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English Conversation Group

English Conversation Group

New schedule: Every other Wednesday* 2:00–3:00 p.m. *Note the new day and frequency ESL speakers, come practice your English conversation skills in this fun, supportive virtual setting! Feel free to bring your own conversation topics. For more information on joining, click the date(s) you would like to attend: September 29th October 13th October 27th A key element to learning a new language is to practice, and our English Conversation Group (ECG) provides exactly that opportunity. If you speak English as a second (or third, or fourth!) language, you're welcome to come and converse with other people, both language learners and
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August 1, 2021 10:00 am | by | 4 Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: english as a second language, english conversation group, and ESL.

What You Need to Know About… Monster

What You Need to Know About… Monster

Gone are the days when every middle school and high school summer reading list was full of titles by Walter Dean Myers. While at one time, Myers was the go-to author for diverse characters, because he was one of the only authors of diverse characters, we are now fortunate that the publishing industry has begun embracing diverse authors.  WIth this shift in the publishing industry, and public desire for diverse works, there is an increasing body of wonderful and important works by newer writers such as Jason Reynolds and Angie Thomas. But this doesn’t mean that Myers' books are no longer poignant
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July 27, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: teen movies, teens, What You Need to Know About, and YA literature.

Dive Into Diversity: Happy Summer Birthdays!

Dive Into Diversity: Happy Summer Birthdays!

There are so many talented and diverse children’s authors and illustrators being published! To celebrate them, I have decided to celebrate their birthdays on a seasonal basis starting with summer, and hopefully continuing throughout the year 2021-22. I was greatly inspired by Eric VanRaepenbusch’s website, Happy Birthday Author, and highly recommend it! VanRaepenbusch’s website focuses on creating “memorable reading experiences by celebrating author and Illustrator birthdays.” He has engagingly documented the authors and illustrators he as a homeschooling parent has studied with his children, and the STEAM activities they have done together to create an incredible resource for other parents
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July 26, 2021 11:31 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Shadow Puppetry Performances and Workshop

Shadow Puppetry Performances and Workshop

Firelight Shadow Theater presents two pre-recorded performances available for viewing from July 11 – July 30. Me and My Shadow is for PreK and family audiences, while Spin Me a Shadow, Tell Me a Tale is for Grades K-5 audiences. Then, on August 11, kids in Grades 2-5 are invited to take part in a shadow puppetry workshop. As Daniel Barash of Firelight Shadow Theater says, “See you in the land of shadows!” Me and My Shadow PreK, families Pre-recorded show accessible July 11 – July 30 Access the video here starting July 11. After first introducing youngsters to the
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July 23, 2021 10:33 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's events, Firelight Shadow Theater, shadow puppetry, shadow puppets, The Trove, and trove events.

Dive Into Diversity: Let’s Go on a Trip

Dive Into Diversity: Let’s Go on a Trip

White Plains is a wonderfully diverse community! Parents, children and teens have expressed an interest in titles that reflect the diversity in the community, and Ashley, Kathlyn, and Raquel's “Dive Into Diversity” column will spotlight noteworthy children's and teen titles that are inclusive, diverse and multicultural to fulfill that interest. Ashley's portion is aimed at readers in grades 4-6. It’s summer break and perhaps your family is traveling! If that isn’t the case, here are a few recommendations of great diverse stories about going on a journey that you can stay home and enjoy! Fly on the Wall by Remy
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July 23, 2021 9:50 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, juvenile fiction, staff picks, staff recommendations, and travel.

Dive into Diversity: YA Retellings

Dive into Diversity: YA Retellings

In 2021, my Dive into Diversity posts about young adult books will focus on a different genre each month. I’ll highlight books with characters that represent a range of experiences and identities. I’ll also feature authors who share an aspect of their characters’ identity as much as possible. I was somehow able to wait until July before writing about one of my favorite types of fiction: retellings of fairy tales and classic stories. This month I read A Blade So Black by L. L. McKinley, a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. In this version, Alice stumbles into an awareness of Wonderland when
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July 22, 2021 10:56 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, fairy tales, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA Fiction.

Grab & Go Craft Kits: Wire Photo Holder

Grab & Go Craft Kits: Wire Photo Holder

Teens in grades 7-12 can pick up a kit with project supplies at the Library, then follow along with the instructional video below to make the project. Or, you can find the materials around your home and follow the video to make the project. Kits are first come, first served, and will become available on Monday, July 19th in the Library lobby. For this month’s project, we’re making a decorative photo holder using a rock and some wire. The kit includes a smooth, flat rock, two feet of wire, some paint, a foam brush, and a couple of popsicle sticks.
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July 19, 2021 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: crafts for teens and Grab & Go kits.

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. Here’s Part 3 of Peculiar Picks of books based on songs, uplifting and positive. Here are Part 1 and Part 2. Note: I recommend caregivers listen to the music for themselves before sharing with their child to determine if they feel it is appropriate for their child. Let’s Dance adapted from lyrics by David Bowie, illustrated by Hannah Marks
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July 15, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, music, Peculiar Picks, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Great Podcasts for Kids 2

Great Podcasts for Kids 2

Summer’s not over yet and that may mean you have some car trips coming up. Or, perhaps, you just want to give your kids some screen-free learning opportunities? Here are some excellent podcasts, on a variety of topics and themes, to enjoy, selected by Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. Also, be sure to check out Part 1 in this series of podcast recommendations as well as recommendations for Great Podcasts for Parents and Caregivers. All of these podcasts should be available on any service you use to listen to podcasts, such as Apple Podcasts, Apple Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google
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July 14, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Great Podcasts, Great Podcasts for Kids, podcasts, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Magazines on Libby & OverDrive

Magazines on Libby & OverDrive

Library patrons now have access to over 3,000 magazines titles digitally through OverDrive or the Libby App. All you need is a library card from the Westchester Library System to access them. For information on getting a library card, click here. We've also curated some lists to help you get started, including Popular titles, Cooking, Crafts, Design, Fashion, Music, Sports, and more. You can read the magazines on a smartphone, iPad, or computer. When you see an article you want to read, click on it and you'll be prompted to Read the Article. This opens up the article, making for
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July 2, 2021 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Director's Corner, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: libby, magazines, and OverDrive.

Summer Staff Picks

Summer Staff Picks

Whether you're looking for a steamy romance or a great rib recipe, Adult Services & Marketing Librarian Kristen has compiled a variety of titles for you to enjoy this summer. If you're looking for something different, leave us a comment below with the genre or theme you're looking for and we'll give you a personalized recommendation! Beach Reads Summer on the Bluffs by Sunny Hostin Library Catalog: Print OverDrive & Libby: eBook / Audiobook “A self-made Black millionaire invites her three goddaughters for a last Martha's Vineyard summer–at the end of which one will get the mansion. In the first
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June 30, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: beach reads, staff picks, staff recommendations, and summer reading.

Reserve a Study Room

Reserve a Study Room

The Library has three study rooms available that individuals or a group of two can use to work. Here's what you need to know: To book an appointment online, you can use your White Plains library card. If you have a library card from another Westchester library, please call 422-1400 and we can reserve an appointment for you. You must have a library card in good standing to use a Study Room. Appointments are for two hours. You can only reserve one appointment at a time, up to thirty days in advance. Once the original appointment is completed, you may
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June 30, 2021 9:44 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: library services, library updates, meeting rooms, and study rooms.

Great Podcasts for Teens

Great Podcasts for Teens

Continuing our new series on Great Podcasts, here are some recommendations of Great Podcasts for Teens from YS Librarian, Erik! Most of these should be available on any service you use to listen to podcasts, such as Apple Podcasts, Apple Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, etc. If you have some great podcast recommendations, leave them in the comments below! Books, Games & Comics Shonen Jump Podcast Listen to discussions on the latest releases, interviews, and background stories of you favorite Manga series. IFanboy This weekly podcast focuses on comic books, comic book publishing, and comic book creators. Josh Flanagan, Ron
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June 24, 2021 11:29 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Great Podcasts, Great Podcasts for teens, podcasts, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Tiny Tales Videos On-Demand

Tiny Tales Videos On-Demand

Tiny Tales are short “bite-sized” song and story videos. Watch one for a little early literacy break, or a few for a whole storytime! All 36 Tiny Tales videos created by Trove librarians are available on the Library’s YouTube channel and social media (Facebook, Instagram). Trove librarians are on hiatus from creating new Tiny Tales videos for the summer, but look out for new ones coming in September! Start Watching Now!
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June 24, 2021 11:27 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: storytime, The Trove, Tiny Tales, and videos.

Dive Into Diversity: Summer Reading

Dive Into Diversity: Summer Reading

White Plains is a wonderfully diverse community! Parents, children and teens have expressed an interest in titles that reflect the diversity in the community, and Ashley, Kathlyn, and Raquel's “Dive Into Diversity” column will spotlight noteworthy children's and teen titles that are inclusive, diverse and multicultural to fulfill that interest. Ashley's portion is aimed at readers in grades 4-6. Did you know that we have a section in the Trove with tons of suggestions for children and tweens based on what grade they’re in? Starting with Pre-K and going up to grade 6, it’s a really handy resource and many
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June 24, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, staff picks, staff recommendations, and summer reading.

Dive into Diversity: YA Historical Fiction

Dive into Diversity: YA Historical Fiction

In 2021, my Dive into Diversity posts about young adult books will focus on a different genre each month. I’ll highlight books with characters that represent a range of experiences and identities. I’ll also feature books written by authors who share an aspect of their characters’ identity, as much as possible. This month, with the Fourth of July approaching, I'm highlighting some great YA books in the historical fiction genre. Not all of them are set in the United States, but many of the titles below examine events in U. S. history from a perspective that's different from the dominant
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June 24, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, historical fiction, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA literature.

Turtle Dance Music July & August Events

Turtle Dance Music July & August Events

July date CANCELED – will be rescheduled at a later date Turtle Dance Music presents: Songs that Count! A Virtual Music, Bubble and Comedy Show! Do your kids love to count? Do they love to read books? Do they love making original hip-hop beats? Songs That Count: Add To The World! engages children with a fun, high-energy performance that includes exciting hands-on music, movement and counting activities. The performance will include exciting books, music technology, and visuals about counting, addition and subtraction. The show is crafted to be inclusive for all children, including children on the Autism Spectrum, and a
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June 24, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's events, dance, music, performing arts, summer 2021, trove events, and Turtle Dance Music.

Dive Into Diversity: Summer Reads

Dive Into Diversity: Summer Reads

Summer is here! To celebrate the season, I have gathered together some great, diverse books about summertime. Parents might also like checking out Rebekah Gienapp’s blog, Summer Reading: 15 Diverse Picture Books Kids Will Love. Listed below are books for both younger and older children available as eBooks and audiobooks on OverDrive, Hoopla, and also in the Westchester Libraries. Enjoy! For Younger Readers: Bowwow Powwow by Brenda J. Child, Gordon Jourdain & Jonathan Thunder (Grades K-2) Library Catalog “Ojibwe protagonist Windy Girl and her new dog, Itchy Boy, enjoy many good times, but none are so good as when they
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June 24, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, staff picks, staff recommendations, summer, and summertime.

TaleWise July & August Events

TaleWise July & August Events

TaleWise presents: Unicorns: Break the Cage Tuesday, July 20, 3:30 p.m. Grades K-8 Access the program here. Note: a free registered Zoom account is required to access the Library’s youth programs. Get a Zoom account here. Join us on a wild adventure about two kids who visit the city zoo and discover all sorts of incredible animals, including a horse who knows in its heart that it’s truly a unicorn! The animals join forces to stand up to the tyrannical Zoo Owner — but do they have what it takes to leave their cages forever? The fun animated story segues
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June 24, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: children's events, performing arts, Talewise, teen events, and trove events.

Great Podcasts for Parents & Caregivers Pt. 1

Great Podcasts for Parents & Caregivers Pt. 1

I recently highlighted some staff recommendations for Great Podcasts for Kids, in this post, however, you'll find some Great Podcasts for Parents and Caregivers! We will highlight below some excellent podcasts in the topics of Parenting & Caregiving and Books, Reading and KidLit. You can find all of our published podcast related posts here – more to come! If you have some great podcast recommendations, leave them in the comments below! Most of these should be available on any service you use to listen to podcasts, such as Apple Podcasts, Apple Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, etc. PARENTING & CAREGIVING
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June 23, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Great Podcasts, Great Podcasts for parents and caregivers, parenting, podcasts, staff picks, and staff recommendations.