon and a drizzle of honey as toppings. My daughter, however, is a bit more adventurous Her favorite pizza is topped with prosciutto, ricotta and red onion marmalade. So, on pizza night, I make a batch of homemade pizza dough, set out a variety of toppings (such as pepperoni, sausage, artichokes olives, peppers, pizza sauce, pesto and a variety of cheeses) and let everyone create the pizza of their dreams.
1. In a liquid
2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade (or a stand mixer), add the
3. With the machine running, slowly add the liquid to the flour and salt Mix for approximately one minute until the liquid is fully incorporated into the dry ingredients.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the dough and transfer it to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour
1 Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat
2 Add onions, salt, and pepper and cook stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes until onions begin to soften.
3 Add sugar and cook until dark brown and tender, stirring frequently
4. Mix in vinegar and crushed pepper and cook until mixture is thick.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.
6 Preheat oven to
7 Sprinkle the back of a rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal.
8 Stretch pizza dough gently using your hands into the desired shape. Place the dough on the back of the
9 Brush pizza dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
10. Spread onion marmalade over the crust Dollop the ricotta cheese on top of the onion layer and top with slices of prosciutto.
5 When ready to bake, divide dough into the required number of pizza crusts and follow with your favorite pizza toppings. Prosciutto and Red Onion Marmalade Pizza 2
11. Bake until caramelized and crusty (10 to 12 minutes)
Show promises to be better than ever with free parking,alarge kids’activity zone and afood courtfeaturing some of the
PHOTOS BY OLIVIA REGARD
Prosciutto and Red Onion Marmalade Pizza
Olivia Regard’s daughter’s favorite pizza is topped with prosciutto, ricotta and red onion marmalade.
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