The Santa Clarita Public Library, along with Barnes & Noble and Friends of the Santa Clarita Public Library, will host a range of engaging programs in March 2015 to launch the inaugural all-city literary event, “One Story, One City.”

The “One Story, One City” program is an initiative to encourage city-wide discussions and promote reading across all ages and interests. The featured books for the community-wide event are New York Times bestseller, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick for adults and teens, Revenge of the Whale: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, an adapted version of In the Heart of the Sea for tweens by Philbrick, and Following Papa’s Song by Gianna Marino for children.

National Book Award Winner In the Heart of the Sea chronicles the journey of the whaleship Essex, the true-story inspiration of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. From the shores of Nantucket, Captain Pollard, First Mate Chase and a handful of inexperienced sailors set off on a routine voyage to hunt whales and harvest blubber. Fifteen months later, in the farthest reaches of the South Pacific, the Essex is rammed and sunk by an enraged sperm whale. After the devastation, the remaining crew must set off for South America in small boats and attempt to survive in dire conditions.

In Following Papa’s Song, by award-winning children’s author and illustrator Gianna Marino, readers follow along as curious humpback calf Little Blue becomes lost during migration and must listen to “Papa’s” song in order to reunite with the other whales in his pod.

Residents are invited to engage with friends, neighbors and family members about this “whale of a tale,” while enjoying free programs offered at all three branches of the Santa Clarita Public Library. The events include book discussions, educational whaling ship engineering demonstrations, crafts for teens and kids, free book give-a-ways, safety and survival demonstrations, New England food presentations, DIY scrimshaw, story times and much more.

Award-winning children’s author and illustrator Gianna Marino will visit Santa Clarita on March 19, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. at the Valencia library and 6:00 p.m. at the Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library. Marino will perform a reading of Following Papa’s Song and share information about whales and marine life. Her books will be available for purchase and signing.

A free Whale Party for school age and pre-kindergarten age children will be hosted at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 7 at the Jo Anne Darcy Canyon Country Library, Saturday, March 14 at the Valencia library and at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 at the Old Town Newhall Library. Participants will craft whales using of gardening pots and participate in a group art project.

An exciting opportunity to interact with California’s ocean life comes to Santa Clarita from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, 2015 at the Westfield Valencia Town Center. Residents of all ages can visit the Long Beach “Aquarium on Wheels” to touch and explore marine creatures from the “not-so-deep.” There will be crafts, a special sand sensory station, educational displays and story times.

A special screening of the film Racing with Copepods will be shown at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, 2015 at the Valencia Library. Copepods, considered the fastest animal on earth, are an integral part of the complex marine food-chain. Racing with Copepods, a project of Sailing Education Adventures with support from the Romberg Tiburon Center and Derek M. Baylis, is an educational look at the fragility of the marine environment.

The Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library is located at 18601 Soledad Canyon Road. The Old Town Newhall Library is located at 34500 Main Street. The Valencia Library is located at 23743 W. Valencia Boulevard. Barnes & Noble is located at 23630 Valencia Boulevard. The Westfield Valencia Town Center is located at 24201 Valencia Boulevard.

For more information about these events and to find full programming details for “One Story, One City,” visit SantaClaritaLibrary.com/One-Story-One-City or contact the Santa Clarita Public Library at (661) 259-0750.

<a href=”http://scvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/onestory.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-81485″ src=”http://scvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/onestory.jpg” alt=”onestory” width=”556″  /></a>