Third- and fourth-graders at Thatcher Brook School in Waterbury were given an “assignment” to write down their stories about Hurricane Irene because they are a part of living history. Vermont author Natalie Kinsey-Wearnock tells the kids, “It’s happening now. It’s what you’ve been through.” The author knows firsthand about what she suggests as she shares her real life stories about her own grandparents who were in the great flood of 1927. Her book, “Nora’s Ark,” was inspired by that flood. The kids are helping the town recover with a special project that will publish their and other residents’ stories. Profits will help the town rebuild. The Children’s Literacy Foundation, a nonprofit based in Waterbury Center, helped put the project together, and invited Kinsey-Wearnock to share her book and experiences with the children.