The Port Washington Public Library’s Books for Dessert program, a book club for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), held its third “Meet the Author” event on Monday, Jan. 13, featuring writer Susan Thompson.
With more than 60 people attending, including participants from the three Books for Dessert clubs; their day program and residential staffs; and family and friends, Thompson shared insights on her writing process and the plot twists in her most recent book “The Museum of Oddities,” which book club members had just read and discussed with their group leaders.
“The Museum of Oddities,” published by Gemma Open Door Press, is part of the two-wheeled detective series about a young woman, Tami, who lands a job guarding a quirky museum collection. Soon she discovers that precious objects are disappearing from the shelves.
During the event, Thompson also autographed copies of her book for each book club member. After the presentation, the group eagerly asked questions, such as “How long does it take to write a book? “Why is Tami’s bike called Ruby?” “How long have you been an author?” They were pleased to hear she was already working on the third book in the series. The group also enjoyed a lunch and, of course, dessert.
“We are delighted that our club members were able to meet and talk with author Susan Thompson about a book that really whet their detective skills,” said Nancy Comer, a founder and chair of the Books for Dessert Advisory Board and a Port Washington Public Library Trustee. “We’re very grateful to the Friends of the Library (FOL) for their generous support of this terrific opportunity for our book club participants.”
Books for Dessert was created, in partnership with the Port Washington Public Library (PWPL), 22 years ago by Comer, as there were limited options for her adult son and his friends to engage in educational programs for adults with IDD. Today, there are more than 40 participants in the Books for Dessert program, with three book club meetings held weekly at the Library. The program is supported by the Friends of the Library (FOL), the Library Foundation and outside grants. FOL also has helped fund Books for Dessert’s two previous celebrity author events with writers James Preller and Andrea Davis Pinkney.
The Books for Dessert program handbook is available to other libraries interested in starting up a similar program.
For more information on Books for Dessert, contact Kate Monsour, Head of Adult Services for the PWPL, at 516-883-4400 x. 1302 or monsour@pwpl.org
