05/28/2026
Amy Anderlonis, Executive Vice President of Link to Libraries, recently visited a 4th grade classroom at Edgar Parkman Elementary School to read “What Emma Wrote: The Woman Behind the Words of the Statue of Liberty” by 🗽
The story sparked a thoughtful discussion about the meaning behind the Statue of Liberty and the importance of treating all immigrants with compassion, empathy, and kindness. Students learned how Emma Lazarus, a Jewish American writer, was deeply moved by the harsh treatment of Jewish immigrants arriving in New York City from Russia. In response, she wrote the now-famous words engraved on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”
Books truly have the power to open minds, inspire empathy, and connect history to the world students see today. 💚
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Link to Libraries read aloud visit without every student choosing a new book to take home. 🥰