Teens, Win a Scholarship and Have Your Book Added to Emma Clark Library’s Collection

Setauket, NY – November 1, 2017 –

A unique girl who wanted to spread color around her town, a lion trying to figure out where he belongs, a young child afraid of the noises at night, a happy sock who gets lost in the laundry, and a lesson that we can all be friends. These are just some subjects of the past winning books for the Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Contest at Emma Clark Library.

For the 4th consecutive year, the Library is showcasing the young writing and artistic talent in our community. The contest calls for teens grades 7 through 12 who live in the Three Village Central School District to create a children’s picture book. Winning authors will receive a monetary prize, have their book bound and added to the Library’s collection, and be recognized at an awards ceremony on Monday evening, April 23, 2018. This reception is well-attended by teachers and administrators from the school district, as well as local elected officials.

The contest is divided into two grade categories, grades 7 through 9 and grades 10 through 12, with one First Prize Winner and one Second Prize Winner selected from each group. Each entry can be the work of a single author/illustrator or can be a collaborative effort of an author and an illustrator.

Each of the First Prize award recipients will receive a $400 scholarship, and each of the Second Prize award recipients will receive a $100 scholarship (in the event that a winning entry is a collaboration between an artist and artist/illustrator, the prize will be shared). The winning entries will also be bound and added to the Children’s Local Focus Collection. All entrants will receive a Certificate of Participation.

Teens may obtain an Official Entry Form in-person in the Library’s lobby or online at emmaclark.org/picturebookaward starting November 17, 2017. Included with the form are the contest procedures & guidelines. They should bring their completed picture book, along with a completed Official Entry Form, to The Children’s Department anytime between January 3 – 31, 2018.

Last year’s Grand Prize winners were Eliana Sasson (Grades 7 – 9 category) and Katie Zhao (Grades 10 – 12 category). The public may view previous year’s winning entries at emmaclark.org/picturebookaward.

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 ongoing cost of the scholarships. This gift, in a sense, is an investment in our younger generation, and an inspiration for teens to continue to develop their creativity and work ethic.

Please note: A maximum of one entry will be accepted per author. Entries may be a collaboration of no more than one author and one artist/illustrator. Emma Clark employees, trustees, and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter.

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

“The Heart of the Three Village Community”