Archives for Authors & Books

Good Trouble: Music and Protest

Good Trouble: Music and Protest

This installment of Good Trouble continues a look at the strong connections between music and activism. Part 1 can be found here. Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song by Gary Golio, art by Charlotte Riley-Webb Library Catalog Discover some of Billie Holiday’s music Billie Holiday was no stranger to racism and prejudice, and when she was given Abel Meeropol’s song “Strange Fruit” – a song about lynchings and violence in the South – she embued it with her own pain. She did not know how the song would be received. She knew, as her mother
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May 12, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: activism, Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, civil rights, Good Trouble, Jean Ritchie, John Lewis, music and protest, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Short Story Discussion Series: Spring 2024

Short Story Discussion Series: Spring 2024

Join Librarian Barbara Wenglin to explore compelling selections from the rich anthology, New York Stories, ed. by Diana Tesdell, (Everyman’s Pocket Classics, 2011). These vibrant and varied works by acclaimed authors provide a colorful vision of “the city that never sleeps.” A copy of the book is on hold at the Hub/Reference Desk for reading in the Library with circulating copies available to borrow through the catalog. Zoom Register Here for full series and attend when you can. Newcomers welcome! Thursdays from 2:00 – 4:15 p.m. June 6 “The Thistles in Sweden” by William Maxwell (p.213) June 20 – Film
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May 11, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Barbara Wenglin, book groups in Westchester, book groups in White Plains, Short stories, short story book discussion series, and short story discussion groups.

Future is Female Book Discussion

Future is Female Book Discussion

Be a part of the Future is Female book group led by Ellen O’Connell, White Plains resident and retired teacher. We will continue to meet on Zoom on Monday afternoons from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Check our online calendar for the Zoom link. June 3 Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano All available formats Past events: September 11 A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende All available formats October 2 Stars in an Italian Sky by Jill Santopolo All available formats November 6 Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer All available formats December 4 Wintering by Katherine May All
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May 10, 2024 2:10 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, and Library News.
Tags: book group, book groups, book groups in Westchester, book groups in White Plains, books discussions, and Future is Female.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 20

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 20

BEAUTIFUL BILINGUAL BOOKS, Part 20 LINDOS LIBROS BILINGÜES, Parte 20 The Library has a lovely collection of bilingual Spanish/English books. To celebrate reading in two languages, we are featuring our beautiful new books in a monthly blog – so enjoy practicing your Spanish and English skills with these picture books. La Biblioteca tiene una colección hermosa de libros bilingües en inglés/español. Para celebrar leyendo en dos idiomas, le presentamos nuestros lindos libros aquí. Así que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros ilustrados. Mamá Goose: A Latine Nursery Treasury = Un tesoro de rimas infantiles, by Alma
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May 8, 2024 10:31 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Trove Battle of the Books 2024

Trove Battle of the Books 2024

The Trove is excited to announce we will be forming a team this year for Battle of the Books! Kids entering grades 4-7 in the 2024-25 school year that have a passion for reading and trivia are invited to join our team! If you are interested or have any questions, please email Erika at epeiffer@whiteplainslibrary.org. For more information about the tournament itself, check out the Westchester Library System’s Battle of the Books page. The 2024 Battle of the Books Titles: Ophie’s Ghost by Justina Ireland All available formats Ophelia Harrison used to live in a small house in the Georgia countryside.
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May 1, 2024 9:35 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: battle of the books and Battle of the Books 2024.

Cowboy Carter & Black Country Artists

Cowboy Carter & Black Country Artists

Have you been listening to Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter on repeat since it dropped? Are you interested in learning more about the history of Black Country music and those that inspired Beyoncé to make this album – and in some cases are even featured on it? Then check out our staff-curated list of books, music, and film on the musicians that inspired Cowboy Carter. BOOKS:  ADULT My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future by Alice Randall Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions by Francesca Royster Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American
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April 23, 2024 2:25 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Beyonce, Black Country music, Cowboy Carter, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

May is…

May is…

May Moments Each month a variety of observances and celebrations take place, from well-known holidays to much lesser known fun (and downright funny or strange!) observances. Celebrated in May ____ is… May The Fourth Be With You! Star Wars Day is May 4th Vader’s Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown All available formats Sith Lord and leader of the Galactic Empire–now faces the trials, joys, and mood swings of raising his daughter Leia as she grows from a sweet little girl into a rebellious teenager. Smart and funny illustrations by artist Jeffrey Brown give classic Star Wars moments a twist by
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April 23, 2024 1:19 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, books for kids, children's books, may 2024, May festivities, and Observances and Celebrations.

May Trove Book Club

May Trove Book Club

May Chapter Chats May 13th  @ 5:00PM For kids in Grades 3-6 looking for a quiet area and time dedicated to reading, join us for our sit-in read and chat book club! We will have 20 minutes of reading time and then come together to discuss our books. Don’t have a book in mind? Here are some recommended reads: Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith All available formats In a world where girls have magic and boys become knights, nonbinary Callie has always been determined that their gender will not be able to stop them from
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April 22, 2024 1:55 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, Graphic Novel Book Club, and The Trove.

New Books in the Edge: April 2024

New Books in the Edge: April 2024

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. Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal by Gretchen Schreiber Grades 7 and up Library Catalog “A teen with a rare illness struggles to bridge her hospital and school relationships. Ellie Haycock insists that her high school friends—especially her boyfriend, Jack—never know how thoroughly VACTERLs affects her
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April 22, 2024 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.

April Middle Grade Pick of the Month

April 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, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow All available formats here Simon is probably the only tween in existence to be actually sort of excited to be moving into a town where technology and Internet access is limited – but then again, he and his family are hoping for a fresh start. Simon relaxes into making friends out of the shadows of his past and figuring out
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April 21, 2024 10:00 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.

Good Trouble: Environmental Activism

Good Trouble: Environmental Activism

Earth Day takes place annually on April 22.  We’ve created many Earth Day related blog posts, reading lists and activities over the past several years and I urge you to look through them for some great ideas and great reads. Below find some reads related to the formation of Earth Day and climate and environmental activism.   The Day the River Caught Fire: How the Cuyahoga River Exploded and Ignited the Earth Day Movement by Barry Wittenstein, art by Jessie Hartland Library Catalog A shockingly true story about how on a day in the summer of 1969 the Cuyahoga River
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April 12, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, and Library News.
Tags: activism, climate activism, environmental activism, environmentalism, Good Trouble, greta thunberg, John Lewis, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

May the 4th Be with You

May the 4th Be with You

Stop by the Trove on Saturday, May 4 and pick up some great Star Wars reads!  In addition, while supplies last, grab a fun Star Wars sticker! Be sure to check out some of the great Star Wars content we’ve posted over the years, including activities, reading lists and much more:  https://whiteplainslibrary.org/tag/star-wars/
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April 11, 2024 2:05 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: May the 4th and Star Wars.

How to Fight Censorship & Book Bans

How to Fight Censorship & Book Bans

On Monday, April 24, 2023 the first national Right to Read Day was held. Organized by the American Library Association (ALA), and kicking off National Library Week, Right to Read Day was established as a call to action in response to the past few years of attacks on access to, and even the existence of, certain books – overwhelmingly those with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ characters, themes, and information (check out the top 13 challenged books of 2022 to see what I mean). While ALA’s Unite Against Book Bans, and other organizations, highlighted going to the library and checking out banned
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April 11, 2024 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, activism, banned books, book banning, book bans, censorship, community activism, fight for the first, first amendment, and freedom to read.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 19

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 19

BEAUTIFUL BILINGUAL BOOKS, Part 19 LINDOS LIBROS BILINGÜES, Parte 19 The Library has a lovely collection of bilingual Spanish/English books. To celebrate reading in two languages, we are featuring our beautiful new books in a monthly blog – so enjoy practicing your Spanish and English skills with these picture books. La Biblioteca tiene una colección hermosa de libros bilingües en inglés/español. Para celebrar leyendo en dos idiomas, le presentamos nuestros lindos libros aquí. Así que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros ilustrados. Children’s Day/Book Day is celebrated nationwide on April 30th. To celebrate this day, the
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April 8, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Español, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

The Library’s TTRPG Collection

The Library’s TTRPG Collection

Did you know the Library has a collection of tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) books you can borrow?  They are located just outside the Edge, our teen library (though anyone can check them out!).  Holds cannot be placed on the titles, but you can pick them up at the Library and borrow them for three weeks! Titles in the growing collection include (by game system – Will be updated as new titles are added. Links for unlinked items will be added as they become available.) What’s a TTRPG? A tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) is a system of rules so that a
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April 7, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons, library collections, Roleplaying game, roleplaying games, RPGs, staff picks, staff recommendations, tabletop gaming, tabletop roleplaying games, and TTRPGS.

New Books in the Trove: April 2024

New Books in the Trove: April 2024

We have new books coming in all the time with them on display right as you enter the Trove.  Here’s some of our recent favorite new titles! For Wee Ones Eyes, Ears, Nose and Toes by Sophie Aggett (Birth to 3 Years-Old) Library Catalog “Yeah, I admit it. I’m pretty easy. You slap some big old baby faces in a board book and then add an element like soft felt flaps? Instant inclusion on this list! What’s funny is that so few board book creators have ever thought to do this. There are only so many different elements you can
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March 26, 2024 10:57 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, children's book, new books, new books in the trove, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

April Is…

April Is…

Each month a variety of observances and celebrations take place, from well-known holidays to much lesser known fun (and downright funny or strange!) observances. National Poetry Month Check out some of the Library’s poetry programs and events all month long, along with some great selections of poetry books for kids!  April 17th is specifically International Haiku Poetry Day!  Here’s some haiku to read. Jazz Appreciation Month Learn about jazz and jazz musicians: A Child’s Introduction to Jazz: The Musicians, Culture, and Roots of The World’s Coolest Music by Jabari Asim, Jerrard K. Polk Library Catalog Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson:
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March 26, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: April 2024, April Festivities, books for children, books for kids, children's books, and Observances and Celebrations.

April is National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month

The Library will be celebrating National Poetry Month with programs that are educational and fun for the whole family. Magnetic Poetry During Library Hours in April The Trove All Ages Visitors to the Trove will be able to create their own poems with word magnets on our magnetic board on display. Children will be able to engage with, play with and arrange the words to come up with their own poems. Branch Out: Poet-Tree Creation During Library Hours in April The Trove All Ages Help us grow a beautiful tree of poems! We’ll have leaves, explanations for nontraditional forms of
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March 26, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: events for children, national poetry month, poetry, poetry slam, and The Trove.

New Books in the Trove

New Books in the Trove

We have new books coming in all the time with them on display right as you enter the Trove.  Here’s some of our recent favorite new titles! For Wee Ones Global Baby Grandparents by Maya Ajmira (Birth to 3 Years-Old) Library Catalog “I’m sorry, but do I even have to make a write-up for this book? If you know any of the ‘Global Baby’ books in the series then you know they pretty much sell themselves. The only mystery surrounding this particular title comes in wondering how they held off from doing a grandparents book before now. As per usual
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March 24, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, children's book, new books, new books in the trove, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

New Books in the Edge: March 2024

New Books in the Edge: March 2024

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. Four Letter Word by Gretchen McNeil Grades 9 and up Library Catalog “An Italian foreign exchange student comes to stay with her family, and Izzy hopes it will brighten up her home life. Her mom's mental health struggles have worn on Izzy over the years,
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March 22, 2024 11:41 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.