Posts by Joshua, Manager of Youth Services

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, Featured, 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, Featured, 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, Featured, 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, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Performance: Illusionist Leon Etienne

The Library is excited to announce a performance by Illusionist Leon Etienne on July 22 at 6:30 p.m.! You’ve seen Leon Etienne on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, he fooled Penn & Teller on the CW’s Penn & Teller: Fool Us! and blew Jimmy Fallon’s mind on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and in the past few weeks on CW’s Masters of Illusion! Leon has performed at Radio City Music Hall, headlined in Las Vegas, and blown minds at dozens of legendary venues around the globe. Find out more about Illusionist Leon Etienne at www.magicrocks.com. Join us as Leon presents a
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Categories: Library News.

Family Fun Friday – July 17: Fiesta with Flor

Family Fun Fridays continues this coming Friday, July 17, with a fantastic concert from Flor Bromley! Fiesta With Flor is an invitation to dance around the world. Come experience our Latin music fusion party as we travel (virtually this time) to the places where the rhythms were born. Children will learn about different types of music through interactive participation and an engaging performance. This is not your typical children’s concert, it’s a whole family fiesta! To attend the show at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 17, click here to get the Zoom link! Family Fun Fridays is supported by the
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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. Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick and David Serlin Also available as an eBook on Overdrive. Brian Selznick is very well-known for The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which was a National Book Award Finalist and winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal. Baby Monkey, Private Eye, however, is both an Amazon and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year,
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Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Family Fun Friday – July 10: Turtle Dance Music

The Library kicks off our Family Fun Fridays program series on July 10th at 11:00 a.m. with a virtual concert from Turtle Dance Music! Check out this awesome 10-minute mini-concert to prepare for next week's livestream performance: Everyone bring your golden ticket a.k.a. your library card! The Virtual Concert: Imagine Your Story is Turtle Dance Music’s signature music, bubble and comedy show featuring bubbles, flying books, dancing unicorns, and songs about autism awareness and acceptance! To attend the show at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 10th, click here to get the Zoom link!
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Summer Programs and Events for Kids, Teens, and Families

While we might not be able to hold them in the Library, that doesn’t mean we’re not offering a lot of great programs in July and August! For full details on each program, and to get Zoom links, visit our Online Calendar. Of course, we also have our annual Summer Reading Game to take part in, and tons of fantastic reading recommendations in our Reading Lists! Family Fun Fridays – Fridays, July 10-August 14, 11:00 a.m. A great performance for children and families every Friday. More information here. Illusionist Leon Etienne – Wednesday, July 22, 6:30 p.m. World-class magician Leon
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Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.

ConEd STEAM Camps: Gr. 4-6

STEAM Camps for Grades 4-6 in August Thanks to the generous support of the White Plains Library Foundation and Con Edison, the Library is offering two free week-long virtual STEAM Camps in August. These camps will be taught by instructors from STEM Alliance Larchmont-Mamaroneck. Space is limited, and registration for the full week is required. Registration is on the first date of each camp in the Online Calendar starting July 6. To register, click the title of the camp(s) you're interested in. “STEM Superheroes” Camp – August 3-6, 1:00-2:30 p.m. Youth in grades 4-6 will learn about the historic inventors
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Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Let’s Dance! – Reading and Dance Party

Join us on Thursday, June 11 at 2:00 p.m. for a fun music and dancing author program! For ages 2-7 and their families. Author Valerie Bolling virtually visits and reads from her musical, dance-filled, fun book for younger kids, Let’s Dance! Let’s Dance! is a rhythmic showcase of dances from around the world featuring children of diverse backgrounds and abilities tapping, spinning and boogying away! The reading will be followed by Q&A time, then a fun dance party! Valerie Bolling has been an educator for over 25 years and a writer since age 4. She is a graduate of Tufts
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Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Storybook Dance Videos from Steffi Nossen

We’re very excited to announce that Steffi Nossen School of Dance, which has been offering the wonderful Storybook Dancing programs in the Trove for quite some time, is sharing a video program with the Library for our patrons each month! The first video features the story Mr. Tiger Goes Wild with Ms. Kristina.    
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

May-June Family Wellness

In addition to our ongoing wellness programs for adults, the Library is happy to start offering some wellness programs for children, teens and families together. To attend a program, access Zoom with the link for the specific date you wish to attend below. Parent-Child Mindfulness and Meditation – Tuesday, May 26, 3:30 p.m. Learn to reduce stress, lessen anxiety and insomnia, stay calmer, focus better, and feel more resilient. Direct, practical and easy techniques and strategies that you can use anywhere presented by Daniel Lauter, a Wellness Educator, Mindfulness Instructor, and Integrative Sound Specialist. This program, supported by the White
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Categories: Kids, Library News, and Teens.

Author Event: Astronomer Dr. Julia Kregenow

Dr. Julia Kregenow is an astronomer and Associate Teaching Professor at Penn State University. She will be presenting two programs in May for families related to children’s books she has written and her study of astronomy. You can borrow some of Dr. Kregenow’s books in eBook format from the Library through OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla. Thursday, May 21, 2:00 p.m. Register in advance here. Dr. Kregenow will read from her book Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, I Know Exactly What You Are and lead a family sing-a-long for mixed age groups, singing several different verses from her book and giving additional scientific
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Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Explore NYC from Home

One of the things I’ve been looking forward to, now that my daughter is older and doesn’t have a daytime nap, is exploring New York City with her. We were planning on starting this spring doing just that – taking the Metro North and having Big Apple Adventures. However, those plans are a bit on hold. Luckily, we live in a time where technology makes many things possible, and while it does not replace actually being somewhere, virtual tours and experiences are aplenty. NYC is filled with museums, art galleries and wonderful sites. Just because you’re safe at home, doesn’t
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Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.