Archives for Featured

Underground Railroad Storytime

Underground Railroad Storytime

Thursday, June 9th at 4:00 p.m. (Grades K–3) Come to the Library Plaza to hear the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winning book, Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom, by Shane W. Evans, along with other stories and poetry related to the Underground Railroad. Then work on a Harriet Tubman craft project! The Underground Railroad: In 1619, the first enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia, one of the newly formed 13 American Colonies. They had been kidnapped from their homes and were forced to work on tobacco, rice, and indigo plantations from Maryland and Virginia all the way to Georgia. According
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May 23, 2022 10:43 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Harriet Tubman, Harriet Tubman sculpture, Harriet Tubman StoryWalk, library events, Observances and Celebrations, outdoor events white plains, storywalk, Trove StoryWalk, White Plains Harriet Tubman, and White Plains Harriet Tubman Events.

June Harriet Tubman StoryWalk

June Harriet Tubman StoryWalk

Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free By Alice Faye Duncan & Keturah A. Bobo Wednesday, June 1st to Thursday, June 30th, 2022 Sculptor Wesley Woffard’s 9-foot monument honoring Harriet Tubman (entitled “The Journey to Freedom”) is in White Plains. The sculpture is on display at the Renaissance Plaza until June 30th, and the City and the White Plains Public Library will be honoring Harriet Tubman with a wide variety of programs throughout its stay. A full listing of the Library’s events can be found here. To celebrate, from June 1st-30th the Library will have on display the
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May 23, 2022 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Harriet Tubman, Harriet Tubman sculpture, Harriet Tubman StoryWalk, library events, Observances and Celebrations, outdoor events white plains, storywalk, Trove StoryWalk, White Plains Harriet Tubman, and White Plains Harriet Tubman Events.

Forever Young Adult Book Club

Forever Young Adult Book Club

Forever Young Adult is a group for YA fans who are a little less “Y”(oung) and a bit more “A”(dult). Whether you're a regular YA reader or you need a break from your usual “To Read” list, all are welcome! Click here for a printable pdf with these dates and titles. Thursday, May 26 @ 7:00 PM Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon (Library Catalog / Libby) Click here for the Zoom link. The Hating Game meets Booksmart by way of Morgan Matson in this unforgettable romantic comedy about two rival overachievers whose relationship completely transforms over the course
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May 23, 2022 8:09 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: author event, book club, book discussion, book group in westchester, book group in white plains, book groups, and Forever Young Adult Book Club.

The Castle: A Space for Tweens in Grades 4-6

The Castle: A Space for Tweens in Grades 4-6

Starting on May 16th, The Castle in the Trove will open as a new, refreshed space for students in grades 4-6. This will be a space just for youth in Grades 4-6 to hang out, talk to friends, do homework, and work on school projects together. In addition, the Castle will have a variety of activities available: tabletop games, puzzles, LEGOS, arts & craft projects, and STEAM activities, and more! Librarians will also be available right outside to help with their homework and will sometimes run programs in the Castle to engage their interests.  **Note: for Homework Help, also be
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May 20, 2022 11:41 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: library updates, programs for tweens, The Castle, The Trove, and tween programming.

Middle Grade Pick of the Month

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, Ashley will recommend great books for children in this age group! Making Friends by Kristen Gudsnuk Libby Library Catalog I can’t remember exactly when I discovered the first book in Kristen Gudsnuk’s Making Friends series. What I can recall is being immediately drawn to its bright cover as well as how loud I cackled while reading it. A few of the other youth services librarians at the White Plains Public Library can attest to this as many of
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May 19, 2022 10:32 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.

New in the Edge: May 2022

New in the Edge: May 2022

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. Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer Grades 9 and up Library Catalog “After a year away, Ellis returns home to confront her past. Graduating from high school far from everything familiar was not part of Ellis Truman’s original plans, but she nevertheless ended up
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May 19, 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.

Celebrate Pride in June

Celebrate Pride in June

Now more than ever it is important to celebrate Pride and show support for LGBTQ+ families! The attack on LGBTQ+ rights this year and the psychological toll it has had on LGBTQ+ kids, teens and their families has been enormous. This wave of hate is being perpetrated by only a small (though powerful) minority of Americans. This hateful legislative push runs completely counter to the beliefs and values of most Americans. Matt Lavietes and Elliott Ramos write in their NBC article, “As the number of anti-LGBTQ bills hits record highs, research shows that so, too, has support for LGBTQ rights
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May 18, 2022 10:47 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, LGBTQIA+, Observances and Celebrations, Observances and Holidays, and Pride Month.

The Roots of Black Music in America

The Roots of Black Music in America

Wednesday, June 1st, 7:00 p.m. (virtual) Children, Teens, Families, Adults 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. Music is a language that students of any age can understand and appreciate. It connects us, elevates our awareness, and deepens our learning beyond reading the words of a textbook. Audiences will sing, dance, use percussion, and practice call and response as they journey back in time to learn about and experience the music of the most influential Black musicians in American history. Join musician, producer, arts
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May 13, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: adults, all ages, Black History, children's events, edge events, events, events for families in White Plains, events for kids in White Plains, families, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Tubman sculpture, library events, live music, Observances and Celebrations, performances, teens, theater, trove events, White Plains events, and White Plains Harriet Tubman Events.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. I loved The Addams Family as a kid, the original TV show and the 90s movies (ok, I admit, I still love them now). Just the mention of The Addams Family also immediately brings to mind the original show’s infectious theme song: “dada duh dum snap snap dada duh dum snap snap they’re creepy and they’re kooky, The Addams
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May 12, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Addams family, children's books, children's literature, Peculiar Picks, picture books, staff picks, staff recommendations, and the addams family.

AAPI Heritage Month

AAPI Heritage Month

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month) is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. The AAPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia—and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. AAPI Heritage Month 2022 will take place from Sunday, May 1 to Tuesday, May 31. Here are some titles to help us get to better know and understand our AAPI neighbors. Enjoy! Tiny feet between the mountains, by Hanna Cha. (Library Catalog) The
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May 5, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: AAPI, AAPI Heritage Month, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

What You Need To Know About: Doctor Strange

What You Need To Know About: Doctor Strange

It’s kitchen sink time! From what we have seen in the trailers, Marvel is throwing everything they have into the second Dr. Strange movie: Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness (out May 6th). Following up from destroying the fabric of reality in Spider-man: No Way Home, Dr. Strange has to fix the multiverse. Marvel has decided to add so many characters to this film that I don’t know where to start. Yes I do, America Chavez or Miss America, which means the MCU is finally showing signs of diversity, maybe. We also saw Defender Dr. Strange, Zombie Defender Dr.
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May 5, 2022 9:21 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Doctor Strange, Doctor Strange Into the Multiverse, Marvel, Marvel Studios, and What You Need to Know About.

May 2022 LibraryReads

May 2022 LibraryReads

Here are the books published this month that librarians across the country love. Book of Night by Holly Black Library Collection: Print Libby: eBook / Audiobook “Charlie is a hot mess. The more she tries to get on the straight and narrow, the more things fall apart. Due to childhood trauma, she trusts only herself, and maybe her shadow. But in a world where shadows can be altered, stolen, and weaponized, she has to be wary. Lots of atmospheric world building and stage setting, and perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Neil Gaiman, and V.E. Schwab.—Emily Plagens, Allen Public Library,
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May 4, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, librarian recommendations, Library Reads, LibraryReads, and staff picks.

Photos wanted: Winbrook, WP malls

Photos wanted: Winbrook, WP malls

Two of the original five buildings in the Winbrook apartments (now officially called Brookfield Commons) have been razed and replaced. The three still in use will eventually meet the same fate. The White Plains Mall will be leveled and replaced by a large residential and retail development called Hamilton Green. And the Galleria Mall, which lost its anchor stores when Sears and Macy’s closed, may be demolished whole or in part for a redevelopment that would dramatically change its appearance. As these buildings which were once fixtures in downtown White Plains disappear, we would like to keep a visual record
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May 3, 2022 5:11 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, Library News, and Local History.
Tags: history of White Plains, local history, White Plains Galleria, White Plains local history, White Plains mall, white plains new york, and winbrook.

Tiny Tales: Snappy Little Farmyard

Tiny Tales: Snappy Little Farmyard

Tiny Tales are short “bite-sized” song and story videos. Watch one for a short early literacy break, or a few for a whole storytime! You can find our entire collection of Tiny Tales videos right here! Today’s video features Trove librarian Tata presenting “Snappy Little Farmyard” Tiny Tales are made possible with support from the White Plains Library Foundation.
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May 3, 2022 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: library storytime recording, library storytime video, online library storytime, storytime, The Trove, Tiny Tales, video, videos, virtual library storytime, westchester libraries, westchester library storytime, white plains library, and white plains new york.

Chinese Culture & Language Classes

Chinese Culture & Language Classes

Thursdays, May 5th–June 2nd, 3:30 p.m. (virtual) Ages 5-15. Registration required. Space is limited. Registration is for all FIVE sessions Thursdays, 5/5-6/2. You must provide an email address when registering in order to receive the program link. Register here beginning April 14. Youth ages 5-15 are invited to take part in a five-part series of classes to explore Chinese culture in tandem with Chinese language learning. By cultivating enthusiasm for authentic Chinese culture, the programs teach them to: understand food culture, connect with Chinese history, appreciate Chinese traditions and holidays, and parse meaning from ever-important Chinese idioms. Through theme-based activities,
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May 2, 2022 8:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Classes, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: children's programs, Chinese culture, chinese language, culture, language classes, language learning, mandarin, mandarin classes, and teen programs.

Dungeons & Dragons for Beginners

Dungeons & Dragons for Beginners

Are you curious about D&D but don’t know where to start, or don’t want to join a long campaign? This Spring the Library will be hosting 3 individual campaigns for students in grades 7-12. These will take one session to complete, you can join for one or all of them. You will learn about characters, role playing, how to succeed in campaigns and what a 20 sided dice is used for. Click on the date below that you want to sign up for: Wednesday, April 27th from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25th from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 22nd from 4:30-7:30
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May 1, 2022 10:18 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dungeons and Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons groups in White Plains, tabletop games for teens, Virtual Table Top Gaming, and Westchester Dungeons and Dragons.

May Book Bunch

May Book Bunch

From April 1st through June 30th, the Harriet Tubman – Journey to Freedom sculpture by Wesley Wofford will be on display in Renaissance Plaza in downtown White Plains. In conjunction with this historic visit by the sculpture, the Library and many other community partners are organizing events related to Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and more, throughout April, May, and June (see a list of the Library's events here). The Trove will be having two Book Bunch book discussion programs for fourth through eighth graders in April and May. Wednesday, May 25th at 4:30 p.m. Click here to register. Join
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April 29, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book bunch, book club, book discussion, book group, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Tubman sculpture, White Plains Harriet Tubman, and White Plains Harriet Tubman Events.

Harriet Tubman Grab & Go Kit

Harriet Tubman Grab & Go Kit

To celebrate Harriet Tubman’s statue coming to White Plains we have a special Grab & Go kit for teens! We have a coloring page showing Harriet Tubman’s fierce determination in leading enslaved people to freedom using the north star, Polaris. This kit comes with materials to light up her lantern and Polaris with LED lights. Students will use copper tape, batteries and LEDs to create an electrical circuit that will light up this coloring page. These kits will be available starting Monday, May 16th as Grab & Go kits you can pick up in the lobby of the Library and
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April 29, 2022 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Black History, edge events, events, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Tubman sculpture, library events, Observances and Celebrations, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEM, teens, White Plains events, and White Plains Harriet Tubman Events.

Grab & Go Kits for Grades 4 and up: Big Dipper Embroidery

Grab & Go Kits for Grades 4 and up: Big Dipper Embroidery

As part of our celebration of the Harriet Tubman statue “The Journey to Freedom,” we've put together an embroidery craft kit for grades 4 and up. Kits are first come, first served, and will become available on Monday, May 16th in the Library lobby. The kit includes an embroidery hoop and needle, blue fabric, and metallic thread in silver and gold. You'll just need to provide scissors. We think this kit is totally doable for grades 4 and up, but the younger end of the age range would benefit from a parent's help to complete the kit. We'll follow a
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April 29, 2022 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: arts and crafts, Grab & Go kits, and Harriet Tubman.

Harriet Tubman: Journey to Freedom Programs and Events

Harriet Tubman: Journey to Freedom Programs and Events

From April 1st through June 30th, the Harriet Tubman – Journey to Freedom sculpture by Wesley Wofford will be on display in Renaissance Plaza in downtown White Plains. In conjunction with this historic visit by the sculpture, the Library and many other community partners are organizing events related to Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and more, throughout April, May, and June. Below, you will find a listing of the Library’s events in conjunction with the statue’s visit to White Plains. Get the Zoom link for each virtual program by clicking on that program’s date and time. Find the full listing
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April 28, 2022 10:00 am | by | 4 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: adults, all ages, Black History, book discussion, children's events, edge events, events, events for families in White Plains, events for kids in White Plains, families, Grab & Go kits, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Tubman sculpture, Juneteenth, library events, live music, Observances and Celebrations, outdoor events, performances, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEM, teens, theater, trove events, White Plains events, and White Plains Harriet Tubman Events.