Posts by Joshua, Manager of Youth Services

Reads Revisited

Reads Revisited is a blog series where Trove and Edge Librarians revisit some of their favorite childhood stories. In today's column, Manager of Youth Services Josh Carlson revisits The House with the Clock In Its Walls (Catalog / OverDrive) and The Curse of the Blue Figurine (Catalog / OverDrive) by John Bellairs. Before I started reading, I spent some time thinking about my memories of these books. In my mind, they feel like they were important in my childhood in some way. I remember them spooky, fun and filled with adventure. I couldn’t put them down. As a rule, I
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Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. ‘Tis the season for… spooky reads! Today’s books are not (necessarily) outright scary but provide some suspense-filled fun, and only one of them is specifically a Halloween title. I recommend breaking out your best creepy “horror movie” voice. Need some inspiration for your spooky reading voice? Vincent Price reads Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven Christopher Lee reads Poe’s Tales
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Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Halloween at Home

There are a lot of decisions having to be made this year that are very personal decisions for a family. Having already made the big decision of full remote learning for our daughter this school year, it became an easier choice to make the smaller decision that neighborhood trick-or-treating is just not what we are doing this year. Instead, we're going to make a full day of at-home Halloween themed fun. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a ghoulishly great day! If you do decide in favor of Halloween at Home, I hope the following ideas can
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Categories: Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.

Dive into Diversity: Graphic Novels

Josh recommends some recent graphic novels featuring diverse characters and creators. Class Act by Jerry Craft OverDrive / Library Catalog This companion to Newbery Award winner New Kid finds Jordan’s friend Drew encountering discrimination and confronting privilege in his eighth grade year at the prestigious Riverdale Academy Day School. Funny, moving and thought-provoking all at the same time. Jerry Craft talks about his real-life experiences that shaped New Kid. Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer by Gillian Goerz OverDrive / Library Catalog Jamila Waheed and Shirley Bones learn about friendship and the desire for everyone to be able to share
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Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Storybook Dancing Fall Events

The Library is happy to (virtually) host the fantastic program, Storybook Dancing, presented by Steffi Nossen School of Dance throughout the Fall. A creative, movement-filled program for young ones to hear stories and then dance them to life! Thursdays, 10:00 a.m., September 10 and 24, October 8 and 22, November 5, and December 3. (link to calendar) Supported by the White Plains Library Foundation. NOTE: To increase security in youth-focused programs, we are now requiring attendees to have a Zoom account to login to the event. Creating an account is easy and free.
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Categories: Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Stream Jester Jim’s Library Performance

The talented and extremely funny Jester Jim performed live for the Library on Saturday, October 10, juggling knives!, fire!, toilet plungers?! while leaving attendees laughing and amazed. In order to extend the experience so that more White Plains community members could see the show, Jim graciously allowed us to share the recording of the show. Check it out right here, anytime you want! This program was supported by the White Plains Library Foundation.
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Categories: Events, Evergreen, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. National Dictionary Day is celebrated on October 16. Today’s two Peculiar Picks celebrate words and vocabulary. I may have mentioned a couple times, here or there, that my daughter has an impressive vocabulary. It may seem like bragging (I’ll be honest, I like to brag about it. Just a little.), but I know exactly why her vocabulary is so
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Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Jester Jim LIVE!: October 10

Juggling fire and spinning iPads is just the start. With a background in film making and over 3 million views on social media The Jester Jim Virtual Comedy Show is just what you need! This 40 minute live broadcast packed with tricks, balancing, and laughs, will leave you wanting more. Come join us for all the fun and interact with Jim and his amazing show, LIVE! To attend the show at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, click here to get the Zoom link! This program is supported by the White Plains Library Foundation.
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Categories: Library News.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom is a series of picture books written by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by G. Brian Karas. What I love about this series is that they provide educational lessons and also social emotional lessons for children. Each book follows the kids in Mr. Tiffin’s classroom as they take part in classroom learning, such as the math lessons
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Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. Now, I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with the books that came before these two titles, but in both cases my daughter absolutely loved the sequel, and was sort of meh about the first one in comparison. Sometimes, I think it is that perhaps the creators have a better sense of the characters and the best story
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Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. Today’s Peculiar Picks titles are from the Fox & Chick series written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier: The Party and Other Stories and The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories. Fox & Chick are kind of like a modern Frog and Toad, with quirky humor and plenty of heart. As a “comic book” styled easy reader, these are great
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Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, Library News, and Uncategorized.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. Behind Closed Doors Today’s Peculiar Picks share a common theme, traveling upwards through a building and discovering who, or what, is behind the doors on each floor.  Both books revel in the mystery of closed doors and the curiosity of all people, not just young people, about the inhabitants of those rooms. The Neighbors by Einat Tsarfati Also available
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Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Family Fun Friday – August 14: Imagine Land

Family Fun Fridays concludes this week on Friday, August 14, with a concert from Will Parker. Will Parker puts on a fun, interactive show for the whole family! Accompanying himself on guitar and harmonica, he plays original songs for kids “ages 1-100.” Throughout the Imagine Land show, the audience engages through singing-along, dancing, high-fiving, imaginative play and they even help Will create an improvised song through their suggestions! To attend the show at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 14, click here to get the Zoom link! Note:  All youth-focused programs now require a registered Zoom account.  It is free and
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Categories: Library News.

Family Fun Friday – August 7: Puppet Storytime

Family Fun Fridays continues this coming Friday, August 7, with Puppet Storytime. Puppeteer Nicola Rose returns (virtually) to the Library for a storytime together with her fuzzy orange puppet friend! To attend the show at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 7, click here to get the Zoom link! Be sure to join Nicola on Wednesday, August 5, at 11:00 a.m. for the Puppet Crafting program to make your own puppet at home! Family Fun Fridays is supported by the White Plains Library Foundation.
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Categories: Library News.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. Pearl by Molly Idle Click here to borrow Pearl by Molly Idle in eBook on Overdrive. Pearl by Molly Idle is many things. It is emotional and moving. a story of mothers and daughters. a quasi-creation myth. gorgeously illustrated. It is filled with mermaids, and krakens and a lush, fully-realized underwater world. about responsibility and finding one’s place and
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Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Family Fun Fridays

Starting on Friday, July 10, the Library will be offering a great program for children and families every Friday morning at 11:00 a.m.! These programs will take place in Zoom, links below. July 10: The Turtle Dance Music Virtual Concert: A Music, Bubble and Comedy Show Wonderful classic and original children’s songs and tales. The show engages children with songs, comedy, bubbles, and music technology. It is designed to be a fun, unique way to meet new friends that you might not have met before. Join us for this novel 40-minute performance which will be accompanied by visual and sensory
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Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Family Fun Friday – July 31: Stomp It Up Concert

Family Fun Fridays continues this coming Friday, July 31, with Darlene Graham’s Stomp It Up concert! This virtual program was created for young White Plains Library patrons ages 0-3, but all are welcome to have firsthand live musical exposure and all the benefits of music. Explore music with Darlene Graham and her upbeat, fun music show! Bring all your musical instruments from home and be ready to dance, jump and sing with Darlene! Darlene Graham is a children's musician that performs all over the East Coast with her band Darlene Graham and The Shades of Green Band. She has recorded
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Categories: Library News.

Magician Leon Etienne to Perform Virtually

Abracadabra! On Wednesday, July 22, at 6:30 p.m., magician and illusionist Leon Etienne will give a White Plains Public Library performance via Zoom. “Most of it will be live, but I hope to open with highlights of my best stunts,” he says. Illusory stunts have been prerequisites for every magician since Houdini, but the Utica, N.Y.-based Etienne has more recent role models. “While growing up in the 1990s, I would watch NBC‘s The World's Greatest Magic every Thanksgiving eve, which featured Lance Burton and Penn & Teller. Further inspiration came from my grandparents giving me Mark Wilson's Complete Course in
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Categories: Library News.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. It’s summer. It’s hot. The Sun is shining. But, what IS that big ball of gas and flame that makes the summer hot and bright? Having read both of the following books with my daughter, I can attest that they are hilarious, informative, and will hold both your child’s attention and yours, while you learn all about the Sun.
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Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.