Archives for Authors & Books

Celebrate Pride in June

Celebrate Pride in June

Now more than ever it is important to celebrate Pride and show support for LGBTQ+ families! The attack on LGBTQ+ rights this year and the psychological toll it has had on LGBTQ+ kids, teens and their families has been enormous. This wave of hate is being perpetrated by only a small (though powerful) minority of Americans. This hateful legislative push runs completely counter to the beliefs and values of most Americans. Matt Lavietes and Elliott Ramos write in their NBC article, “As the number of anti-LGBTQ bills hits record highs, research shows that so, too, has support for LGBTQ rights
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June 7, 2022 10:47 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, LGBTQIA+, Observances and Celebrations, Observances and Holidays, and Pride Month.

Great Outdoors Month

Great Outdoors Month

On June 5th, 2019, the US Senate designated June as Great Outdoors Month. Great Outdoors Month is a wonderful opportunity to spend time exploring nature. Spending time outdoors is refreshing, fun, and has great health benefits. According to The American Hiking Society, being in nature is great for both mental and physical health. You can spend time outdoors in a park, garden, at the beach, or hiking. There are many fun activities that you can do with your family and friends. Try using one of the suggested activities such as creating a nature bracelet, identifying different trees, camping, and stargazing.
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June 7, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, children's books, Great Outdoors Month, Hiking, nature, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

P is for PLANET

P is for PLANET

Climate change is a direct threat to a child’s ability to survive, grow, and thrive. As extreme weather events such as cyclones and heat waves increase in frequency and ferocity, they threaten children’s lives and destroy infrastructure critical to their well-being. Floods compromise water and sanitation facilities, leading to diseases such as cholera, to which children are particularly vulnerable. This is the first time a global generation of children will grow up in a world made far more dangerous and uncertain as a result of a changing climate and degraded environment. Addressing climate change and mitigating its impact is imperative
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June 3, 2022 1:46 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, climate change, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

June Harriet Tubman StoryWalk

June Harriet Tubman StoryWalk

Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free By Alice Faye Duncan & Keturah A. Bobo Wednesday, June 1st to Thursday, June 30th, 2022 Sculptor Wesley Woffard’s 9-foot monument honoring Harriet Tubman (entitled “The Journey to Freedom”) is in White Plains. The sculpture is on display at the Renaissance Plaza until June 30th, and the City and the White Plains Public Library will be honoring Harriet Tubman with a wide variety of programs throughout its stay. A full listing of the Library’s events can be found here. To celebrate, from June 1st-30th the Library will have on display the
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May 26, 2022 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Harriet Tubman, Harriet Tubman sculpture, Harriet Tubman StoryWalk, library events, Observances and Celebrations, outdoor events white plains, storywalk, Trove StoryWalk, White Plains Harriet Tubman, and White Plains Harriet Tubman Events.

Middle Grade Pick of the Month

Middle Grade Pick of the Month

Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Ashley will recommend great books for children in this age group! Making Friends by Kristen Gudsnuk Libby Library Catalog I can’t remember exactly when I discovered the first book in Kristen Gudsnuk’s Making Friends series. What I can recall is being immediately drawn to its bright cover as well as how loud I cackled while reading it. A few of the other youth services librarians at the White Plains Public Library can attest to this as many of
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May 19, 2022 10:32 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: middle grade, middle grade fiction, Middle Grade Pick of the Month, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

New in the Edge: May 2022

New in the Edge: May 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. Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer Grades 9 and up Library Catalog “After a year away, Ellis returns home to confront her past. Graduating from high school far from everything familiar was not part of Ellis Truman’s original plans, but she nevertheless ended up
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May 19, 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.

Peculiar Picks

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. I loved The Addams Family as a kid, the original TV show and the 90s movies (ok, I admit, I still love them now). Just the mention of The Addams Family also immediately brings to mind the original show’s infectious theme song: “dada duh dum snap snap dada duh dum snap snap they’re creepy and they’re kooky, The Addams
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May 12, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Addams family, children's books, children's literature, Peculiar Picks, picture books, staff picks, staff recommendations, and the addams family.

AAPI Heritage Month

AAPI Heritage Month

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month) is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. The AAPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia—and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. AAPI Heritage Month 2022 will take place from Sunday, May 1 to Tuesday, May 31. Here are some titles to help us get to better know and understand our AAPI neighbors. Enjoy! Tiny feet between the mountains, by Hanna Cha. (Library Catalog) The
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May 5, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: AAPI, AAPI Heritage Month, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

What You Need To Know About: Doctor Strange

What You Need To Know About: Doctor Strange

It’s kitchen sink time! From what we have seen in the trailers, Marvel is throwing everything they have into the second Dr. Strange movie: Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness (out May 6th). Following up from destroying the fabric of reality in Spider-man: No Way Home, Dr. Strange has to fix the multiverse. Marvel has decided to add so many characters to this film that I don’t know where to start. Yes I do, America Chavez or Miss America, which means the MCU is finally showing signs of diversity, maybe. We also saw Defender Dr. Strange, Zombie Defender Dr.
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May 5, 2022 9:21 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Doctor Strange, Doctor Strange Into the Multiverse, Marvel, Marvel Studios, and What You Need to Know About.

May 2022 LibraryReads

May 2022 LibraryReads

Here are the books published this month that librarians across the country love. Book of Night by Holly Black Library Collection: Print Libby: eBook / Audiobook “Charlie is a hot mess. The more she tries to get on the straight and narrow, the more things fall apart. Due to childhood trauma, she trusts only herself, and maybe her shadow. But in a world where shadows can be altered, stolen, and weaponized, she has to be wary. Lots of atmospheric world building and stage setting, and perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Neil Gaiman, and V.E. Schwab.—Emily Plagens, Allen Public Library,
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May 4, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, librarian recommendations, Library Reads, LibraryReads, and staff picks.

New in the Edge: April 2022

New in the Edge: April 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. Gallant by V. E. Schwab Grades 8 and up Library Catalog / Libby “The Merilance School for Girls isn't the worst of places to grow up, but for orphaned Olivia Prior, who has always felt like an outsider, it is an isolating one. For Olivia,
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April 21, 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.

New Middle Grade Books in the Trove

New Middle Grade Books in the Trove

Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. Up in the Trove, we’ve just received a lot of great new middle grade books and Ashley is showcasing a few in this column! Almost Flying by Jake Maia Arlow Grades 5 & Up Libby / Library Catalog “A 13-year-old Long Island girl thinks she has her summer plans figured out—until her life turns upside down. With the end of summer looming, Dalia has one goal: to finally ride an actual roller coaster instead of living vicariously through point-of-view videos. Then
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April 21, 2022 9:55 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: middle grade, middle grade fiction, Middle Grade Pick of the Month, new books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Happy Spring Birthdays!

Happy Spring Birthdays!

There are so many talented and diverse children’s authors and illustrators to recommend! To highlight them, I am ending my series of celebrating their birthdays on a seasonal basis with Spring birthdays. I started with summer, I covered Autumn birthdays and Winter birthdays and now it’s Springtime! Another wonderful resource for excellent diverse book recommendations is Social Justice Books: A Teaching for Change Project. I hope you enjoy the range of great titles below for preschoolers to sixth-graders! Author and Illustrator Diane Dillon, Birthday: March 12th I Can Be Anything (Preschool – 2nd grade) Libby / Library Catalog “A young
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April 20, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, spring, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Earth Day 2022 Reads

Earth Day 2022 Reads

Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd. Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 and it is now celebrated annually in over 193 countries as a way to show support for environmental protection. Below find an assortment of recently published books with stories, activities and information to celebrate and support our planet. You can find even more activities, books and resources for celebrating Earth Day from the Library here and pick up an Earth Day coloring sheet in the Trove at the Library starting April 22nd! Also, check out Lauren’s recent post on parenting titles for outdoor learning and
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April 20, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, books for children, children's books, Earth Day, Earth Day Books, nature books, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

El Día/Children’s Day

El Día/Children’s Day

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a celebration every day of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30th. Día is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages and cultures. The Trove will have available Grab & Go Kits celebrating this day, available beginning April 25th, while supplies last. Daniel’s pet = Daniel y su mascota, by Alma Flor Ada. (Library Catalog) The
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April 20, 2022 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's day, el día, El día de los niños, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

May Harriet Tubman StoryWalk

May Harriet Tubman StoryWalk

Follow the Drinking Gourd By Jeanette Winter Monday, May 2nd to Tuesday, May 31st, 2022 Sculptor Wesley Woffard’s 9-foot monument honoring Harriet Tubman (entitled “The Journey to Freedom”) is in White Plains. The sculpture is on display at the Renaissance Plaza until June 30th, and the City and the White Plains Public Library will be honoring Harriet Tubman with a wide variety of programs throughout its stay. A full listing of the Library’s events can be found here. To celebrate, from May 2nd-31st the Library will have on display the second of three StoryWalks – take a walk in the
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April 19, 2022 1:35 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Harriet Tubman, Harriet Tubman sculpture, Harriet Tubman StoryWalk, library events, Observances and Celebrations, outdoor events white plains, storywalk, Trove StoryWalk, White Plains Harriet Tubman, and White Plains Harriet Tubman Events.

Peculiar Picks

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. While there are many books about dragons in the Library, can you imagine an actual dragon in the Library? So big. Stomping around. Eating things. Not to mention breathing fire around all the flammable books!  Here are two of my favorite books about dragons in libraries. Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Library by Julie Gassman, illustrated by
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April 14, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, dragons, Peculiar Picks, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Math & More

Math & More

These funny stories show us there is a lot more to math than boring numbers and equations. Whether you’re sharing “Spaghetti & Meatballs” with friends or teaching someone a lesson with just “One Grain of Rice,” having fun with a “Counting Horse,” or living by your wits with “Seven Golden Rings,” math is everywhere. We might as well have fun with it! I’m trying to love math, by Bethany Barton. Library Catalog Spaghetti and meatballs for all!: a mathematical story, by Marilyn Burns. Library Catalog One grain of rice: a mathematical folktale, by Demi. Library Catalog Crash! Boom!: a math
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April 7, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books, math, staff picks, staff recommendations, STEAM, and STEAM learning.

National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month

To celebrate National Poetry Month, I will highlight some wonderful poetry books that are colorful, educational, and delightful. Among them, you’ll discover sijo poems, read haikus, and learn about Langston’s dream. Poetry is a wonderful way to learn about stanzas, form, imagery, and word play. These books are a magnificent treat if you love to read! Life Doesn’t Frighten Me by Maya Angelou, paintings by Jean-Michael Basquiat For children in grades 1-3 Library Catalog This book is a wonderful introduction to poetry. Maya Angelou uses a playful tone that shows readers that a fear can be an illusion: “Don’t show
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April 5, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: national poetry month, Observances and Celebrations, poetry, Poetry Month, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

April 2022 LibraryReads

April 2022 LibraryReads

Here are the books published this month that librarians across the country love. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Library Collection: Print Libby: eBook “In the 50s and early 60s when women were viewed as little more than chattel for men’s convenience, Elizabeth Zott had the temerity to become a chemist. With complex and wonderful characters, her story is funny, sad, enraging, hopeful, and will have readers cheering for every character and all women everywhere. For fans of Where'd You Go Bernadette?, The Rosie Project, and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.”—Judy G. Sebastian, Eastham Public Library, Eastham, MA The Good
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April 4, 2022 2:08 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, librarian recommendations, Library Reads, LibraryReads, and staff picks.