History Detectives

Are you looking for a great book to share with a kid in your life? (Psst—you will love them, too!) Dig into the four finalists for this year’s New-York Historical Society Children’s History Book Prize, a celebration of the best in American history literature for middle-grade readers, ages 9­–12. Throughout the next few weeks, visit us…

Celebrate Presidents’ Day with us! We are honored to welcome the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, as interpreted by Kyle Jenks, on Saturday, February 15, and Monday, February 17. Jenks is an expert in all things Madison and has studied and practiced his interpretation for many years. Read on to learn about…

Reading into History Family Book Club is this Sunday, February 9, from 2-4 pm! We’ll be discussing our February read, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt. This heartbreaking work of historical fiction tells the story of a true and tragic history from Maine’s past. Set in 1912, the book charts the…

We’re cutting it up this weekend with silhouette artist and Historical Interpreter Lauren Muney. On Saturday, January 25, visit our new exhibition In Profile: A Look at Silhouettes, where we trace the compelling history of a singular art form with a diverse array of works from the late 18th century to the modern-day. Afterwards, drop…

Nothing thaws the winter chill like cozying up to a good book! Spending quality time with picture books helps young children build language, literacy, and social skills and provides a great opportunity for grownups and kids to learn together. Here at N-YHS, we have an extensive collection of books in our Barbara K. Lipman Children’s…

Calling all young historians! Swing by the New-York Historical Society  this Sunday, December 15  at 2 pm for this month’s Reading into History book club! We’ll be discussing Laurie Halse Anderson’s thrilling novel Chains. The novel is the first in a trilogy, and the story follows Isabel, an enslaved girl fighting to gain her freedom…

We’re thrilled to host Huck Scarry, son of Busytown author and illustrator Richard Scarry, at New-York Historical on Dec. 14 and 15, from 1–3 pm. An author and illustrator himself, Huck lives in Switzerland, but spent most of his childhood in Connecticut. He’s joining us to celebrate Richard Scarry’s centenary year and our Busytown-themed toys…

This month’s Reading into History book, Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell, depicts the devastating experiences endured by children who were forced to attend Native American boarding schools. Carvell’s novel is historical fictional, but drew from her in-laws’ oral histories and the very real story of cultural genocide enacted by the United States federal government. In…

In Sweetgrass Basket, author Marlene Carvell weaves together the story of two Mohawk sisters, Mattie and Sarah, who have been sent to an off-reservation Native American Boarding School in the early 20th century. Written in prose-poetry and alternating voices between the two sisters, this heart wrenching novel follows the sisters’ emotional journey, as they work to…