When war calls

Do kids study the Spanish-American War? If schools are too busy managing bullies, maybe you have to introduce the subject during dinner. Leave a copy of Evan Thomas’s “The War Lovers: Roosevelt, Lodge, Hearst, and the Rush to Empire, 1898’’ on the table and see what happens. In 1898, the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, and while there was no evidence that the Spanish were responsible, President McKinley declared war and sent troops to Cuba and the Philippines. Newsweek’s assistant managing editor will discuss his book (not at your dinner table). May 4 at 6 p.m. $10. Reservations required. The Boston Athenaeum, 10 Beacon St., Boston. 617-720-7600. www.bostonathenaeum.org