Sky gazing can be a fun experience-whether you are outside in your backyard, camping or simply looking up at the sky. You can start by becoming familiar with the constellations in the sky-such as The Big Dipper (which for me is the easiest to spot). There are also some wonderful free apps that you can use on your phone to become better at sky gazing. According to NASA “a meteor is a space rock—or meteoroid—that enters Earth's atmosphere. As the space rock falls toward Earth, the resistance—or drag—of the air on the rock makes it extremely hot. What we see
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Archives for Authors & Books
International Day of Friendship: Picture Books
On April 27, 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations officially established July 30th as International Friendship Day. The United Nations’ website writes regarding International Friendship Day that, “Our world faces many challenges, crises and forces of division — such as poverty, violence, and human rights abuses — among many others — that undermine peace, security, development and social harmony among the world's peoples.To confront those crises and challenges, their root causes must be addressed by promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many forms — the simplest of which is friendship.” To celebrate International
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International Day of Friendship: YA Fiction
In honor of the International Day of Friendship on July 30, I read When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk, a new release that I’d been looking for an excuse to read. Somewhat ironically, the friendship at the heart of this book actually goes up in flames… but its true value becomes painfully clear through its absence. High school sophomores Cleo and Layla have been best friends for years. But when Layla realizes her dream of joining the school choir and gains a new group of friends, Cleo’s left behind. Flashbacks reveal the initially subtle rift in the girls’ friendship
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International Day of Friendship: Chapter Books
International Friendship Day is celebrated every year on July 30th. This day is for thinking about your friendships that are really important to you and cherishing those individuals. Friends come in all shapes and sizes – they can be classmates or family members. Take some time this summer to read about friendships and hopefully find a chance to reconnect with some of your friends! To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer For children in grades 4-6. OverDrive: Audiobook and eBook Avery Bloom and Bett Delvin are two extremely different twelve-year-olds. Avery is bookish as well
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July & August Virtual Book Bunch
We’re thrilled about how many folks are signing up for our July book discussion for children! We can’t wait to discuss Malamander with y’all and to learn more about the book and its creation from the author! For our July Virtual Book Bunch, we will be reading Malamander by Thomas Taylor! Kids of any age who have read the book are welcome to join us but we recommend this title for those in 3rd through 7th grade. Author Thomas Taylor will be joining us for a Q&A session after the discussion! Please register by calling the library at (914) 422-1400
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July Book ‘Em Mystery Book Group
Join Library Director Brian Kenney for two mystery discussions in July. July 8 2:30-3:30 p.m. Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart. Based on the true story of one of the nation's first female deputy sheriffs. Please borrow the eBook through Hoopla. July 22 2:30-3:30 p.m. Stone Cold Heart by Caz Frear. “Engrossing…exceptional characters…a satisfying mystery with a fraught cliffhanger.”—Publishers Weekly. Please borrow the eBook through Hoopla (Audiobook and eBook available).
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Summersgiving
Summersgiving is a new holiday that can be celebrated the first Saturday after the summer solstice. To make this tradition a special holiday, you can try cooking a meal that welcomes the summer solstice, such as an old family recipe or a meal that celebrates a different culture. Here is my vegetarian interpretation on the Persian split pea soup- Khoresh Gheymeh. Hoopla Resources: Salsa, written by Jorge Argueta, and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, is a bilingual treat. The book is poetic and introduces children to Latin American culture and vocabulary words such as molcajetes (an authentic lava stone used in
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eBooks to Help with the Job Hunt
Looking for a new job or interested in job training assistance? We're regularly adding new eBooks to our OverDrive and Libby collections on job hunting, careers, entrepreneurship, programming languages most often required by employers, Word, Excel, and more. When we're open, some of the most frequently requested titles are Passbooks Study Guides, but did you know many are available as eBooks? Below are just some examples of the titles we've recently added to our collection. Modernize Your Resume Modernize Your Job Search Letters by Wendy Enelow Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), Mathematics Passbooks Study Guide Admission Test by National Learning
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book recommendations, CSEA, eBooks, job help, job training, passbooks, and staff picks.
COVID-19 Mindfulness Book for Children
As our region progresses through the phases of reopening, many parents are beginning to bring our children out into a very different world. A friend, Mandy Facchin, described the stresses of observing new COVID-19 regulations with her two-year-old at a recent pediatrician visit. Mandy, who holds a Master’s degree in education, created a printable book to help her daughter become more comfortable in a mask-wearing world. Each page of the book features a wellness-related affirmation statement and a space for children to add their own illustrations. The affirmations are lovely, a wonderful way for children to practice mindfulness during this
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books, children, covid-19, and families.
Summer Programs and Events for Kids, Teens, and Families
While we might not be able to hold them in the Library, that doesn’t mean we’re not offering a lot of great programs in July and August! For full details on each program, and to get Zoom links, visit our Online Calendar. Of course, we also have our annual Summer Reading Game to take part in, and tons of fantastic reading recommendations in our Reading Lists! Family Fun Fridays – Fridays, July 10-August 14, 11:00 a.m. A great performance for children and families every Friday. More information here. Illusionist Leon Etienne – Wednesday, July 22, 6:30 p.m. World-class magician Leon
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children's events, Edge, edge events, events, family events, Family Fun Fridays, kids, performances, STEAM, STEAM Camps, STEM, storytime, summer programs, summer reading, summer reading game, teen events, teens, trove, and trove events.
Juneteenth: Children’s Books
On June 19, 1865, two months after the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, Union General Gordon Granger and approximately 1,800 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. Granger read General Orders No. 3, which declared in part: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) is a holiday commemorating this day, which marked the effective end of slavery in the United States.
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Juneteenth: YA Fiction
I didn’t expect to have much trouble gathering some historical fiction titles telling celebratory stories about emancipation. I found one promising book that turned out to be narrated by the daughter of a Texas plantation owner complicit in concealing the news of emancipation—not at all what I was looking for. I continued searching. I found books about slavery during the Revolutionary War, time travel mysteries, and one alternate history featuring Civil War zombies, but I had a hard time finding a perfect fit for Juneteenth. I ended up reading Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. It’s told over the span
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July & August Teen Book Clubs
Virtual book club sessions have been the highlight of spring for librarians Lauren and Kat. We are looking forward to four more sessions this summer, this time with the theme of summer reading. Each month, one book club meeting will feature one title from a Highlands Middle School recommended reading list, and the other will feature a title from the White Plains High School recommended reading list. All four books are available with unlimited copies on Hoopla, and multiple copies on OverDrive. While these books are on recommended reading lists for various grade levels, the book clubs are open to
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Father’s Day Book Display
Father's Day in the United States is on the third Sunday of June. It celebrates the contribution that fathers and father figures make to their children's lives. Song and Dance Man, by Karen Ackerman (Available as eBook on OverDrive) Thunder Boy Jr., by Sherman Alexie (Available as Audiobook on OverDrive & Hoopla) Pet Dad, by Elanna Allen (Available as eBook on OverDrive) My Daddy is a Pretzel, by Baron Baptiste (Available as eBook on Hoopla) Papa Weasel, by Teresa Bateman (Available as eBook on Hoopla) Knock, Knock, by Daniel Beaty (Available as eBook on OverDrive) Do as Daddy Does, by
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Antiracism YA Fiction
Typically, when choosing books for my Dive into Diversity posts, I mostly try to avoid titles that focus on racism, police or gun violence, or other trauma. Instead, I prefer to highlight books that show a diverse range of teens dealing with everyday life. In this moment, though, it's time to feature books that demonstrate the impact of violence and oppression on teens. These stories are heavy, but they are important. Especially if you don’t identify with the protagonist, I challenge you to read and consider the character’s situation with an open mind. Let these stories be windows into another
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Great Graphic Novels for Kids
What’s not to love when it comes to graphic novels? They’re a ton of fun and I’ve noticed that the majority of kids absolutely adore reading them! From Dog Man by Dav Pilkey to Smile by Raina Telgemeier, I am constantly being asked if we have some of the most popular graphic novels currently in the library. The kids get this look of pure joy when they find out that we do! Our graphic novel section is a well loved area and I enjoy recommending various books to eager readers. Without further ado, enjoy some of these great graphic novel
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Best Friends Day
June 8 celebrates National Best Friends Day, a day to honor that one special person you call your “best friend.” This day is a time to show your best friend how much you appreciate them, how special and important they are to you, and how you cherish their friendship. To help you celebrate your friendships, I’ve compiled a list of books and craft ideas below. My Friend Suhana: A Story of Friendship and Cerebral Palsy, by Shaila & Aanyah Abdullah. (Available as eBook on OverDrive) The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate. (Available as eBook & Audiobook on OverDrive
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A Call for Antiracism: Children’s Titles
In her June 1, 2020 article, “Black Lives Matter Book List for Kids and Teens,” Bianca Schulze writes eloquently, “No one person’s life is worth a higher value than another. It’s time to get uncomfortable, it’s time to immerse ourselves in the stories of others so that we may know and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” I was inspired by her article, and If you would like you can read it here. We are living in deeply troubling times and sadly we are fighting the same battles for equality, human dignity, and justice that have plagued the United
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Let’s Dance! – Reading and Dance Party
Join us on Thursday, June 11 at 2:00 p.m. for a fun music and dancing author program! For ages 2-7 and their families. Author Valerie Bolling virtually visits and reads from her musical, dance-filled, fun book for younger kids, Let’s Dance! Let’s Dance! is a rhythmic showcase of dances from around the world featuring children of diverse backgrounds and abilities tapping, spinning and boogying away! The reading will be followed by Q&A time, then a fun dance party! Valerie Bolling has been an educator for over 25 years and a writer since age 4. She is a graduate of Tufts
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author visit and events.
Summer Virtual Book Bunch Programs
We’re excited to announce some fun virtual book discussion programs for children throughout the summer. We’re psyched to discuss these books and get some insight about them as a few of their authors join our discussions! In June, we will be reading Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm. Kids of any age who have read the book are welcome to join us but we recommend this title for those in 3rd through 7th grade. Unlimited eBook copies are available via Hoopla, but it's also available as an eBook on OverDrive and Libby. This program will take place on
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