Monthly Archives April 2020

Virtual Open Mic for Kids & Teens

“Perhaps the mission of an artist is to interpret beauty to people—the beauty within themselves.”—Langston Hughes To celebrate National Poetry Month, On Thursday April 30, the Library will host a Virtual Open Mic for kids and teens. This event will take place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. If you have submitted poetry please join in to read your poems! Attend the program by accessing Zoom with this link on 4/30. Writing is a solitary activity, and as we are socially distancing it can become even more solitary and lonesome if we don’t have a place to share our work collectively.
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April 24, 2020 4:44 pm | by Caroline, Children's Librarian | No Comments

Categories: Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: national poetry month, poetry, and virtual open mic.

Graphic Novels and Chapter Books in Spanish

Practice your Spanish with these fun Graphic Novels and Chapter Books from our digital resources. Have fun! ¡Bravo!: Poemas Sobre Hispanos Extraordinarios, by Margarita Engle (OverDrive) El Diario de Anne Frank, by Anne Frank (OverDrive) Ciudades de Papel, by John Green (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 2: La Ley de Rodrick, by Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 3: Esto es el Colmo, by Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 4: Días de Perros, by Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 5: La Horrible Realidad, by Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 6: ¡Sin Salida!, by Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de
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April 24, 2020 1:11 pm | by Tata, Children's Librarian | No Comments

Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: children's literature, graphic novels, spanish books, virtual book display, and YA literature.

Novelas gráficas y libros de capítulos en español

Practica tu español con estas Novelas Gráficas y Libros de Capítulos de nuestros recursos digitales. ¡Disfruta! ¡Bravo!: Poemas Sobre Hispanos Extraordinarios, de Margarita Engle (OverDrive) El Diario de Anne Frank, de Anne Frank (OverDrive) Ciudades de Papel, de John Green (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 2: La Ley de Rodrick, de Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 3: Esto es el Colmo, de Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 4: Días de Perros, de Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 5: La Horrible Realidad, de Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 6: ¡Sin Salida!, de Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg
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April 24, 2020 11:06 am | by Tata, Children's Librarian | No Comments

Categories: Español, Homepage Family CV, Homepage Kids, and Homepage Teens.
Tags: eBooks.

May Virtual Book Bunch Events

Deb and I hope y’all had fun reading and discussing Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez during our last virtual Book Bunch program. We can’t wait for our next two virtual Book Bunch events! Please feel free to bring your own snack to each program. Wednesday, May 6th from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. we will discuss Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo. Unlimited eBook copies are available via Hoopla, but it's also available as an eBook and digital audiobook on OverDrive. Kids of any age who have read the book are welcome to join us but we
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April 23, 2020 3:25 pm | by Ashley, Children's Librarian | No Comments

Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, and virtual book bunch.

Sora Access to Library eBooks

Did you know that White Plains students can access White Plains Library ebooks via their school Sora account? They can thanks to a new partnership between the Westchester Library System and Southern Westchester BOCES. All your student needs to do this is enter their school ID/credentials in the Sora app they already have, and voila! You can borrow age appropriate content from the White Plains Public Library’s eBook collection. In order to search the Library’s collection of eBooks, you simply need to add the Library to your Sora account. Add Westchester Library System as a library, if it is not automatically
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April 23, 2020 10:00 am | by Joshua, Manager of Youth Services | No Comments

Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: eBooks, Sora, and white plains schools.

Arab-American Heritage Month

April is Arab-American Heritage Month! To celebrate, I invite you to read or listen to some of the following picture and chapter books on either Hoopla or OverDrive! The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil and illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan For children in kindergarten to grade 2. Hoopla: Audio OverDrive: eBook “The story highlights the role of a supportive and creative teacher and the importance of instilling acceptance in children…The story ends with a powerful poem with a compelling message of taking pride in one’s mother tongue.” –School Library Journal Yo Soy Muslim: A Father's Letter to His
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April 22, 2020 3:41 pm | by Ashley, Children's Librarian | No Comments

Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Arab-American Heritage Month, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

We Miss You!

This week is National Library Week, and while we can't quite celebrate in the usual fashion this year, we still wanted to do a little something to celebrate. So in that spirit, our staff wanted to take this time to let you know that we miss you! Now maybe you can let us know what you miss most about visiting the Library. Leave us a comment below, send your messages and photos to kthornton@whiteplainslibrary.org, or let us know on social media. Though the building may be closed, we're still offering reference assistance, virtual programs, and new content on
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April 22, 2020 11:34 am | by Kristen, Adult Librarian | 8 Comments

Categories: Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: library staff, National Library Week, and staff message.

Hoopla Staff Picks: R&B

Possibly our most dynamic digital resource, Hoopla includes a variety of different formats from books to movies and music. In order to highlight some of these, we've gathered staff recommendations of just a few formats you can stream and download with your library card. Below are some music recommendations from Adult Services Librarian Mariel Perez. Summer: The Original Hits (2018) Donna Summer Another oldie, but goodie! Perfect party or driving music or in my case, cleaning music. A great pick me up for those who love to dance, exercise, or just want to feel happy. All good memories for me.
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April 22, 2020 11:22 am | by Mariel, Adult Librarian | 2 Comments

Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: hoopla, music, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

STEAM at Home: Earth Day

Earth Day is here, a day to work collectively to celebrate the planet we call home and improve the environment. Even though we are isolating ourselves, we can recycle, plant and garden, and make sure not to litter (especially masks and gloves!). Now, more than ever, small acts of love and kindness can make the world a better place. We can also spend time with our family and teach them how to become more self-sufficient and sustainable. For example, you can create a fun Earth Day tree STEAM project by using found items such as twigs, lentils, dry beans, rice
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April 22, 2020 10:00 am | by Caroline, Children's Librarian | No Comments

Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Earth Day, everyday STEAM, Observances and Celebrations, STEAM, STEAM activities, and STEAM at home.

Celebrate Earth Day

Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 and it is now celebrated annually on April 22 in over 193 countries as a way to show support for environmental protection. You can celebrate at home with: A project for adults and kids learning how to sustainably grow your own vegetables from scraps. Checking out some of Trove Librarian Raquel’s awesome recommendations for Earth Day eBooks on Hoopla or Overdrive/Libby! Taking part in Which Craft? Wednesday: Earth Day edition. Join Edge Librarian Erik to learn how to upcycle used snack bags into a decorative
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April 22, 2020 10:00 am | by Joshua, Manager of Youth Services | No Comments

Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Earth Day, Observances and Celebrations, and STEAM activities.

STEAM at Home: Plants from Scraps

Today’s Earth Day! There’s a lot of discussion online these days about at home learning. There’s also a lot of discussion online about taking the scraps of vegetables and re-growing them, as a project but also as a way to get more usage out of foods you have purchased. Putting those two discussions together equals one great STEAM at Home project. This is a fun project that promotes sustainability, teaches about gardening, and provides yummy results! It would be great for Earth Day, or any day! What you need: The “ends” of vegetables, such as romaine lettuce, green onions/scallions, etc.
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April 22, 2020 10:00 am | by Joshua, Manager of Youth Services | No Comments

Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Earth Day, everyday STEAM, gardening, plants, STEAM activities, and STEAM at home.

Earth Day Book Picks

2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day – first celebrated on April 22nd, 1970. To mark the important event that underscores the need to care for our planet, here are some noteworthy titles you may enjoy: PICTURE BOOK: We Planted a Tree By Diane Muldrow & Bob Staake eBook on OverDrive/Libby Diane Muldrow’s book focuses on the importance of trees in the lives of people all over the world. Her poetic text focuses on two families – how they each plant a tree, and how each tree helps the two families. Bob Staake’s child-friendly illustrations depict the beauty and
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April 22, 2020 9:00 am | by Raquel Cavalcanti, Children's Librarian | No Comments

Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, children's literature, Earth Day, eBooks, Observances and Celebrations, and virtual book display.

Poetry for Children

National Poetry Month was established by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996. In order to celebrate National Poetry Month, I would like to highlight the diverse poetry collections available on Libby and Hoopla for kids with a three-part series showcasing six great titles. What are Libby and Hoopla? Libby and Hoopla are both easy-to-use apps that allow you to borrow eBooks and audiobooks with your library card for free. Both apps have thousands of adult, teen, and children’s titles that you can borrow using your iPad, tablet, or phone by downloading the apps from your app store. Hoopla
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April 20, 2020 3:11 pm | by Raquel Cavalcanti, Children's Librarian | No Comments

Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, national poetry month, Observances and Celebrations, and poetry.

Books to Get Moving

Being in isolation is no reason to just lounge around. Get up, move! Do some yoga! Take a walk through your neighborhood (with a mask on, of course)! Some exercise and fresh air will do wonders for your mood, health, and general well-being. Connect your physical activity to some reading activity. Here’s some picture books available through Overdrive/Libby or Hoopla to get you started with activities to take part in while moving. Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer (Overdrive/Libby) Daniel’s Good Day by Micha Archer (Overdrive/Libby) City Moon by Rachel Cole (Overdrive/Libby) Run Wild by David Covell (Overdrive/Libby) Wiggle
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April 20, 2020 10:00 am | by Joshua, Manager of Youth Services | No Comments

Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's literature and virtual book display.

Arab-American Heritage Month

For this month’s column highlighting titles by Arab-American authors, I leaped at the chance to open a book from my to-read list: Darius the Great is Not Okay, by Adib Khorram. When Darius’ grandfather is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, his parents take Darius and his little sister on their first trip to Iran. Even the pronunciation of Darius’ name is different in Iran, but the change frees him to try new experiences, discovering a talent for soccer and making new friends. The book addresses a range of issues in Darius’ life: the medication he takes to treat his
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April 17, 2020 12:30 pm | by Kathlyn, Teen Librarian | No Comments

Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Arab-American Heritage Month, eBooks, Observances and Celebrations, YA books, and YA literature.

Poetry for Children

April 17, 2020 10:16 am | by Raquel Cavalcanti, Children's Librarian | No Comments

Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, national poetry month, Observances and Celebrations, and poetry.

Ramadan Virtual Book Display

“Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. In Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an, and fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of learning self-control, gratitude, and compassion for those less fortunate. Ramadan is a month of intense spiritual rejuvenation with a heightened focus on devotion, during which Muslims spend extra time re-reading the Qur’an and performing special prayers. Those unable to fast, such as pregnant or nursing women, the sick, or elderly people and children, are exempt from fasting.”–ING Here are some books for you and
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April 16, 2020 11:17 am | by Tata, Children's Librarian | 2 Comments

Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's literature, Observances and Celebrations, Ramadan, and virtual book display.

DIY Masks and FAQ

Over the past few weeks, recommendations on the use of fabric masks have evolved rapidly. At first, there was skepticism that homemade alternatives were effective. However, since the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that everyone should wear a fabric face cover in public, I’ve seen an explosion of mask-making information online. With Governor Cuomo's new decree requiring everyone to cover their mouths and nose in public, we will likely see even more. Sorting through the sheer number of patterns, and the contradicting information about the effectiveness of various filter materials, has been overwhelming and even
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April 15, 2020 11:00 am | by Kathlyn, Teen Librarian | 2 Comments

Categories: COVID-19, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: coronavirus, covid-19, mask tutorial, and masks.

Food Pantries

The following food pantries are still open: Ridgeway Alliance 465 Ridgeway, White Plains, NY 10605 (914) 949-3714 Monday 10:00-2:00 p.m. Tuesdays 4:00-6:00 p.m. Wednesdays 10:00-2:00 p.m. Fridays 10:00-2:00 p.m. (Not every Friday, should call) First Baptist Church 456 North Street White Plains 10605 (914) 946-5207 (No set hours please call) White Plains Schools Food Distribution https://www.whiteplainspublicschools.org/ El Centro Hispano Operating from the Post Road School 175 W Post Rd, White Plains, NY 10606 April 16th, May 7th, May 21st, June 4th, June 18th at 3:00 p.m. Food will be distributed through the Soundview entrance. Make the Road New York 46
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April 14, 2020 5:16 pm | by Kristen, Adult Librarian | 3 Comments

Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: covid-19, food bank, food pantries, and food pantry.