Archives for Authors & Books

Good Trouble: Clothing and Activism

Good Trouble: Clothing and Activism

From the uniforms of the Black Panther Party, to slogan t-shirts, to the audacity of women wearing pants, clothing and fashion are frequently connected to activism. Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter by Aida Salazar, art by Molly Mendoza Library Catalog Perhaps you’ve heard of the legendary Chinese folk hero Mulan, who dressed as a man and goes to battle, however Jovita Valdovinos was a real person who disguised herself so she could take part in the battle for religious freedom in Mexico, and came to be known as “Mexico’s Joan of Arc.”  Filled with beautiful
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January 17, 2024 4:31 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: activism, Good Trouble, John Lewis, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Middle Grade Pick of the Month: Terry’s Crew

Middle Grade Pick of the Month: Terry’s Crew

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! Terry’s Crew by Terry Crews and Cory Thomas All available formats here Terry Crews is a kid with vision – he knows exactly what he’s going to be, and he has plans for getting there! First step is attending the elite Rock City Academy, which will help him learn the skills and make the connections he needs. But middle school can be hard, especially with determined bullies
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January 17, 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.

February Trove Book Groups

February Trove Book Groups

February Book Bunch Tuesday, February 27th  @ 4:30PM Click here to register Join Caroline and Erika for a book discussion and trivia for 4th-8th graders! We will be reading Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston Just when Amari hits her lowest point of losing her scholarship and her brother being MIA for weeks, she finds a mysterious briefcase that will change her life forever. Now competing for a coveted spot in a supernatural organization, can Amari prove herself as an ally to her classmates and save her brother? The Trove will provide a free copy of the book
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January 14, 2024 3:44 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, Graphic Novel Book Club, and The Trove.

YA Graphic Novel Picks for February

YA Graphic Novel Picks for February

Graphic novels are so much fun to read. Here some new available titles: LUNAR NEW YEAR LOVE STORY by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham (Illustrator) (Graphic romance. 13-18) Library Catalog “Vietnamese American Valentina Tran loved Valentine’s Day until freshman year, when her handcrafted cards were mocked by classmates, and her father told her she was too old to still be making annual valentines on behalf of her long-dead mother. Then, during a surprise visit, her estranged paternal grandmother revealed a devastating family secret. Suddenly, Valentina’s invisible childhood companion, a sweet cupid she’d always called Saint V, transformed into an
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January 14, 2024 10:54 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: books for teens, graphic novels, manga, staff picks, staff recommendations, YA Graphic Novel Pick of the Month, and YA Graphic Novels.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 16

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 16

BEAUTIFUL BILINGUAL BOOKS, Part 16 LINDOS LIBROS BILINGÜES, Parte 16 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. Better than new: a recycle tale / Mejor que nuevo: un cuento de reciclaje,
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January 13, 2024 4:12 pm | 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.

Favorites From Best Books of 2023

Favorites From Best Books of 2023

Each year, we enjoy looking through the lists of best books of the year, looking to see which opinions we agree with (or not), and checking to see which gems we might have missed ordering earlier in the year. We rejoice when we discover many of the books already in our collection, although we always do end up finding a title or two to order. Read on to see which books on the “Best of 2023” lists were our favorites this year. Raquel’s Favorite 2023 Best Picture Book: Remember by Joy Harjo & Michaela Goade Library Catalog “As the modern
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January 11, 2024 4:34 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: best books of 2023, children's books, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA Fiction.

Most Popular 2023 Checkouts

Most Popular 2023 Checkouts

Below is a list of the 2023 top ten most popular fiction, nonfiction, films, children's books, and YA titles based on the number of times they've been checked out from our collection. We told you what our staff loved last year, well, here's what was most popular among your fellow Library patrons. I'm sure you'll notice a few trends – our patrons really love Colleen Hoover, memoirs, Karen M. McManus, Dog Man, and Disney! Fiction Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (All available formats) Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (All available formats) It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover (All
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January 9, 2024 6:40 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book recommendations, books, end of year lists, film, patron favorites, top checkouts, and tv.

Celebrate the Wolf Moon & Wolf Conservation

Celebrate the Wolf Moon & Wolf Conservation

Family Storytime: Celebrate the Wolf Moon & Wolf Conservation! Saturday, January 20th at 2:00 pm For Children, Families Location: Galaxy Hall Celebrate the Wolf Moon (January's Full Moon on 1/25) and learn about wolf conservation efforts with a presentation (geared towards children 3-8 years-old) and a storytime reading of, Trumpet the Miracle Wolf Pup: Trumpet Finds Love! The Trumpet book series was written to introduce young children to the joy of learning about wolves, wolf conservation and saving critically endangered species. Trumpet called the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem her home, and in this newly published title we learn
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January 2, 2024 10:16 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, and Kids.
Tags: activities for children in White Plains, children's events, kids, Library News Activities for children in Westchester, and storytime.

Celebrate Three Kings Day

Celebrate Three Kings Day

Celebrate Three Kings Day Program! Saturday, January 6th from 1-4 pm For Families and Children Location: Gallery, Igloo, Auditorium & Rotary Room Families are invited to come celebrate Three Kings Day at the Library on Saturday, January 6th starting at 1 pm! Join the White Plains Puerto Rican Cultural Committee, Comite Noviembre & PRIDA and the White Plains Public Library for an afternoon full of family-friendly activities such as taking a 3D visit to a Puerto Rican Beach in the Library’s Igloo, and enjoying a special appearance by the Three Kings! At 3 pm, there will be a fun bilingual
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December 22, 2023 1:17 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: dia de reyes, events for children, events for families, and three kings day.

January Festivities

January Festivities

During the year, each month celebrates a variety of observances and celebrations that can include celebrations of food, cats, historical events, poets, etc. Observations in January include well known International days to lesser, funny (and downright strange) events celebrating things such as whipped cream, introverts and chickens.  I have highlighted a few holidays that are fun, a few that are educational and some that are cultural and historical: January 3rd is Tolkien Day The Complete Guide to Middle Earth by Rober Foster. Explore Middle Earth: a fantastical land full of Elves, Orcs, Dwarves and wizards. Who was J. R. R.
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December 22, 2023 10:13 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, books for kids, children's books, January 2024, January Festivities, and Observances and Celebrations.

Celebrate Dragon Appreciation Day

Celebrate Dragon Appreciation Day

Celebrate Dragon Appreciation Day on January 16th! On January 16th, readers of all ages can celebrate one of the most magnificent creatures that has been a part of our imagination and mythology. Many books, films and shows center around dragons: from shimmering dragon eggs, to taming them, and becoming friends with them – dragons are a delight! Dragons also are known to protect treasure as illustrated in J.R.R Tolkien’s beloved classic The Hobbit.  Dragons can also represent the embodiment of enlightenment  in Asian mythology/spirituality. We can  learn more about dragons as we celebrate Dragon Appreciation Day and for some other
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December 21, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, books for kids, children's books, Dragon Appreciation Day, dragons, and Observances and Celebrations.

New Books in the Edge: December 2023

New Books in the Edge: December 2023

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. Salt the Water by Candice Iloh Grades 9 and up Library Catalog “A Bronx teen is compelled to explore a free, expressive life by any means necessary. In this novel in verse, Cerulean Gene, a nonbinary Black high school senior, is frustrated with school, especially
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December 20, 2023 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.

Uncovering Westchester LGBTQ+ History

Uncovering Westchester LGBTQ+ History

Uncovering Westchester LGBTQ+ History Thursday, January 11 at 5:00 p.m. Teens, Adults Edge Media Lab Allee Manning, founder of the Westchester LGBTQ+ History Project, will give a presentation on her research of Westchester LGBTQ+ history and lead attendees in a game of trivia. For additional information and oral history interviews, see the project's website.
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December 15, 2023 4:12 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: events for teens in Westchester, events for teens in White Plains, LGBTQ+ events in White Plains, teen programs, and The Edge.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 15

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 15

BEAUTIFUL BILINGUAL BOOKS, Part 15 LINDOS LIBROS BILINGÜES, Parte 15 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. Cinco monitos : Colección de oro / Five Little Monkeys : Storybook Treasury, by
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December 15, 2023 2:46 pm | 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.

December Middle Grade Pick of the Month

December 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! The Trouble with Robots by Michelle Mohrweis All available formats here Evelyn is determined to do whatever it takes to lead her middle school robotics team to victory – no matter who she runs roughshod over. Allie is new at school and already gotten into fights – too many fights, according to the principal. Successfully working with the robotics team will be her last chance to prove
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December 11, 2023 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.

2023 Staff Favorites

2023 Staff Favorites

The White Plains Library Staff have assembled their picks for the year, featuring literary fiction, audiobooks, fantasy, music, and more. It's a wonderfully wide-ranging list, full of lots of surprises, and should help with your holiday shopping or just some entertainment for yourself. Enjoy! Below you'll find a list with links to the catalog as well as a blurb on why staff enjoyed it. Fiction Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah All available formats From the opening page you are hooked, violently, by this book. In this dark, dystopian future, prisoners held within the privatized penal system fight to
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December 5, 2023 3:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: best books of 2023, book recommendations, books, music, staff picks, staff recommendations, and television.

Holiday Books in Spanish

Holiday Books in Spanish

HOLIDAY BOOKS IN SPANISH LIBROS EN ESPAÑOL PARA LOS DÍAS FESTIVOS The winter holiday season is approaching! Celebrate the season with our new Spanish and Spanish/English holiday titles covering Christmas/Navidad and Three King’s Day/Día de Reyes! Las fiestas de invierno ya casi están aquí. Celebre esta temporada con nuestros libros nuevos en español y bilingües (inglés y español) sobre la Navidad/Christmas y el Día de Reyes/Three Kings Day. Una noche más para la Navidad (One Good Night ‘Til Christmas), by Frank Berrios. Library Catalog ¡El gran día está casi aquí! Solo queda “una noche más” para la Navidad. Mientras los
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November 28, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, holiday books, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

New Books in the Edge: November 2023

New Books in the Edge: November 2023

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. The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne by Shannon Takaoka Grades 8 and up Library Catalog “An old journal gives a teen the ability to control the narrative of her life—but at what cost? Gracie is a lover of words and stories. Her imagined life
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November 22, 2023 10:07 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.

December Trove Book Groups

December Trove Book Groups

Graphic Novel Book Club Monday, December 11th at 5:00 p.m. Please click here to register. Join Caroline and Kat for a book discussion and trivia game for 3rd through 6th graders! We will be reading Estranged by Ethan M. Aldrige. Edmund and Childe were swapped at birth. The two live in different worlds: Edmund lives in the world above as a changeling. He knows about his powers but keeps it a secret from his family. Childe lives with the fae world below as a human. When an evil magician seizes the throne, the two must work together on a quest
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November 16, 2023 1:06 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, Graphic Novel Book Club, and The Trove.

November Middle Grade Pick of the Month

November 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! Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow All available formats Hazel likes her life just the way it is – her family, her hobbies, her chores at the family farm, and her best friend Becca. But when her mom is pregnant (for the third time, after two miscarriages) and redistricting means starting at a new school without her best friend, Hazel’s worry over the upheaval in
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November 13, 2023 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.