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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Archives for Featured
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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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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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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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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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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The Trove’s Summer StoryWalk
Who Am I? by Armando & Frederick Monday, July 12th – Friday, August 20th Take a stroll in the Garden Plaza and along your way enjoy the book, Who Am I? written by Armando and Frederick. Who Am I? is a cute and healthy story about fruits and vegetables that is perfect for the summer! There will be kits available in the Library’s lobby that will include a follow-up STEAM activities sheet and a craft (some seeds too!)* for you and your family to do and enjoy at home or outdoors. *craft and seeds available while supplies last. Below you
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Grab & Go Craft Kits: Cigar Boxes
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, June 21st in the Library lobby. For this month’s project, we’re using decoupage to decorate cigar boxes. Your kit contains a cigar box, Mod Podge, a foam brush, and some magazine pages. You’ll need to provide scissors, and you might want to use paper
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Summer Events for Teens
Check out the Library’s lineup of programs in July and August for Grades 7-12! Note: Youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account. Creating an account is free and easy at http://zoom.us/signup. Summer Reading at White Plains Public Library: 6/28 – 8/20 Summer Reading at the Library kicks off Monday, June 28 and runs through Friday, August 20. Reading activity will be logged online with READSquared. More information on Summer Reading at White Plains Public Library can be found here. Grab&Go: Kits Grab&Go: Kits are fun and educational activities to do at home. Kits are available in a variety of
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Summer Events for Younger Kids
Check out these programs for younger children happening in July and August. Note: Youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account. Creating an account is free and easy at http://zoom.us/signup. Summer Reading at White Plains Public Library: 6/28 – 8/20 Summer Reading at the Library kicks off Monday, June 28 and runs through Friday, August 20. Reading activity will be logged online with READSquared. More information on Summer Reading at White Plains Public Library can be found here. Grab & Go: Kits Grab & Go: Kits are fun and educational activities to do at home. Kits are available in a
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children's events, dance, music, performing arts, summer reading, and trove events.
Meet the Artists Programs
Meet the Artists Grades K-4. Mondays, 11:00 a.m. – Dates below. Museums with Marisa returns for a series of programs where attendees will learn about artists and art movements from history each week. Mondays, 11:00 a.m., Grades K-4. Be sure to have on hand some paper and things to color with: crayons, colored pencils, markers, or markers to make your own artwork! Join the Zoom program for each date by clicking on the title below. Note: Youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account. Creating an account is free and easy at http://zoom.us/signup. July 19: Meet the Ancient Greeks! Columns,
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art, art history, artists, children's events, Museums with Marisa, The Trove, and trove events.
Summer Events for Gr. K-6
Check out the Library’s lineup of programs in July and August for Grades K-6! Note: Youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account. Creating an account is free and easy at http://zoom.us/signup. Summer Reading at White Plains Public Library: 6/28 – 8/20 Summer Reading at the Library kicks off Monday, June 28 and runs through Friday, August 20. Reading activity will be logged online with READSquared. More information on Summer Reading at White Plains Public Library can be found here. Grab & Go: Kits Grab & Go: Kits are fun and educational activities to do at home. Kits are available
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STEAMy Summer Days
Mondays-Thursdays (except when noted) From 1:30-3:30 p.m. For teens entering Grades 6-10 in the fall. Registration is required. This summer the Library is excited to offer 8 weeks of free mini-camps for teens going into Grades 6-10 in the fall. This is the fifth year that Argus, a Verisk Analytics company, is funding these free summer camps. Week 1: 6/28 – 7/2 (Monday-Friday) 3D Prototyping With The Techno Chix Click here to register. Students will learn the fundamentals of 3D modelling and CAD (computer-aided design) using the free Onshape software to make basic models. After learning the basics, students will
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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. As mentioned in the first Peculiar Picks about Song Books, music is a constant in our household. All kinds of music. Here are some more books based on songs that are absolutely full of positive vibes, as well as some links to the music that inspired the books. Note: I recommend caregivers listen to the music for themselves before
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National Dinosaur Day
Dinosaurs roamed our planet sixty-five million years ago and children are fascinated by these ancient creatures. Whether it’s because of their size, movie lore, or epic extinction, dinosaurs have always been popular among children. To celebrate International Dinosaur Day on June 1, we put together some Grab & Go kits for a fun dino egg experiment. The project is geared toward children in kindergarten through third grade, but older kids might find it fun as well. The Experiment: The kit includes a plastic dinosaur, a balloon, and instructions for how to create and hatch your own dinosaur! Around the house,
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TaleWise: The Mummy at Mystery Mansion
TaleWise presents: The Mummy at Mystery Mansion Tuesday, June 15, 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. Frankie and Casey visit their uncle for his annual costume party, only to find out that a creepy mummy has been scaring everyone away! Some say the house is haunted, but Frankie and Casey have a different idea. Join them on their adventure to unravel the mystery of the mummy! Along the way, you’ll explore some spooky and exciting science concepts about blackouts,
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children, children's events, performances, programs, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEM, STEM learning, and Talewise.
Turtle Dance Music: Tails & Tales
Turtle Dance Music presents: Tails & Tales! A Virtual Music, Bubble and Comedy Show! Thursday, June 17, 11:00 a.m. Children, families, all ages welcome! Access the program here. Note: a free registered Zoom account is required to access the Library’s youth programs. Get a Zoom account here. Flap your wings, jump up and down like five little monkeys jumping on the bed and roar like a polar bear! The Tails & Tales performance celebrates famous children's stories and songs about animals including a few written by adults on the autism spectrum! The show will also celebrate biodiversity – the more
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children's events, dance, kids events, trove events, and Turtle Dance Music.
June Events for Younger Kids
Some great regular events for younger children take place all month long. See below for times and access. Note: All youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account. Creating an account is free and easy at http://zoom.us/signup. Summer Reading at White Plains Public Library Summer Reading at the Library kicks off Monday, June 28th. Logging Summer Reading will be done online using the READSquared platform again this year and will feature programs for three age groups PreK, Grades K-6, and Grades 7-12. More information is coming soon! Grab & Go: Kits Grab&Go: Kits are fun and educational activities to do
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children's events, dance, June 2021, kids, live music, music, performances, programs, storytime, summer reading, The Trove, trove, and trove events.
Regeneration Art Exhibit
This new exhibit will be on display in the Library's newly renovated Museum Gallery on the second floor starting Tuesday, June 1st, through Friday, September 3rd. The gallery is accessible during normal Library hours. “Regeneration” looks at a future focused on climate justice. The exhibition includes drawing, collage, mixed media, photography, painting and poetry. Participating artists are Stephanie J. Alvarado, Isabella Bannerman, Diane Brawarsky, Carlos Mateu, Gina Randazzo and Ed Young. Artwork from left to right: Ed Young, Fish, 2020, Multimedia on Masonite, 5”x8”x3” Fish symbolizes “Sparingness” in which we celebrate the time of our gift of fellowship, harvest,
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art, art exhibit, museum gallery, and Studio collective.
Borrow a Laptop
To read this post in Spanish, click here / Para español, haga clic aquí. Do you need internet access or know someone who does? We are now circulating laptop “bundles,” which consist of a laptop and mobile hotspot, each with a power source. The hotspot will allow you to access the internet wherever T-Mobile/Sprint provides 4G LTE cellular coverage. This lending program was made possible through generous donations to and funding by the White Plains Library Foundation. Laptop bundles are available exclusively to White Plains Library cardholders 18 and older in good standing. Bundles may be placed on hold. To
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