Posts by Kathlyn, Teen Librarian

Grab & Go Kits for Grades 7-12: Friendship Bracelets

Grab & Go Kits for Grades 7-12: Friendship Bracelets

Teens in grades 7-12 can pick up a kit with project supplies at the Library, then follow along with the instructional video below to make the project. Or, you can find the materials around your home and follow the video to make the project. Kits are first come, first served, and will become available on Monday, March 21st in the Library lobby. This month's project is friendship bracelets. The kit includes four colors of embroidery floss and a couple of safety pins. You'll need to provide scissors, and you might also want to use some tape or a clipboard. We'll
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March 21, 2022 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: arts and crafts, arts and crafts for teens, Grab & Go, and Grab & Go kits.

New in the Edge: March 2022

New in the Edge: March 2022

One of the best parts of my job is ordering new books for the Edge–reading the reviews, seeing what popular authors come up with next, or finding out about an upcoming sequel to an old favorite. Read on to find out about some of the new YA fiction titles coming to our shelves this month. Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon Grades 9 and up Library Catalog / Libby “Dhillon’s debut centers on high-schooler and Sikh Sunny G, who is determined to make the most of his life after his brother, who battled alcoholism, passes away.
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March 17, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: new books, new in the Edge, staff picks, staff recommendations, YA Fiction, and YA literature.

Battle of the Books Club: April, May and June

Battle of the Books Club: April, May and June

Join librarians Kat and Lauren for a new book club this spring. We'll meet each month for a book discussion and a game, in the beloved Battle of the Books (BOB) trivia format. Read some awesome books and then team up with your friends to show off your book knowledge in a fast-paced tournament. The May and June editions of the program will feature the official books for this summer’s 2022 Battle of the Books tournament. We're currently recruiting team members for our Battle of the Books team this summer, open to teens entering grades 6-12 in fall 2022. If
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March 11, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: battle of the books, Battle of the Books Club, book clubs for teens, book clubs in Westchester, book clubs in White Plains, and teen book clubs.

Grab & Go Kits for Grades 7-12: Creative Doodling

Grab & Go Kits for Grades 7-12: Creative Doodling

Teens in grades 7-12 can pick up a kit with project supplies at the Library, then follow along with the instructional video below to make the project. Or, you can find the materials around your home and follow the video to make the project. Kits are first come, first served, and will become available on Monday, February 21st in the Library lobby. This month we're practicing some creative doodling. The kit includes paper, a fineliner pen, and a set of markers. You may also want to use some different pens and coloring utensils from around the house. We'll follow a
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February 21, 2022 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: arts and crafts, arts and crafts for teens, creativebug, Grab & Go, and Grab & Go kits.

New Young Adult Fiction

New Young Adult Fiction

Despite the supply chain chaos that seems to have followed us into 2022, we’re still frequently ordering and receiving new books for our collection. I love ordering new books for the Edge–reading the reviews, seeing what popular authors come up with next, or finding out about an upcoming sequel to an old favorite. Read on to find out about some of the new YA fiction titles coming to our shelves this month. At the End of Everything by Marieke Nijkamp Grades 9 and up Library Catalog “The young adults who inhabit private company–run Hope Juvenile Treatment Center in rural Arkansas
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February 17, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: new books, new in the Edge, staff picks, staff recommendations, YA books, and YA Fiction.

Announcing the Winter 2021 Project LIT Titles

Announcing the Winter 2021 Project LIT Titles

Since becoming a Project LIT chapter, we’ve enjoyed reading and discussing Project LIT books with kids and teens. Last month, we were thrilled to see the announcements of new titles in the Winter 2021 Project LIT book list. We’re excited to share the list with you, and to highlight a couple titles that are of particular interest to our librarians. You can find the full Project LIT book lists for Middle Grade and Young Adult on the Reading Lists page of our website. Middle Grade: Ashley’s Picks Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim Libby Library Catalog This book has
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January 20, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: children's books, Dive into Diversity, diverse reads, new books, Project Lit, Project Lit Community, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA books.

Grab & Go Kits for Grades 7-12: Handmade Envelopes

Grab & Go Kits for Grades 7-12: Handmade Envelopes

Teens in grades 7-12 can pick up a kit with project supplies at the Library, then follow along with the instructional video below to make the project. Or, you can find the materials around your home and follow the video to make the project. Kits are first come, first served, and will become available on Tuesday, January 18th in the Library lobby. This month's project is handmade envelopes. I wanted to make this kit available in plenty of time before Valentine's Day, for those who really want to put their heart and soul into their Valentine's cards. The kit includes
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January 18, 2022 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News and Teens.
Tags: arts and crafts, arts and crafts for teens, Grab and Go, Grab and Go Kits, and Valentine's Day.

Battle of the Books Club

Battle of the Books Club

Join librarians Kat and Lauren for a new book club this spring. We'll meet each month for a book discussion and a game, in the beloved Battle of the Books (BOB) trivia format. Read some awesome books and then team up with your friends to show off your book knowledge in a fast-paced tournament. We kicked off the series with a fun discussion of It Ain't So Awful, Falafel with author Firoozeh Dumas in January… read on to find out what's next. In February, we're reading Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee. We'll meet on Monday, February 7th, at
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January 11, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: battle of the books, Battle of the Books Club, book clubs in Westchester, book clubs in White Plains, teen book club, and YA books.

Grab & Go Kits for Grades 7-12: Snowflake Window Cling

Grab & Go Kits for Grades 7-12: Snowflake Window Cling

Teens in grades 7-12 can pick up a kit with project supplies at the Library, then follow along with the instructional video below to make the project. Or, you can find the materials around your home and follow the video to make the project. Kits are first come, first served, and will become available on Monday, December 20th in the Library lobby. For this month’s project, we’re making snowflake window clings. The kit includes puffy glitter paint, Ziploc bags, and some printed snowflake templates. You'll need to provide tape and a flat surface (like a piece of cardboard.) This craft
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December 20, 2021 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: arts and crafts, crafts for teens, Grab & Go kits, and winter crafts.

Battle of the Books… Club!

Battle of the Books… Club!

Join librarians Kat and Lauren for a new book club in the new year. We'll meet each month for a book discussion and a game, in the beloved Battle of the Books (BOB) trivia format. Read some awesome books and then team up with your friends to show off your book knowledge in a fast-paced tournament. We have so much fun with our annual Battle of the Books tournament, and we're excited to be able to offer BOB events year-round. In January, we're reading It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas. We'll meet on Monday, January 3rd, at 5:00
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December 15, 2021 3:20 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: battle of the books, book club, book clubs for teens, and book discussion.

Dive into Diversity: Most Popular YA of 2021

Dive into Diversity: Most Popular YA of 2021

In 2021, my Dive into Diversity posts about young adult books will focus on a different genre each month. I’ll highlight books with characters that represent a range of experiences and identities. I’ll also feature authors who share an aspect of their characters’ identity as much as possible. For the last post of 2021, I looked at the circulation data for the YA fiction collection to see which books checked out the most. I came up with this list of the top ten most popular YA fiction books published in 2021, written by authors with diverse perspectives. When You Look
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December 9, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: best of 2021, Dive into Diversity, staff recommendations, YA Fiction, and YA literature.

Meet Author Scott Reintgen

Meet Author Scott Reintgen

Join us for virtual author visits with Scott Reintgen, author of The Nyxia Triad and the Talespinners series. Book Bunch Wednesday, December 1, 4:30-6 p.m. This event is for children and tweens in grades 4-8. Join librarians Ashley and Kat to discuss Saving Fable, the first book in Scott Reintgen’s Talespinners series. We’ll meet to chat about the book and make a list of questions for Scott, who will join us at 5 p.m. and stay for the rest of the program. The first 10 people to register here will receive a free copy of the book. Please list an
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November 29, 2021 1:13 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: author visits, book clubs for kids, book clubs for teens, book clubs in Westchester, book clubs in White Plains, book discussion, and Project Lit.

Tiny Art Show: Call for Submissions

Tiny Art Show: Call for Submissions

Did you pick up one of our Tiny Art Show kits earlier this month? Have you taken some time to paint a tiny canvas or try your hand at weaving on the mini loom? We're hoping to see what you've made! Bring your work to the Hub desk during library hours and we'll install it in our tiny art gallery for all to enjoy during the month of December. You can label your piece and we will return it to you in January. Please email Kat at kcarroll@whiteplainslibrary.org with any questions.
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November 29, 2021 1:12 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News and Teens.
Tags: arts and crafts, crafts for adults, crafts for teens, and Grab & Go kits.

Dive into Diversity: YA Humor

Dive into Diversity: YA Humor

In 2021, my Dive into Diversity posts about young adult books will focus on a different genre each month. I’ll highlight books with characters that represent a range of experiences and identities. I’ll also feature authors who share an aspect of their characters’ identity as much as possible. This month I've collected humorous YA books, from romantic comedy to dark humor. YA is not typically known for its comedies, so this was a bit of a challenge. While not all of the books below will be entirely positive or uplifting, all contain an aspect of humor. This month I read
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November 15, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, staff picks, staff recommendations, teen books, teen literature, and YA humor.

Grab & Go Kits: Tiny Art Show

Grab & Go Kits: Tiny Art Show

We're offering a craft kit for teens and adults, featuring tiny works of art. We're hoping you'll use your inspiration to make a mini piece of art or two, and then return them to us for a special tiny art show. Kits are first come, first served, and will become available on Monday, November 1st. Just stop by the table in the Library lobby and pick up a Tiny Art Show kit. The kits include supplies to paint a tiny picture and weave a tiny square of fabric: paint, a brush, a canvas, a little loom, popsicle sticks, a tapestry
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October 27, 2021 1:23 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Library News and Teens.
Tags: arts and crafts, crafts for adults, crafts for teens, and Grab & Go kits.

Dive into Diversity: YA Fantasy

Dive into Diversity: YA Fantasy

In 2021, my Dive into Diversity posts about young adult books will focus on a different genre each month. I’ll highlight books with characters that represent a range of experiences and identities. I’ll also feature authors who share an aspect of their characters’ identity as much as possible. This month we have the last genre theme for the year: my favorite, YA fantasy. This month I read Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko, which had been on my list for quite a while–so long, in fact, that its sequel was recently published. I had high hopes, and Raybearer exceeded them. The story
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October 22, 2021 9:56 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, Fantasy, staff picks, staff recommendations, YA Fiction, and YA literature.

Grab & Go Craft Kits: Learn to Knit

Grab & Go Craft Kits: Learn to Knit

Teens in grades 7-12 can pick up a kit with project supplies at the Library, then follow along with the video below to make the project. Or, you can find the materials around your home and follow the video to make the project. Kits are first come, first served, and will become available on Monday, October 18th in the Library lobby. This month's kit contains everything you need to learn to knit. The kit contains knitting needles and yarn. The goal with this kit is to complete the garter stitch square swatch. I’ve already done the cast-on and the first
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October 18, 2021 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: crafting, crafts, Grab & Go kits, Grab&Go Kits, knitting, and teen volunteers.

Teen Volunteering: Fall 2021

Teen Volunteering: Fall 2021

We’ve had such a wonderful response to our current initiative for teen volunteers, writing original book reviews for books in our YA collection. However, we know teens are really looking for more volunteering opportunities, so I have a few upcoming projects for teens to earn some community service credit. These are pilot programs with a low beginning capacity as we test them out, but we hope to be able to offer more hours over time. Knitting for a Cause We’re working toward a goal of knitting handmade accessories to donate to Knit the Rainbow, an organization that donates warm clothing
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October 4, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: community service, knitting, teen volunteers, volunteer opportunities, and volunteering.

Teen Book Review: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Teen Book Review: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before Author: Jenny Han Publisher: Simon and Schuster Library Catalog / Hoopla / OverDrive & Libby You've probably heard of the movie To All the Boys I've Loved Before, but little do most know it is based on the book by Jenny Han. In this page-turning book, the protagonist Lara Jean suffers the consequences when her younger sister sends off her most private possessions. Lara Jean wrote letters to every boy she'd ever loved describing intimate details and things she never wanted them to actually know. So, when one of the boys reaches
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September 27, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book review, books, for teens by teens, Jenny Han, reading, teen book review, and teen volunteers.

Dive into Diversity: Witches!

Dive into Diversity: Witches!

In 2021, my Dive into Diversity posts about young adult books will focus on a different genre each month. I’ll highlight books with characters that represent a range of experiences and identities. I’ll also feature authors who share an aspect of their characters’ identity as much as possible. In honor of Halloween, this month's post is a roundup of YA fiction starring… witches! This month I read a popular graphic novel, The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner. It's about 13-year-old Moth Hush, who lives in Founder's Bluff, Massachusetts, and loves all things witchy. While working on a school play about
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September 23, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, halloween, Halloween Books, October, Spooktober, staff picks, staff recommendations, witches, YA Fiction, and YA literature.