Lake Forest Library
360 E Deerpath Rd
Lake Forest IL 60045
847.234.0636
LakeForestLibrary.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Kathy Wellington
Children's Librarian
847.810.4631
kwellington@lakeforestlibrary.org
Skype with author Marianne Malone at Lake Forest Library
February 8, 2019 – LAKE FOREST Ill – Experience the Thorne Miniature Rooms in a unique way at Lake Forest Library at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, February 20. Read the children's book, The Sixty-Eight Rooms, then participate in our Reading Rangers Book Group and Skype with author Marianne Malone.
Malone will talk about her books and writing process, as well as her research on the history and creation of the Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. Fans of all ages are invited attend; please register at lakeforestlibrary.org/68rooms.
About the Author
Marianne Malone has a degree in Art History and Studio Art from the University of Illinois. When her oldest daughter entered middle school, she started an art school with a friend. For a decade, Malone was an Art Teacher at Campus Middle School for Girls. It was then that she decided to write a book that she thought her students might enjoy.
About the Book
The Sixty-Eight Rooms is the first book in a four-part series. It stars Ruthie Stewart and Jack Tucker, who are best friends in sixth grade. Their class goes on a field trip to the Art Institute, where Ruthie becomes enchanted by the Thorne Miniature Rooms, and Jack discovers a magic key that enables them to shrink down and explore the rooms—and what lies beyond!
Local Connections
According to the Chicago Tribune, "Marianne Malone has tapped into a fantasy that is both very Chicago and completely universal."
The Thorne Miniature Rooms captivate families and encourage the exploration of a variety of topics including art, antiques, collecting, craftsmanship, model building, architecture, a history of European and American interior design, and 1930s Chicago history. Reading and engaging with The Sixty-Eight Rooms—with discussion guide questions—enables children to visit the Thorne Rooms with their imagination, and may also spark an interest to see them in person.
Mrs. James Ward Thorne, Thorne Rooms visionary and creator, and Mr. James Ward Thorne, son of the cofounder of Montgomery Ward, were both residents of Lake Forest, IL. Architect Edwin H. Clark, designer of Brookfield Zoo, Winnetka Village Hall, and Lake Forest Library, also contributed architectural drawings for the miniature rooms.
###