Posts by Lauren, Children's Librarian

Masha Munching Storytime with Amalia Hoffman

Masha Munching Storytime with Amalia Hoffman

Join us virtually on Thursday, April 7th at 11:00 a.m. to welcome author and award-winning illustrator Amalia Hoffman. Amalia Hoffman will be accompanied by her puppet Masha, and together they will read her new book, Masha Munching. She will also share some fun facts about goats and demonstrate how she created the 3D paper cutouts for the illustrations in her book. Please feel free to print Amalia’s coloring pages and gather any art supplies you’d like to use during the program as well. Please note that this program will take place on the Zoom platform. There is no signup required
Read More

March 30, 2022 7:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: author visit, children's events in White Plains, children's programs, picture books, puppets, and storytime.

Outdoors with Kids

Outdoors with Kids

As spring approaches, we are all getting ready to reemerge into the great outdoors and hopefully get our children excited to be away from those screens we tend to rely on in colder weather. Below, find some great reads to help you in that endeavor. First and foremost, for those of us that are hesitant to let our children explore outside, check out Dirt Is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child’s Developing Immune System, by Jack Gilbert and Rob Knight (Library Catalog). These scientists explain in a surprisingly straightforward and accessible way the advantages of exposing children to
Read More

March 15, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: parenting, parenting collection, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Parenting Collection: Friendship

Parenting Collection: Friendship

Given that February is commonly referred to as the month of love, it seems like a good time as parents to talk to our children about friendship, sharing, and empathy. In that vein, here are some great books from our Parenting collection that focus on these topics. A Little SPOT of Giving: A Story About Sharing and Generosity by Diane Alber Find me on the Library Catalog! Other books in this series can be found here. This book is part of a series called Inspire To Create A Better You! They are all great books to use with your children.
Read More

February 15, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: friendship, parenting, parenting collection, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Introducing Our New and Improved Parenting Collection

Introducing Our New and Improved Parenting Collection

As parents, one of our most difficult responsibilities is talking to our children about certain challenging topics. Books are a fantastic way to stimulate these types of discussions and help teach our children valuable life lessons. We've recently reorganized and refreshed our parenting collection. Now, these books are even easier to find! Our parenting collection is now located near our non-fiction collection, behind our reference desk. It is divided into two sections: one with books meant for you to read as parents, and one with books for children and parents to read together. Books for parents are shelved as they
Read More

November 9, 2021 3:39 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for parents, caregivers, library collection, parenting, parenting collection, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Free Online Tutoring & Homework Help

Free Online Tutoring & Homework Help

Parents, need a hand helping your child(ren) with homework? We have an amazing resource for you to use! All you need is Internet access and your library card and you have access to live, on-demand, tutors through tutor.com! You can get live help daily from 9 am to 10 pm in English or Spanish. Simply have a homework question? Ask a tutor. Need practice with your reading skills? Ask a tutor. Simply follow these directions to get started: 1. Find the Online Tutors option under the Youth section of our homepage. 2. Enter the resource using the link provided. Then
Read More

October 27, 2021 2:20 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: homework help, library resources, online tutor, online tutoring, practice tests, tutor.com, and tutors.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

The Library is excited to join the free nationwide program, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. This program is designed to help caregivers connect and prepare their children for kindergarten by reading together.  Research has demonstrated that reading to children at a young age has a direct positive impact on their cognitive development and later academic success. For a quick, easy-to-read summary of the benefits of reading to babies, see here. Who is it for? Any child may participate from birth until he/she enters kindergarten. You may start the program at any time. The goal of 1,000 books seems daunting, but in
Read More

October 21, 2021 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: 1000 books before kindergarten and early literacy.

Summer Reading 2021

Summer Reading 2021

Summer Reading at the White Plains Public Library starts Monday, June 28 and will run through Friday, August 20! Due to the impact of COVID-19 on services, Summer Reading will be completely online this year via the READsquared platform, the READsquared website, or the READsquared app, available for iOS and Android. Find information on the great lineup of programs and events for kids, teens and families in July and August here. Get Started! Register and login to READsquared. Individual youth participants can register as themselves, or parents and caregivers can register all of their children at one time. This allows
Read More

August 18, 2021 10:31 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: children, families, Read Squared, summer reading, summer reading game, teens, The Edge, and The Trove.

Parenting: Moving

Parenting: Moving

Big changes like moving are hard for everyone, but especially hard for children. Here are some things I learned from my move last year, tips from the pros, and some nice books you can share with your children to prepare them. My five-year-old son was afraid that he would forget his old house. Mind you, this was after we convinced him that all his toys would, in fact, be coming to the new house with us. So, we decided to have him make a video tour of the old house. He went from room to room, explained what he did
Read More

August 11, 2021 9:08 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: parenting and parenting tips.

Reads Revisited: Little Women

Reads Revisited: Little Women

For my ninth birthday, my beloved grandparents gave me a beautiful hardcover illustrated copy of Louisa May Alcott’s, Little Women (Library Catalog / OverDrive). I was ecstatic as I was an avid reader and my grandmother told me specifically about how much she loved the book as a young girl. I will never forget that I ran through those 643 pages in only three days. My memories of it are nothing but fond. As I sat down to reread it for this column, I had a very different experience. First, I happened to be at work, so I grabbed a
Read More

March 16, 2021 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's literature, Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, and Reads Revisited.

Parenting: Great Books for Emerging Readers

Parenting: Great Books for Emerging Readers

Read Across America day, March 2nd, has already passed. But with all the media attention it and Dr. Seuss received this year, I wanted to address it. First, some history: Read Across America is the National Education Association’s (NEA) celebration of reading. Since its inception in 1998, it has focused on motivating children and teens to read, emphasizing that reading is about everyone and for everyone. So what is the big deal this year? Read Across America has long been associated with Dr. Seuss. The NEA had a partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to help draw attention to reading. While
Read More

March 9, 2021 9:46 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dr. Seuss, easy readers, emerging readers, and Read Across America.

Homeschooling Reading List

Homeschooling Reading List

Many parents are choosing to homeschool their children this year given the current pandemic. To be clear, choosing to follow a full virtual model provided by your school district is NOT to be confused with homeschooling. Homeschooling is where you are completely responsible for both the curriculum and reporting your child’s progress to the state. Homeschooling is an involved process that must follow certain guidelines.  New homeschooling parents need resources to help them. We at the Library have many items available to make your journey easier.  In addition to physical titles in our Parenting section, we have many eBook and
Read More

August 27, 2020 10:44 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, COVID-19, Featured, Homepage Family CV, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: at home learning, eBooks, Homeschool, homeschooling, parenting, parenting in a pandemic, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Parenting in a Pandemic: The New School Year

Parenting in a Pandemic: The New School Year

Let’s face it, school is what is on every parent’s mind right now. With the official New York State announcement that schools may open according to district reopening plans and our schools recently publicizing their plans for the upcoming school year, it’s pretty much all parents can talk about.  The most up-to-date information on the reopening plans for White Plains Public Schools can be found here, including the recent announcement that a 100% remote learning option will be available for anyone who wants it. I have heard from so many people that if they don’t like the plans, they will
Read More

August 14, 2020 10:46 am | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Family CV, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: back to school, home school, Homeschool, Hybrid learning, parenting, parenting in a pandemic, pointers 4 parents, Remote learning, and school.

Trove StoryWalk: The World is Waiting For You

Trove StoryWalk: The World is Waiting For You

Get ready to explore the world as you take a walk along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the Library Plaza. Read The World is Waiting for You written by Barbara Kerley and follow a series of National Geographic photographs that highlight present day and future explorers as they seek out their world from above and below. We also have kits that contain a list of suggested STEAM activities along with a craft. Families can pick up these kits from the vestibule on the first floor of the library while supplies last. Are you ready to explore huge crystals
Read More

August 12, 2020 9:58 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: activities, library plaza, storywalk, and The Trove.

Parenting in a Pandemic: Mom Rage

Parenting in a Pandemic: Mom Rage

Today’s column is one of the most real ones I will write. Why? Because I am writing out of extreme frustration. When my colleague sent me this New York Times article, before I even read it, I felt heard. Moms, read it! Share our mutual frustrations. So why the mom rage? Well, let’s see. So far, while I tried to work this morning, my son has made a mess eating in the family room that he knows is off limits for food. Fast forward another thirty minutes. In the middle of an online session with his special education teacher, he
Read More

July 22, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: mom rage, parenting, parenting in a pandemic, and parents.

Parenting in a Pandemic: Siblings

Parenting in a Pandemic: Siblings

During this coronavirus pandemic, both parents of one child and those of multiple children are struggling. As a parent of only one child, it is a struggle as he constantly demands attention and/or a playmate. Obviously playmates are in short supply and I do have to work so that makes it tough for both of us. But what I’d like to talk about today is the struggles for parents of two or more children. While it is true that our only children may be jealous of those that have siblings to play with during this time of staying at home,
Read More

July 1, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: parenting, parenting tips, and Siblings.

Parenting: Kids and Masks

Parenting: Kids and Masks

As New York begins to move through the phases of reopening, one of the most challenging things for many parents is getting your child to wear a mask. Please remember, though, children under two should not wear masks as it can be detrimental to their health. But getting children older than two—especially those with special needs—to wear a mask can be daunting, to say the least. So what I’ve done is put together some quick tips that can help you get your children to not only wear a mask, but to keep it on. Use simple words to explain to
Read More

June 10, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, masks, parenting, parenting tips, and pointers 4 parents.

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home Part 3

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home Part 3

Last week I promised a couple more projects good for all children, but particularly for those who need sensory stimulation. These are all going to require quite a bit of parental setup, but are so much fun! Let’s start with balloon sensory toys. You may have some bad thoughts about me while setting this up, but your children are going to love them! Gather balloons (be sure to get the helium grade ones or they will break too easily), a funnel, and various dried goods from your pantry. Good items to use are salt, dried lentils, and flour. Be careful
Read More

May 20, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: parenting, parenting tips, sensory-friendly, special needs, and special needs parenting.

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home Part 2

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home Part 2

As promised, this week I am giving some more tips for children who need sensory stimulation. Most of these activities require a little bit of prep, but are still fairly easy. Let’s start with items to keep in the house for when children just need a little calming. Good things to keep around include a smooth stone to hold, and a combination lock and/or old keys to manipulate. These items can be held and played with to give children that sensory experience. Other good calming techniques are brushing and pressure. One trick that always works with my son is taking
Read More

May 13, 2020 2:43 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: parenting tips, sensory-friendly, special needs, and special needs parenting.

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home

Parents, teachers, special education service providers, and everyone who works with children are doing everything they can during these unprecedented times to help our children thrive. One thing many younger children are missing out on in this at home environment is sensory input. This is important for not only our children who have sensory issues (most common in children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD), but also for typically developing children. As a parent whose son seeks sensory input constantly, I have been working with his service providers to give him as much as possible. I started out this quarantine
Read More

May 7, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: parenting tips, sensory-friendly, special needs, and special needs parenting.

Parenting in a Pandemic

Parenting in a Pandemic

Are you the parent of a child with special needs? Chances are you feel like you have been abandoned by everyone in this quarantine climate. Quite honestly, in some cases, that is true. Everyone, teachers, students, special education providers, work at home parents—we are all struggling to adjust. Children with special needs often have way more trouble adjusting and this is our struggle. We are going to see behaviors we thought our children had outgrown–they are going to be frustrated, we are going to be frustrated. There is some good news. If your child is under three, under the jurisdiction
Read More

April 2, 2020 2:01 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: covid-19, parenting tips, and special needs parenting.