Farmingville, NY - On Monday April 23, Councilwoman Valerie M. Cartright joined Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, Carol Nucci (representing Senator John Flanagan), Library Director Ted Gutmann, and Library Board Treasurer Deborah Blair and Trustee Richard Russell, to celebrate the 2018 winners of the Fourth Annual Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Award with the family of the late Helen Stein Shack. The four winners had their books bound and can be found in Emma Clark Library’s Local Focus Collection. In addition, first place winners Rebecca Blumenthal and Nicole Freeley each received $400 scholarships and second place winners Eliana Sasson and Samuel Kim each received $100 scholarships. Councilwoman Cartright presented each winner with a Certificate of Congratulations from the Town of Brookhaven. Pictured left to right are Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn; winners Eliana Sasson, Nicole Freeley, Rebecca Blumenthal and Samuel Kim; Carol Nucci [representing Senator John Flanagan] and Councilwoman Valerie M. Cartright.
The call for young authors and illustrators, grades 7 through 12, to compete in the Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Contest reads in part, “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. She especially loved literature written for them. She was a frequent visitor to the Children’s Department of the Emma S Clark Memorial Library where, even in retirement, she kept current with the newest in Children’s literature.”
“It is my pleasure to again attend this event honoring the legacy of Helen Stein Shack and recognizing young author/illustrators in our community. As Mrs. Shack understood, there are many benefits to children's literature and reading aloud with children, including promoting healthy brain and language development and literacy skills, as well as being an important family bonding activity. I appreciate that writing and illustrating a picture book is an enormous undertaking, particularly with all of your other obligations and the demands of your school day,” stated Councilwoman Cartright. “I am proud of each student who submitted their work. I would like to offer my congratulations to Rebecca, Nicole, Eliana, and Samuel for sharing their outstanding stories with the Three Village community. We are lucky to have their books on the shelves of Emma Clark Library.”
Also in attendance were Three Village Central School District President of the Board of Education William Connors, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services Kevin Scanlon, Ward Melville High School Principal Alan Baum, Ward Melville High School Librarian April Hatcher, Murphy Junior High School English Department Chair Cathy Duffy and Murphy Junior High School Librarian Betsy Knox.
Visit the Emma Clark website for more information about the Emma Clark Library.