Archives for Authors & Books

February Tweens Talk Banned Books

February Tweens Talk Banned Books

February Tweens Talk Banned Books Grades 4-6 February 23 at 4:30-6:00 p.m. Virtual Registration required. Register here. Note: All of our youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account to attend. Sign up for a free Zoom account here: http://zoom.us/signup. As cases of censorship have grown more widespread throughout the U.S., the Library has kicked off a year-long celebration of banned books – #WPFreedomToRead – that started during Banned Books Week (September 18-24 2022.) The Library’s celebration of banned books will feature a variety of programs for adults, teens, and children throughout the year. Join us at the Trove for
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January 23, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, banned books, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, book discussion for teens, books for children, and juvenile fiction.

January Middle Grade Pick of the Month

January 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! Broken Strings by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook Shirli Berman is so excited for her school’s play this year, Fiddler on the Roof. She has high hopes for the female lead role, but those hopes are dashed – she’s playing the role of the older mother character instead. Shirli is soon distracted from her discontent with the role when she discovers secrets
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January 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.

Most Popular 2022 Checkouts

Most Popular 2022 Checkouts

Below is a list of the 2022 top five 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, Dog Man, and Disney! Fiction The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (Library Collection / Libby) It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (Library Collection / Libby) Verity by Colleen Hoover (Library Collection / Libby)
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January 17, 2023 1:58 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, books, end of year lists, film, patron favorites, top checkouts, and tv.

The Trove’s Winter StoryWalk

The Trove’s Winter StoryWalk

The Trove’s Winter StoryWalk: Winter, Winter, Cold and Snow By Sharon G. Palermo & Christina Song Tuesday, January 10th – Tuesday, February 28th, 2022 Come to the Trove on the second floor and enjoy our winter StoryWalk book, Winter, Winter, Cold and Snow written by Sharon Gibson Palermo and illustrated by Christina Song. Join Chickadee, Bear, Rabbit and a host of other friendly forest animals on a quiet journey through a winter day. The colorful cut-paper illustrations present a joyful depiction of the forest critters and their winter habits! Suggested Winter Activities: 31+ Winter Activities for Kids 100+ Winter Activities
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January 15, 2023 10:19 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: storywalk, The Trove, Trove StoryWalk, winter, and Winter 2023.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 5

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 5

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 que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros. A Movie in My Pillow / Una película en mi almohada, by Jorge Argueta. All available formats Un niño describe sus experiencias entre dos mundos:
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January 12, 2023 9:26 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Español, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Booklist Reader

Booklist Reader

Need help deciding what to read next? Then pick up a free copy of Booklist Reader. The Reader includes new titles, available in print and audio, top graphic novels, books on a theme–like traveling on foot–plus books for teens and children, including picture books and biographies. Included in every issue are interviews and profiles of authors and illustrators. Copies of the Booklist Reader, a publication of the American Library Association, can be found in the Hub area on the first floor as well upstairs in the Trove. Many of the titles in the Reader are owned by the Library, but
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January 11, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations and Booklist reader.

Banned Books Photobooth

Banned Books Photobooth

Get caught reading a Banned Book in the Library's Lobby! Take a “mugshot” holding your favorite banned or challenged book with our “crime” sign in front of our backdrop. Post your selfie to social media using the hashtag #WPFreedomtoRead OR upload your photos to our website here. We'll add your “mugshots” to this page and our gallery as they come in. We'll also have a pop-up photobooth at upcoming #WPFreedomtoRead events where staff can take your photo. “Mugshot” Gallery:
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December 31, 2022 11:26 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, banned books, Banned Books Photobooth, Banned Books Week, and library staff.

January Programs for Younger Kids

January 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. Storytime! Ages 2-6, Families Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – January 3, 10, 17, 31 Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. – January 12, 26 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! Let’s Groove! with Miss Lisa Ages 3 months – 5 years, Families Thursday, 11:00 a.m. – January 5 Join
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December 28, 2022 10:47 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, dance, January 2023, kids, live music, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

January Freedom to Read Storytime

January Freedom to Read Storytime

FREEDOM TO READ STORYTIME Wednesday, January 18th at 7:00 pm Age group: Children 3+ with their families Location: Auditorium Join us to hear stories of courageous women fighting for the right to read and to get an education in the most dire of circumstances. Listen to two titles by Jeannette Winter: The Librarian of Basra; a True Story From Iraq; and Nasreen’s Secret School; a True Story From Afghanistan. And, have fun making a craft to take home with you! Freedom to Read Storytimes are part of the Library’s #WPFreedomToRead initiative. While the books read may not all be challenged,
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December 22, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, Freedom to Read Storytime, and storytime.

Three Kings Day/El Día de Reyes Storytime

Three Kings Day/El Día de Reyes Storytime

Three Kings Day/El Día de Reyes Storytime Saturday, January 7th, 2023 at 2:00 pm Age Group(s):  For Families & Children Location: Rotary Room Come join us for a bilingual storytime celebrating Three Kings Day/Día de Reyes and also create a craft – a kid-sized crown! There will be a visit from the Three Kings too! This program is presented in conjunction with the Puerto Rican Artist Poster Exhibit on view in the Library Gallery from November 7th, 2022 through January 7th, 2023 that is curated by the White Plains Puerto Rican Cultural Committee, Comite Noviembre and PRIDA. Some Fun Suggested
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December 21, 2022 4:12 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: dia de reyes, Observances and Celebrations, storytime, and three kings day.

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! A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook June Yang, her sister, and her mother have been evicted from their apartment and landed in Huey House, a homeless shelter. She’s ashamed of their new circumstances – until she begins to make friends, especially with longtime Huey House resident Tyrell. Tyrell helps June learn the ins-and-outs of the House, while June gets Tyrell
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December 21, 2022 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.

What’s New in the Edge: December 2022

What’s New in the Edge: December 2022

As the end of the year approaches, I like to share the books in our YA fiction collection that have been most popular during the year. I've gathered the top ten most popular books in our collection that were published in 2022. After that, you'll see a few older titles that were also very popular among White Plains readers this year. YA Fiction's most popular titles published in 2022: Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber Grades 9 and up Library Catalog / Libby “Wren Greenrock's parents were the king and queen of Eana before they were murdered. While
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December 20, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: A fiction, new books, new in the Edge, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA literature.

January Tweens Talk Banned Books

January Tweens Talk Banned Books

January Tweens Talk Banned Books Grades 4-6 January 19th at 4:30-6:00 p.m. Virtual Registration required. Register here. Note: All of our youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account to attend. Sign up for a free Zoom account here: http://zoom.us/signup. As cases of censorship have grown more widespread throughout the U.S., the Library has kicked off a year-long celebration of banned books – #WPFreedomToRead – that started during Banned Books Week (September 18-24 2022.) The Library’s celebration of banned books will feature a variety of programs for adults, teens, and children throughout the year. Join us at the Trove for
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December 16, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, banned books, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, book discussion for teens, books for children, and juvenile fiction.

2022 Staff Favorites

2022 Staff Favorites

The White Plains Library Staff have assembled their picks for the year, featuring mystery, audiobooks, fantasy, 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 or resource where they're available as well as a blurb on why staff enjoyed it. Fiction Murder at the Savoy by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Library Catalog This is the sixth novel in the Martin Beck series, Beck being the go-to detective in Sweden's National Homicide Squad
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December 14, 2022 10:00 am | by | 6 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Local History.
Tags: staff favorites, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 4

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 4

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 picture 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 que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros ilustrados. El niño de maíz / The Boy of Maize, by Mario Bencastro. Library Catalog Inspirado en el mito maya de la creación, este
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December 14, 2022 9:20 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.

New in the Edge

New in the Edge

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. How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow Grades 9 and up Library Catalog “Queer Jewish love stubbornly blooms despite the cold of a Washington, D.C., winter. Fresh off a cataclysmic first semester of college, Shani is determined to pass her winter break internship
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November 22, 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.

December Book Bunch

December Book Bunch

Thursday, December 22nd at 4:30 p.m. Click here to register for our Book Bunch Join Caroline for a book discussion and trivia game for 4th through 8th graders! We will be reading Stargazing by Jen Wang. This is a perfect read to celebrate the holiday season. Stargazing is a graphic novel by Jen Wang. The book is about a friendship between two Chinese American girls Christine and Moon. Soon the two girls become best friends and share their favorite books and videos, and confide in each other. When Moon tells Christine a secret (that she has visions from celestial beings),
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November 15, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, and The Trove.

Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month this November by reading one of these selected titles written by Indigenous authors and about Indigenous people and history. Find our Libby list here. As Long as Grass Grows by Dina Gilio-Whitaker Library Collection: Print Libby: eBook The story of Native peoples resistance to environmental injustice and land incursions, and a call for environmentalists to learn from the Indigenous community's rich history of activism Through the unique lens of Indigenized environmental justice, Indigenous researcher and activist Dina Gilio-Whitaker explores the fraught history of treaty violations, struggles for food and water security, and protection of sacred
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November 13, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books.
Tags: Indigenous authors, Native American Heritage Month, Native American writers, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Celebrate December Holidays (younger kids)

Celebrate December Holidays (younger kids)

The White Plains Public Library is offering a variety of programs celebrating the December holidays this year – we hope you can come and join us! Author Visit & Storytime: Hanukkah Nights Ages 2-6, Families Friday, 11:00 a.m. – December 2 Join author, artist and children’s book creator Amalia Hoffman in celebrating a colorful and creative Hanukkah with her new book Hanukkah Nights! More details can be found here. Hanukkah Grab & Go Kit Available in the Library Lobby starting Monday, December 12 at 10:00 a.m. while supplies last. Hanukkah-themed Grab & Go kits for children in Kindergarten through 3rd
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November 12, 2022 10:12 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, Christmas, December 2022, Feliz Navidad, Hanukkah, holidays, kids, Kwanzaa, performances, programs, Shabe Yalda, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

#WPFreedomToRead Challenge

#WPFreedomToRead Challenge

“I'll be absolutely candid and honest, it's embarrassing that we are banning books in this country, in this culture, in this day and age.” – LeVar Burton As part of our year-long celebration of banned and challenged books, adults and teens are invited to join our #WPFreedomToRead Challenge. It's fun! It's easy! There are prizes! Yes, YOU could win a Kindle Paperwhite or other bookish prize! All you need to do is read banned or challenged books and log what you've read in READsquared. Each banned or challenged book you read and log earns you an entry in our prize
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November 11, 2022 1:51 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, banned books, reading challenge, and ReadSquared.