Emma Clark Library/Long Island Museum expand partnership to include kid's programs

Emma Clark Library and The Long Island Museum have expanded their partnership to include children’s programs. This Fall, there will be two book discussions for kids in Grades 4 – 6. The group will meet at the Studio of the museum, tour the exhibits, and then share their thoughts with Librarians Marge Bengston and Carol Denby. Ms. Bengston and Ms. Denby have been working with museum educators Lisa Unander and Rebecca Gavin. This collaborative book club uses the museum to enhance book discussions – it’s a chance for students, parents, and siblings to to share a one-of-a-kind reading experience, and both organizations are thrilled to offer it to Three Village.

Program dates are as follows:

Sunday, October 19, 4:00 – 5:30pm

The Art of Keeping Cool by Janet Taylor Lisle in conjunction with the exhibit Long Island at War. The year is 1942. Spring has come to a small village on the Rhode Island coast and, with it, a regiment of soldiers and giant defensive guns emplaced in bunkers along the beaches. Offshore, Nazi submarines lie in wait for Allied convey ships. The war in Europe seems far away, but residents in town keep a nervous eye on the ocean, and Robert and his cousin Elliot aren’t the only ones taking an interest in the buildup of the allied defenses in their town. In-person registration at the library begins on September 20. Books will be supplied at the time of registration at Emma Clark.

Sunday, November 16, 4:00 – 5:30pm

Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop in conjunction with the exhibit Streets of New York. Inspired by a famous Lewis Hine photograph, this novel is set in a Vermont mill town in 1910. Child labor was common, and a bright, eager child had to struggle to receive an education. Against the backdrop of callous mill owners, appalling working conditions, and a family that can barely make ends meet, 12 year old Grace and her best friend Arthur must leave school to work as doffers in the textile mill. Arthur is hatching a desperate plan to get himself out of the mill and back to school. In-person registration at the library begins on October 11. Books will be supplied at the time of registration at Emma Clark.

These children’s book discussions are an extension of an already successful partnership. The collaboration began in the Spring of 2013 with adult book discussions. The library also offers free passes to the museum, www.emmaclark.org/services/museum-passes/

For more information regarding these book discussions, please email the Children’s Department at children@emmaclark.org or call 631.941.4080 ext. 123.