Posts by Joshua, Manager of Youth Services

Healthy Summer Meals

Healthy Summer Meals

Starting July 1, and running Monday-Friday through August 30, the Library is excited to offer healthy meals in partnership with the White Plains City School District. Meals are available only for youth up to age 18 and must be eaten in the Library’s Gallery.  Meals will be provided, while supplies last, 11:30am – 1:00pm.  
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June 24, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: community, food for kids, food for teens, and summer meals.

Edge Summer Reading 2024

Edge Summer Reading 2024

Summer Reading at White Plains Library begins Monday, July 1st and runs through Friday, August 30th. For Grades 7-12 summer reading, visit the Edge to sign up. Join us for our summer reading kick-off party on Monday, July 1 from 4-6 PM. We will have pizza, drinks, games, a scavenger hunt, and giveaways. For Grades 7-12 Let us know what you’re reading this summer, whether you read one book or fifty. Here’s how we’re tracking points along the way: 1 Book = 1 piece of candy and 1 raffle ticket 5 Books = coupon for 1 free ice cream scoop
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June 23, 2024 4:06 pm | by | 4 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: activities for children in White Plains, books, children, children's books, children's events, children's programs, families, library programs, Library programs for teens, programs for kids, Read Squared, reading, storytime, Summer 2024, summer programs, summer reading, summer reading game, teen events, teens, The Edge, and The Trove.

Trove Summer Reading 2024

Trove Summer Reading 2024

Summer Reading at White Plains Library begins Monday, July 1st and runs through Friday, August 17th. As part of the kick-off for Summer Reading 2024, on July 1-3, while supplies last, when a child signs up for summer reading, they will receive a free, age-appropriate, mystery bag of 3-4 books! For PreK: Kids and Parents will receive a bingo board. Each bingo board returned earns you a coloring page and an entry to the summer reading prize raffle. For Grades K-6: Kids will receive a booklet that has the reading log, treasure map activities, and a sidequest booklet for extra
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June 23, 2024 3:52 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: activities for children in White Plains, books, children, children's books, children's events, children's programs, families, library programs, Library programs for teens, programs for kids, Read Squared, reading, storytime, Summer 2024, summer programs, summer reading, summer reading game, teen events, teens, The Edge, and The Trove.

Summer Programs for Younger Kids

Summer Programs for Younger Kids

Great programs for younger children take place all month long, every month, at the Library. See our online calendar or stop in the Trove for location information. Some programs require advance registration, while others may require a ticket. If registration is required, details will be provided for how to register on our online calendar. If a program requires a ticket, tickets will be handed out on a first come, first served basis starting 30 minutes before the program. Yoga for Kids! Ages 5-9 Mondays, 2:00 p.m. – July 1, 8, 15, 22; August 5, 12 Ticket required.  Please pick up
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June 23, 2024 10:35 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, dance, June 2024, kids, live music, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

New Books in the Trove: June 2024

New Books in the Trove: June 2024

We have new books coming in all the time with them on display right as you enter the Trove. Here’s some of our recent favorite new titles! For Wee Ones Flora and Friends ABC by Molly Idle (Birth to 3 years-old) Library Catalog “Molly Idle has GOT to stop being as good at her job as she is. Seriously, this is beginning to become a problem. To the best of my knowledge, there are only three Caldecott Honorees that regularly pour their hearts and souls into their original board book creations. One you’ve already seen in Juana Martinez-Neal and her
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June 18, 2024 9:49 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, children's book, new books, new books in the trove, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Good Trouble: LGBTQ Icons

Good Trouble: LGBTQ Icons

This installment of Good Trouble features a few books about the activists and icons of the fight for LGBTQ rights. The first six titles in this month’s Good Trouble are collections of short biographies of LGBTQ activists and icons.  While there is some overlap, these six books do a wonderful job of introducing a wide variety of more and less well-known, historical and contemporary, individuals – such as Ian McKellan, Krsiten Stewart, Freddy McConnell, Laverne Cox, Bayard Rustin, Jonathan Van Ness, Jazz Jennings, Francisco Manicongo, We’Wha, Alla Nazimova, George Michael, Leonard Bernstein, James Baldwin, Virginia Woolf, Alvin Ailey, Larry Kramer,
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June 12, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: activism, Alla Nazimova, Alvin Ailey, Bayard Rustin, Francisco Manicongo, Freddy McConnell, George Michael, Good Trouble, James Baldwin, Jazz Jennings, John Lewis, Jonathan Van Ness, Krsiten Stewart, Larry Kramer, Laverne Cox, Leonard Bernstein, LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ Pride, LGBTQIA+, McKellan, Pride Month, staff picks, staff recommendations, Virginia Woolf, and We’Wha.

June Programs for Younger Kids

June Programs for Younger Kids

Great programs for younger children take place all month long, every month, at the Library.  See our online calendar or stop in the Trove for location information. Some programs require advance registration, while others may require a ticket. If registration is required, details will be provided for how to register on our online calendar. If a program requires a ticket, tickets will be handed out on a first come, first served basis starting 30 minutes before the program. Tiny Tots! 0 – 24 months, with a caregiver Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – June 4, 18 Fridays, 11:00 a.m. – June 14,
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May 27, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, dance, June 2024, kids, live music, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

Good Trouble: Music and Protest

Good Trouble: Music and Protest

This installment of Good Trouble continues a look at the strong connections between music and activism. Part 1 can be found here. Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song by Gary Golio, art by Charlotte Riley-Webb Library Catalog Discover some of Billie Holiday’s music Billie Holiday was no stranger to racism and prejudice, and when she was given Abel Meeropol’s song “Strange Fruit” – a song about lynchings and violence in the South – she embued it with her own pain. She did not know how the song would be received. She knew, as her mother
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May 12, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: activism, Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, civil rights, Good Trouble, Jean Ritchie, John Lewis, music and protest, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Meet the String Quartet

Meet the String Quartet

Sunday, May 19th 2:00 p.m. Grades 1-6 Library Auditorium White Plains Public Library and Downtown Music present: Meet the String Quartet! Join The Ondine Quartet, sponsored by Chamber Music America, featuring Ariana Cappon & Cindy Lan (violins), Chloe Kim (viola), and Sarah Song (cello), for an educational afternoon about the instruments in a string quartet and how they work together to produce glorious music.  
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May 2, 2024 12:10 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: children's event in white plains, Downtown Music, Meet the String Quartet, music event in White Plains, and The Trove.

SWBOCES Fashion Show

SWBOCES Fashion Show

Thursday, May 16th 4:00 p.m. Library Auditorium The Library is excited to collaborate with the SWBOCES Fashion Design & Merchandising Program to host a special runway event showcasing the work of students throughout the year.  The show, titled “Fashion in Toyland,” was originally inspired by student interest and enjoyment of the Barbie film last summer.  Students then took field trips to FAO Schwarz and Toys R Us to gain more ideas for fashion designs inspired by toys. In conjunction with the Fashion Show, an exhibit of student artwork and designs will be on display in the Library’s Gallery from May
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May 1, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Gallery and Library News.
Tags: art exhibit, art gallery, Fashion show, and SWBOCES.

May Programs for Younger Kids

May Programs for Younger Kids

Great programs for younger children take place all month long, every month, at the Library.  See our online calendar or stop in the Trove for location information. Some programs require advance registration, while others may require a ticket. If registration is required, details will be provided for how to register on our online calendar. If a program requires a ticket, tickets will be handed out on a first come, first served basis starting 30 minutes before the program. Bilingual Family Night Ages 3+, Families Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. – May 1 Families will listen to a bilingual story, sing bilingual songs
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April 24, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, dance, kids, live music, may 2024, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

Good Trouble: Environmental Activism

Good Trouble: Environmental Activism

Earth Day takes place annually on April 22.  We’ve created many Earth Day related blog posts, reading lists and activities over the past several years and I urge you to look through them for some great ideas and great reads. Below find some reads related to the formation of Earth Day and climate and environmental activism.   The Day the River Caught Fire: How the Cuyahoga River Exploded and Ignited the Earth Day Movement by Barry Wittenstein, art by Jessie Hartland Library Catalog A shockingly true story about how on a day in the summer of 1969 the Cuyahoga River
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April 12, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, and Library News.
Tags: activism, climate activism, environmental activism, environmentalism, Good Trouble, greta thunberg, John Lewis, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

May the 4th Be with You

May the 4th Be with You

Stop by the Trove on Saturday, May 4 and pick up some great Star Wars reads!  In addition, while supplies last, grab a fun Star Wars sticker! Be sure to check out some of the great Star Wars content we’ve posted over the years, including activities, reading lists and much more:  https://whiteplainslibrary.org/tag/star-wars/
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April 11, 2024 2:05 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: May the 4th and Star Wars.

How to Fight Censorship & Book Bans

How to Fight Censorship & Book Bans

On Monday, April 24, 2023 the first national Right to Read Day was held. Organized by the American Library Association (ALA), and kicking off National Library Week, Right to Read Day was established as a call to action in response to the past few years of attacks on access to, and even the existence of, certain books – overwhelmingly those with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ characters, themes, and information (check out the top 13 challenged books of 2022 to see what I mean). While ALA’s Unite Against Book Bans, and other organizations, highlighted going to the library and checking out banned
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April 11, 2024 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, activism, banned books, book banning, book bans, censorship, community activism, fight for the first, first amendment, and freedom to read.

Lee Palmer Storytelling Celebration

Lee Palmer Storytelling Celebration

The Library is excited to present its first annual Lee Palmer Storytelling Celebration – a two-day event consisting of a workshop for librarians and educators and a storytelling celebration for children and families. The Storytelling Workshop will take place on Friday, April 12th, at 1:00 p.m. in the Library’s Auditorium. This free workshop for adults, entitled “Off the Page: Storytelling Craft and Technique,” will be presented by storyteller Rachael Harrington. Refreshments will be available. This interactive workshop will equip you to bring favorite stories off the page to become oral storytelling experiences. Participants will explore story selection, methods of storyboarding,
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April 9, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: April 2024, Glenn Harper, Laconia Therrio, Lee Palmer, Lee Palmer Storytelling Celebration, Rachael Harrington, and storytelling.

The Library’s TTRPG Collection

The Library’s TTRPG Collection

Did you know the Library has a collection of tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) books you can borrow?  They are located just outside the Edge, our teen library (though anyone can check them out!).  Holds cannot be placed on the titles, but you can pick them up at the Library and borrow them for three weeks! Titles in the growing collection include (by game system – Will be updated as new titles are added. Links for unlinked items will be added as they become available.) What’s a TTRPG? A tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) is a system of rules so that a
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April 7, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons, library collections, Roleplaying game, roleplaying games, RPGs, staff picks, staff recommendations, tabletop gaming, tabletop roleplaying games, and TTRPGS.

April Programs for Younger Kids

April Programs for Younger Kids

Great programs for younger children take place all month long, every month, at the Library.  See our online calendar or stop in the Trove for location information. Some programs require advance registration, while others may require a ticket. If registration is required, details will be provided for how to register on our online calendar. If a program requires a ticket, tickets will be handed out on a first come, first served basis starting 30 minutes before the program. First Annual Lee Palmer Storytelling Celebration Saturday, 11:00 a.m. – April 13 Three fantastic storytellers, along with giveaways and snacks!  More information
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March 26, 2024 10:33 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, April 2024, children's events, dance, kids, live music, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

April Is…

April Is…

Each month a variety of observances and celebrations take place, from well-known holidays to much lesser known fun (and downright funny or strange!) observances. National Poetry Month Check out some of the Library’s poetry programs and events all month long, along with some great selections of poetry books for kids!  April 17th is specifically International Haiku Poetry Day!  Here’s some haiku to read. Jazz Appreciation Month Learn about jazz and jazz musicians: A Child’s Introduction to Jazz: The Musicians, Culture, and Roots of The World’s Coolest Music by Jabari Asim, Jerrard K. Polk Library Catalog Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson:
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March 26, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: April 2024, April Festivities, books for children, books for kids, children's books, and Observances and Celebrations.

Good Trouble: Amanda Gorman

Good Trouble: Amanda Gorman

On January 20, 2021, I watched Joe Biden’s inauguration. Perhaps, like me, you were feeling hopeful and optimistic, that democracy was working, that positive change was taking place – the country had survived January 6, we had a new President, and for the first time a female Vice President. Perhaps, also like me, all of that became secondary as you were transfixed by the young woman who took the podium – Amanda Gorman, only the sixth poet to read at an inauguration, and by far the youngest. As she stood there reading, Amanda Gorman seemed far older than her 22
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March 12, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: activism, Amanda Gorman, Good Trouble, John Lewis, staff picks, and staff recommendations.