Emma Clark Library Announces Winners of the 12th Annual Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Contest

Setauket, NY – March 19, 2026 –

Emma Clark Library is pleased to announce the winners for the 12^th annual Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Contest:

First Prize (Grades 6 – 8 category): Bunny and the Bluejay by Vivienne Rochlin-Hizver (7^th grader at P.J. Gelinas Middle School)

First Prize (Grades 9 – 12 category): The Penguins Go to the City by Elizabeth Wright (11^th grader at Ward Melville High School)

Second Prize (Grades 6 – 8 category): Ricky and the Beach by Maddex Buonaspina (7^th grader at R. C. Murphy Middle School)

Second Prize (Grades 9 – 12 category): Seven Meals Around the World by Genevieve Rochlin (11^th grader at The Stony Brook School)                                           

Each of the winning entries has their own unique artwork and storylines geared towards young children. In Bunny and the Bluejay by Vivienne Rochlin-Hizver, Bunny learns how each creature is unique with their own special strengths. With delicate pen and watercolor illustrations, The Penguins Go to the City by Elizabeth Wright invites the reader to follow a group of penguins on an adventure! In Ricky and the Beach by Maddex Buonaspina, the main character is hesitant to go to the beach. Will he enjoy himself or will his fears get the best of him? Children travel around the world with Cooper the Goose in Seven Meals Around the World by Genevieve Rochlin, as they discover different culinary explorations.

The Helen Stein Shack Book Contest called for teens and tweens in grades 6 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 6 through 8 and grades 9 through 12, with one First Prize Winner and one Second Prize Winner selected from each group.

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 the prizes.

Contest winners will be celebrated at a private awards ceremony on Monday, April 27, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.  Each First Prize award recipient will receive a $400 scholarship, and each Second Prize award recipient will receive a $100 scholarship. The newly bound books – made into hardcover by the Library – will have the honor of being added to the Library’s Local Focus Collection, and winners will also receive copies of their books to cherish in their own home libraries. Desserts will be served at the reception, generously donated by The Bite Size Bake Shop. Past ceremonies have had Library Board members, teachers and top school district administrators from Three Village and The Stony Brook School, as well as elected officials from New York State, Suffolk County, and the Town of Brookhaven, all in attendance to honor the winners.

The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, located at 120 Main Street in Setauket and online 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”

###