Archives for Authors & Books

Battle of the Books 2023

Battle of the Books 2023

We're thrilled to announce that the Westchester Battle of the Books tournament is returning to its original, in-person format this year! Read on to find out more about the tournament, our plans for the team, and most importantly, the books! This year's Battle of the Books tournament will take place on Saturday, October 21 at Ossining High School. We are putting together a teen team this year for teens who will be in grades 6-12 in fall 2023. We've set up a couple of interest meetings for any and all interested teens: Fridays June 9 and June 30 at 4
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June 7, 2023 9:20 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: battle of the books, book clubs for teens, The Edge, and YA Fiction.

Afrobeats Dance Workshop

Afrobeats Dance Workshop

Afrobeats Dance Workshop Wednesday, June 28th, at 6:30–8:00 p.m. For: Adults and teens Location: Auditorium Afrobeats Dance is a combination of modern day African movement paired with Afrobeats music. The movement is full body & high energy. Focusing on hip releasing, footwork, arm coordination and rhythm. It's a fun form of dance because it allows the body to move naturally and with the percussion of the music. Past Juneteenth Events: Grab & Go Kits: Juneteenth! Monday, June 12th at 10:00 a.m. For: Grades K-3 Location: Lobby Pick up a new Grab & Go Kit at the Library, while supplies last,
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June 2, 2023 2:01 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: Amanda Armenteros, books for kids, children's books, dance, dance performance, Juneteenth, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

June Programs for Younger Kids

June Programs for Younger Kids

Great programs for younger children take place all month long, every month, at the Library. See our online calendar or stop in the Trove for location information. Storytimes! Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. – June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – June 6, 13, 20 Saturday, 2:00 p.m. – June 10 – Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride Month! Stories, songs and fun with a Trove Librarian. Following Storytime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the children and caregivers are invited to Toy Time in the Story Trove – a time to play and socialize!Tiny Tots! 0 – 24 months, with a caregiver Fridays,
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May 25, 2023 8:54 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, dance, June 2023, kids, live music, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

Five Strong Female Characters in YA Fiction

Five Strong Female Characters in YA Fiction

This month we're celebrating strong heroines in our young adult (YA) fiction collection. Read on for YA Librarian Lilian's recommendations for books that feature capable and inspiring female protagonists. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn Grade 8 and up Library Catalog: All available formats “Sixteen-year-old Black whiz kid Bree Matthews battles grief and demonic forces on her college campus. After her mother dies in an accident, Bree begins a residential program for enterprising teens at her mother’s alma mater and, soon after her arrival, witnesses a magical attack that triggers hidden memories about the evening her mother was killed. Haunted by the
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May 24, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: books for teens, staff picks, staff recommendations, The Edge, and YA Fiction.

May Middle Grade Pick of the Month

May 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! Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook and eAudiobook Zachary Ying has been struggling to fit in at school – hard to do when you’re one of the only non-white kids. But any worries about that are immediately overwhelmed when Zachary’s mother’s soul is stolen – and he gets possessed by the spirit of the first emperor of China!
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May 19, 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.

May Graphic Novel Pick of the Month

May Graphic Novel Pick of the Month

In this blog, Donna will highlight graphic novels that are great reads! Graphic Novels are intended for readers ages 8 and up. graph·ic nov·el a novel in comic-strip format A first time for everything by Dan Santat Bestselling author and Caldecott Medalist (ages 10-14) Library catalog: Print Libby: ebook A school trip to Europe in the summer? Most kids would be excited, but not Dan. This graphic novel is a memoir of Dan Santat’s middle school years. Dan is seen as a pretty good kid. He stays out of trouble, listens to his teachers and parents, and tries to fly
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May 17, 2023 2:01 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for kids, Graphic Novel Pick of the Month, graphic novels, Graphic Novels for kids, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Books By Dads For, and About, Dads

Books By Dads For, and About, Dads

Below please find lists curated by the Youth Services Librarians of White Plains Public Library of Nonfiction, Memoirs & Parenting Books; Picture Books, Juvenile Fiction; and Young Adult Fiction written by fathers that are for fathers and about fatherhood. Nonfiction, Memoirs, & Parenting Books Dad’s Book of Awesome Projects by Mike Adamich Library Catalog Dad’s Book of Awesome Science Projects by Mike Adamich Library Catalog Fatherhood by Papa B: a Game-changing Guide for Parents, Father Figures and Fathers-to-be by Bode Aboderin Library Catalog – Libby Made With Dad: From Wizards’ Wands to Japanese Dolls, Craft Projects to Build, Make and
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May 15, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Father's Day, fatherhood, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Picture Book Pick of the Month

Picture Book Pick of the Month

Picture Books are for all children!   In this blog, Donna will highlight great picture books old and new. Noor and Bobby by Praline Gay-Para, Illustrations by Lauranne Quentric (ages 4-7) Translated from French by Alyson Waters Library catalog: Print Libby: ebook What immediately grabbed my attention was the sweet illustration of a boy holding a dog on the cover. This illustration is simplistic in nature, but the story it tells is multi-layered. There are certain subjects that are hard to discuss with younger children and that is exactly why we need books like Noor and Bobby. The author never uses
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May 12, 2023 10:49 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, Noor and Bobby, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 9

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 9

LINDOS LIBROS BILINGÜES, Parte 9 The Library has a lovely collection of bilingual Spanish/English books. To celebrate reading in two languages, we will be featuring our beautiful new books in a blog – so enjoy practicing your Spanish and English skills with these books. La Biblioteca tiene una colección hermosa de libros bilingües en inglés/español. Para celebrar leyendo en dos idiomas, le estaremos presentando nuestros lindos libros aquí. Así puede disfrutar practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros. Bedtime for Baby Shark / A la cama Bebé Tiburón, by John John Bajet. Library Catalog An adaptation of the
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May 10, 2023 10:00 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.

May Programs for Younger Kids

May Programs for Younger Kids

Great programs for younger children take place all month long, every month, at the Library. See our online calendar or stop in the Trove for location information. Storytimes! Ages 2-6, Families Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – May 2, 9 Saturday, 2:00 p.m. – May 20 – Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Stories, songs and fun with a Trove Librarian. Following Storytime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the children and caregivers are invited to Toy Time in the Story Trove – a time to play and socialize!Rock Your World Concert Up to age 8, Families Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m. – May 3,
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April 26, 2023 1:00 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, dance, kids, live music, May 2023, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

May is Family Wellness Month!

May is Family Wellness Month!

The month of May is a great time to educate, encourage, and enact a healthy lifestyle for your family! Eating healthy, exercising, and unwinding at the end of the day are important ways for keeping everyone happy and healthy. There are lots of simple activities you can do to keep your mind & body fit…and think about ways to improve your daily habits, such as going to bed at a reasonable time!   Books for the whole family to check out: Taking Care of Me by Mari C. Schuh Library catalog, ebook Yoga for little kids: simple poses to encourage
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April 26, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for kids, children's books, Family Wellness Month, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Mindfulness & Yoga Storytime

Mindfulness & Yoga Storytime

Mindfulness & Yoga Storytime with Poojah Shah Tuesdays May 16th & May 30th at 11:00 a.m For: Children (ages 2-6) Location: Galaxy Hall The Trove will be hosting two mindfulness & yoga storytime sessions featuring Poojah Shah. We will first read a book that focuses on mindfulness. Afterwards Ms. Shah will practice mindful movements and yoga postures designed for children. This event will be held in Galaxy Hall. The first session will be offered on Tuesday, May 16th at 11:00 a.m. The second session will be held on Tuesday, May 30th at 11:00 a.m. Tickets for the program will be
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April 26, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: mindfulness, storytime, and yoga for kids.

Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month

Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month

On April 20th, 2006, President Bush issued the first proclamation designating May 2006 as Jewish American Heritage Month. Since then, the month of May is dedicated to celebrating the many contributions of Jewish Americans in the last 369 years and encourages everyone to learn more about the history, culture, accomplishments, and diversity of the American Jewish community. A great wealth of resources for families to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month are the programs and exhibits of the Jewish Museum on 5th Avenue at 92nd Street in NYC. Check out their family events here. To celebrate the month, I have gathered
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April 26, 2023 10:00 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Jewish American Heritage Month, Observances and Celebrations, Observances and Holidays, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

May Author Visit Storytimes

May Author Visit Storytimes

We have three local author visit storytimes scheduled this May. Join us to hear these authors read their stories, and chat with them about their books in person! Author Visit Storytime: Sophie’s Special Story by Gabriella Gizzo Saturday, May 13th at 2 pm Library Catalog This book is about the special bond between an owner and her dog, Sophie. This unique story line expresses Sophie's adventures as she journeys through life with Gabriella. The purpose of this book was to creatively target speech and language goals through Sophie's experiences. Throughout the story, Sophie's development is revealed through her descriptors. These
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April 26, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: author discussion, author event, author storytime, author storytimes, children's books, meet the author, and trove events.

May is Latino Books Month

May is Latino Books Month

Latino Books Month was launched by Rhode Island Latino Arts (founded in 1988 & today is Rhode Island’s leading nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to the promotion, advancement, development and cultivation of Latino arts) and has been sponsored by the Association of American Publishers (AAP).  Latino Books Month began in 2004 and has been celebrated ever since. It is dedicated to all Latino authors, illustrators and books, including fiction, poetry, drama, autobiography and art. It is meant to inspire literacy amongst the Latino community, promoting English and Spanish reading and highlighting Latino countries and cultures. Latino Books Month encourages librarians, teachers,
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April 25, 2023 6:15 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Latino Books Month, Observances and Celebrations, Observances and Holidays, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

New Books in the Edge: April

New Books in the Edge: April

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. Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby Grades 7 and up Library Catalog / Libby “In a far future with quantum communication and teleportation, something goes terribly wrong. After 6 years apart, it’s time for 17-year-old Jessica to be reunited with her parents—but at the cost
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April 25, 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.

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! Catching a Storyfish by Janice N. Harrington Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook This novel in verse tells the story of a young girl whose move to a new state causes her normal stream of words to almost entirely dry up when her classmates make fun of her accent. The only place she feels safe enough to talk is fishing with her grandfather – but what is she
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April 21, 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.

Celebrate Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month

Celebrate Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month

Celebrate Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month With Great Picture Books! Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month began in 1977 as a ten-day celebration of Asian Pacific American contributions to the United States. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed a law expanding the celebration to the entire month of May. The observance started by commemorating two events: The arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843 and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, largely built by Chinese immigrants, on May 10, 1869. The month-long celebration of Asians and Pacific
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April 20, 2023 9:23 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Month, children's books, Observances and Celebrations, Observances and Holidays, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Bilingual Family Night / Noche bilingüe de familia

Bilingual Family Night / Noche bilingüe de familia

Bilingual Family Night / Noche bilingüe de familia For Children & Families / para niños y sus familias Wednesdays / miércoles, 7:00 p.m. May/mayo 3, June/junio 7 July/julio 5, August/agosto 2 Please join us for Bilingual Family Night – a program series in English & Spanish for the entire family, with stories, songs & a craft that is held once a month. Disfrute con nosotros de la Noche bilingüe de familia, un programa en inglés y español para toda la familia, con cuentos, canciones y una manualidad que ofrecemos una vez al mes. The Library has a lovely collection of
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April 12, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Español, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Beautiful Bilingual Books, Bilingual, Bilingual books, Bilingual Family Night, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day

“I have learned you are never too small to make a difference.” — Greta Thunberg Earth Day Reads 2023: Be Water-Wise, Super Grover! Library Catalog Fight Pollution, Big Bird! Library Catalog It’s Earth Day, Cookie Monster! Library Catalog, ebook Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, Oscar! Library Catalog My friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan Library Catalog Tall, tall tree by Anthony D. Fredericks Library Catalog Thank you, Earth: a love letter to our planet by April Pulley Sayre Library Catalog We are water protectors by Carole Lindstrom Library Catalog ebook 101 ways to be an eco hero by Kait Eaton Library Catalog
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April 12, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, Earth Day, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.