Announcing the Winners of the Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Award

Emma Clark Library has announced the winners for the Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Award, a contest which showcases the young writing and artistic talent in the Three Village Community:

Grand Prize (Grades 7 – 9 category): Leah Cussen for Lenny the Lion

Grand Prize (Grades 10 – 12 category): Wendy Wahlert for Lilabet

Honorable Mentions (Grades 7 – 9 category): Anny Weisenberg for Red Boots for Rainy Days and Samuel Kim for Freddy the Fish and the First Day of School

Honorable Mentions (Grades 10 – 12 category): Kiera Alventosa for Heal Our Mother Earth and Sarah & Karen Jiang for Pengy Goes on an Adventure

Lenny the Lion by Leah Cussen is about a young lion who feels he doesn’t belong with his family and searches for a new one. In the end, Lenny discovers that his family loves and accepts him for who he is, even though they may have differences. Lilabet by Wendy Wahlert is about a girl who loves color, but she lives in a black and white world. She embraces what makes her unique and decides to share her color with everyone.

The Helen Stein Shack Book Award, which was announced last year, called for teens in grades 7 through 12 who live in the Three Village Central School District to create a children’s picture book. Each entry could be the work of a single author/illustrator or a collaborative effort of an author and an illustrator. The contest was divided into two grade categories, grades 7 through 9 and grades 10 through 12, with one Grand Prize winner from each group, as well as two Honorable Mention winners selected from each category.

This award is given in memory of Helen Stein Shack by her family. As a teacher, Mrs. Shack was committed to the education of children, and she especially loved literature written for them. She was a frequent visitor to Emma Clark Library where, even in retirement, she kept current with the latest children’s books. The library is grateful to the children of the late Mrs. Shack who have established a substantial endowment with the library to cover the cost of presenting this award.

If you have any questions, feel free to call us at 631.941.4080 or email askus@emmaclark.org.

The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, located at 120 Main Street in Setauket and online at emmaclark.org, provides public library service to all residents of the Three Village Central School District.