Posts by Raquel Cavalcanti, Children's Librarian

Children’s Titles to Celebrate Black History Part 2

Veronica Chambers writes in her New York Times article, How Negro History Week Became Black History Month and Why It Matters Now, ”Why does Black History Month in particular, and the study of Black history overall, still matter so much? ‘There’s no question that history is and continues to be a battleground. The origin stories that we tell matter a great deal for where we set the bar and how we set the bar going forward,’ noted Professor Jones, of Johns Hopkins. ‘So when you talk about people like Carter G. Woodson, these are men who knew that if you
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Children’s Nonfiction Titles to Celebrate Black History Part 1

The banning of children’s books on Black history (And children’s books on the LGBTQIA+ experience) has greatly risen recently throughout the United States. Students and teachers are fighting back. One student and teacher victory (for now) led to the rescinding of a book ban instituted by the Central York Pennsylvania School District board. Alyssa Shotwell wrote in her article in the Mary Sue, “Last year, heated school debates resulted in the York, Pennsylvania schools banning (and, in some cases, holding ongoing ‘reviews’ of) a four-page list of materials. In the list sent to teachers across the Central York District, books
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Acceso a través de Sora para los libros digitales (eBooks) de la biblioteca

¿Sabía que los estudiantes de White Plains tienen acceso a los libros digitales (eBooks) de la Biblioteca de White Plains a través de su cuenta Sora de la escuela? Pueden hacerlo gracias a una nueva asociación entre el Sistema de Bibliotecas de Westchester y BOCES Westchester Sur. Todo lo que el estudiante necesita hacer es entrar la identificación o credenciales de su escuela en la aplicación Sora que ya tiene y ¡listo! Puede tomar prestado contenido apropiado a su edad de la colección digital (eBook) de la Biblioteca Pública de White Plains. Para poder buscar en la colección de títulos
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Categories: Español and Library News.

Dive into Diversity: #fREADom to Read

Recently, well-respected, award-winning children’s and teen titles have faced severe, targeted censorship attacks in such states as Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Virginia, Georgia and Illinois. Award winning titles such as the Newbery-winning title New Kid by Jerry Craft have faced heavy racist and anti-LGBTQIA+ attacks, and we in the Trove wanted to celebrate and support the #fREADom to read them, and all books that affirm the uniqueness and special characteristics of every child and teen. The excellent children’s books highlighted in this blog come from Texas State Representative Matt Krause’s list of over 800 titles (16 pages!) he is seeking “to
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Dive into Diversity: Happy Winter Birthdays!

There are so many talented and diverse children’s authors and illustrators to recommend! To highlight them, I have continued with my series of celebrating their birthdays on a seasonal basis. I started with summer, I covered Autumn birthdays, and here we are now at Winter birthdays! I hope you enjoy the great titles below. A great resource to find even more diverse notable titles for kids is the Colours of Us website, The Colours of Us: All About Multicultural Children's Books. Happy Winter birthdays! Author and Illustrator Jason Chin, Birthday: December 5th Redwoods (Preschool – 2nd Grade) OverDrive hoopla Library
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Winter Holiday Grab & Go Kits

The Trove will be celebrating the Winter holidays this year by creating Grab & Go kits for children ages preschool-2nd grade filled with activity sheets and a craft for Hanukkah, Shabe Yalda, Christmas, Navidad/Día de Reyes, and Kwanzaa. Kits will be available in the Library’s lobby on a first-come, first-serve basis while supplies last. Hanukkah is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem by the Maccabees from King Antiochus Ephiphanes and the subsequent rededication of the Second Temple in the 2nd century BCE. It is also known as the Festival of Lights, and is celebrated with family and such
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Diwali Virtual Exhibit

Diwali, or Dipawali, is India‘s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects us from spiritual darkness. This festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday is to Christians. Over the centuries, Diwali has become a national festival that's also enjoyed by non-Hindu communities. For instance, in Jainism, Diwali marks the nirvana, or spiritual awakening, of Lord Mahavira on October 15, 527 B.C.; in Sikhism, it honors the day that Guru Hargobind
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Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Virtual Exhibit

The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is based on ancient Aztec traditions. Originally celebrated at the beginning of August, this tradition was later adopted by the Catholic Church and became el Día de los Muertos. The Day of the Dead is primarily celebrated in Mexico, Central America, and in the South West of the United States. Ever more frequently, it is celebrated in cities of the United States that have large Mexican and Central American populations. The Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. These days are also known as Día de
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Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Dive into Diversity: National Diabetes Awareness Month

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are surging among youth in the United States. From 2001 to 2017, the number of people under age 20 living with type 1 diabetes increased by 45%, and the number living with type 2 diabetes grew by 95%.” According to the article, “New Research Uncovers Concerning Increases in Youth Living with Diabetes in the U.S.,” “The greatest increases in type 2 diabetes prevalence were seen in youth who are Black or Hispanic, and the
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Diwali: A Celebration of Light

Diwali, or Dipawali, is India‘s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects us from spiritual darkness. This festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday is to Christians. Over the centuries, Diwali has become a national festival that's also enjoyed by non-Hindu communities. For instance, in Jainism, Diwali marks the nirvana, or spiritual awakening, of Lord Mahavira on October 15, 527 B.C.; in Sikhism, it honors the day that Guru Hargobind
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Dive into Diversity: Italian-American Heritage Month!

October is Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month. The month-long celebration recognizes the many contributions and achievements of Italian-Americans in the U.S. According to National Today, “Over 26 million Americans of Italian descent currently reside in the U.S. — making up America's seventh largest ethnic group.” New York Public Library’s, 5 Picture Books to Celebrate Italian-American Heritage Month lists some great books to share with young children, and below you will find several noteworthy and fun titles for kindergartners to sixth-graders to celebrate Italian heritage and culture – buon divertimento! Paolo, Emperor of Rome by Mac Barnett & Claire Keane (Grades
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Dive into Diversity: Happy Autumn Birthdays!

There are so many talented and diverse children’s authors and illustrators to recommend! To highlight them, I have continued with my series of celebrating their birthdays on a seasonal basis. I started with summer, and I can’t believe it, but now it’s time to celebrate Autumn birthdays! I hope you enjoy the great titles below. A great resource to find even more diverse notable titles for kids is We Need Diverse Books’ website, Where Can You Find Diverse Books? Right Here! Happy Autumn birthdays! Writer Aisha Saeed, Birthday: September 2nd Bilal Cooks Daal, illustrated by Anoosha Syed (Grades K-2) OverDrive
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Dive Into Diversity: Happy Summer Birthdays!

There are so many talented and diverse children’s authors and illustrators being published! To celebrate them, I have decided to celebrate their birthdays on a seasonal basis starting with summer, and hopefully continuing throughout the year 2021-22. I was greatly inspired by Eric VanRaepenbusch’s website, Happy Birthday Author, and highly recommend it! VanRaepenbusch’s website focuses on creating “memorable reading experiences by celebrating author and Illustrator birthdays.” He has engagingly documented the authors and illustrators he as a homeschooling parent has studied with his children, and the STEAM activities they have done together to create an incredible resource for other parents
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Dive Into Diversity: Summer Reads

Summer is here! To celebrate the season, I have gathered together some great, diverse books about summertime. Parents might also like checking out Rebekah Gienapp’s blog, Summer Reading: 15 Diverse Picture Books Kids Will Love. Listed below are books for both younger and older children available as eBooks and audiobooks on OverDrive, Hoopla, and also in the Westchester Libraries. Enjoy! For Younger Readers: Bowwow Powwow by Brenda J. Child, Gordon Jourdain & Jonathan Thunder (Grades K-2) Library Catalog “Ojibwe protagonist Windy Girl and her new dog, Itchy Boy, enjoy many good times, but none are so good as when they
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

The Trove’s Summer StoryWalk

Who Am I? by Armando & Frederick Monday, July 12th – Friday, August 20th Take a stroll in the Garden Plaza and along your way enjoy the book, Who Am I? written by Armando and Frederick. Who Am I? is a cute and healthy story about fruits and vegetables that is perfect for the summer! There will be kits available in the Library’s lobby that will include a follow-up STEAM activities sheet and a craft (some seeds too!)* for you and your family to do and enjoy at home or outdoors. *craft and seeds available while supplies last. Below you
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Celebrate Pride 2021 with Children’s & YA Books!

LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and all of the other sexualities, sexes, and genders that aren't included in these few letters) Pride Month is celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, which took place in New York City. The Stonewall riots marked the beginning of a movement to abolish discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQIA+ persons in the United States, which continues to our present day. Pride celebrates the achievements of LGBTQIA+ Americans, and it highlights the work that continues in order to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for those in the LGBTQIA+
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.

The Fight for Voting Rights

The fight for the right to vote has been an ongoing struggle in the United States since this country's founding, and continues to this day. Right now, we are living in the midst of an important historical moment in our country’s fight for democracy, and I hope this blog can offer parents and students resources for understanding the past and our present history. I found The Georgia Public Broadcasting’s “Things Explained: The History of U.S. Voting Rights” video to be a helpful, condensed kid-friendly video that explains this country’s voting rights struggles (especially the struggles of our country’s Black citizens).
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexican-American Heritage!

Cinco de Mayo marks the unlikely defeat of a large, well-trained French invading force by an undermanned Mexican army in the Battle of Puébla on May 5,1862. The victory against the French forces prevented Emperor Napoleon III from helping the Confederacy win the American Civil War. Dave Roos, on the History Channel’s webpage, “How Cinco de Mayo Helped Prevent a Confederate Victory in the Civil War,” writes,“Napoleon figured if he could get his hands on Mexico, it could become the first colony in a new French stronghold in North America. Abraham Lincoln was busy fighting the Civil War, so the
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Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.

Celebrate Moms & Grandmas Around the World!

This year, Mother’s Day is celebrated on Sunday, May 9th. Moms and grandmas are special the world-over! Scholastic has put together a nice article on Mother’s Day traditions around the world which I thought would be worthwhile sharing here: “Mother's Day Traditions Around the World”. I also recommend taking a look at Charnaie’s diverse and inclusive booklist on her Here Wee Read blog, “I'll Always Love My Mama – 25 Picture Books to Celebrate Mom on Mother's Day or Any Day”. Celebrating the moms and grandmas in your life this year may be challenging, but hopefully this booklist of picture
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Dive into Diversity: Environmental Activism in Children’s Picture Books

The protection of our planet and its resources is a global concern, and activists worldwide have been and continue to work on saving the planet from environmental destruction – including our younger generations. An interesting site for kids and educators about kid environmental activists and activism that is worth exploring is Young Voices For the Planet, founded by author and illustrator Lynne Cherry who is well-known for her rain forest classic, The Great Kapok Tree. Gathered here are noteworthy picture books (both stories and nonfiction) that are about environmental activists who have helped and are helping to save our world.
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.