Archives for Featured

For the Class of 2020

For the Class of 2020

There might not be ceremonies, big parties, caps, or gowns this year, but the Class of 2020 should still be celebrated, and we've got a few things to add to your Make Your Own Graduation toolkit. You'll find commencement speeches by National Book Award-winning author Jesmyn Ward, Admiral William H. McRaven, Abby Wambach, Barack Obama, and other notables in our Libby booklist, To the Class of 2020: We Salute You! Borrow Elgar's graduation classic Pomp and Circumstance, Drew's Famous Graduation Party Music, or some newer favorites at Hoopla, such as Lizzo's Cuz I Love You, 2020 Grammy Nominees, or Drake's
Read More

May 19, 2020 11:32 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: class of 2020 and staff recommendations.

STEAM at Home: Magic Milk Art

STEAM at Home: Magic Milk Art

To celebrate International Museum Day (May 18), I decided to experiment with creating magic marble milk using simple household items. Magic Marble Milk is an easy and fun experiment, and the science behind it is really fascinating. If you happen to have watercolor paper, you can cut up the pieces of paper and create little mini portraits of Magic Marble Milk! For this experiment, you’ll need: A deep tray or dish A smaller bowl Milk (whole milk works best) Dish soap Q-tips Food coloring Watercolor paper or regular drawing paper (optional) First, pour a layer of milk into the tray.
Read More

May 18, 2020 2:06 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: International Museum Day, Observances and Celebrations, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, and STEM.

May Virtual Open Mic

May Virtual Open Mic

On Saturday, May 30th, the Library will host another Virtual Open Mic. This event will take place from 5:00 to 5:50 p.m. To attend, access Zoom with this link on 5/30. If you submitted anything for our comic or poetry prompts, or for our Documenting COVID-19 collection and would like to share your pieces at the event, please join us. Writing is a solitary activity, and as we are socially distancing it can become even more solitary if we don’t have a place to share our work collectively. In the past I have done readings in Westchester and New York
Read More

May 18, 2020 11:45 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: events and virtual open mic.

Teen Book Review: Sparrow

Teen Book Review: Sparrow

Below you'll find a book review of a new title submitted by teens in the Edge. Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson Available as an eBook on OverDrive. Review: This book is about a young ballerina who goes by Sparrow that dates a very popular kid named Tristan in school. She can not believe that this popular kid is into her and enjoys it very much. However, Tristan has a very dark side. Every time he gets angry at Sparrow, he abuses her. Not knowing that she does not deserve this kind of treatment due to the fact that she was
Read More

May 18, 2020 9:06 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book review, by teens for teens, Mary Cecilia Jackson, and teen book review.

Author Event: Astronomer Dr. Julia Kregenow

Author Event: Astronomer Dr. Julia Kregenow

Dr. Julia Kregenow is an astronomer and Associate Teaching Professor at Penn State University. She will be presenting two programs in May for families related to children’s books she has written and her study of astronomy. You can borrow some of Dr. Kregenow’s books in eBook format from the Library through OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla. Thursday, May 21, 2:00 p.m. Register in advance here. Dr. Kregenow will read from her book Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, I Know Exactly What You Are and lead a family sing-a-long for mixed age groups, singing several different verses from her book and giving additional scientific
Read More

May 15, 2020 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: astronomy, author event, and author visit.

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home Part 2

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home Part 2

As promised, this week I am giving some more tips for children who need sensory stimulation. Most of these activities require a little bit of prep, but are still fairly easy. Let’s start with items to keep in the house for when children just need a little calming. Good things to keep around include a smooth stone to hold, and a combination lock and/or old keys to manipulate. These items can be held and played with to give children that sensory experience. Other good calming techniques are brushing and pressure. One trick that always works with my son is taking
Read More

May 13, 2020 2:43 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: parenting tips, sensory-friendly, special needs, and special needs parenting.

Explore NYC from Home

Explore NYC from Home

One of the things I’ve been looking forward to, now that my daughter is older and doesn’t have a daytime nap, is exploring New York City with her. We were planning on starting this spring doing just that – taking the Metro North and having Big Apple Adventures. However, those plans are a bit on hold. Luckily, we live in a time where technology makes many things possible, and while it does not replace actually being somewhere, virtual tours and experiences are aplenty. NYC is filled with museums, art galleries and wonderful sites. Just because you’re safe at home, doesn’t
Read More

May 13, 2020 2:42 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: NYC, staff recommendations, and virtual tour.

Documenting COVID-19:
Never A Miss Poem

Documenting COVID-19: <br />Never A Miss Poem

“Never A Miss,” a poem submitted by Gina. “I lost my father to COVID-19. I began to write down what it felt like from the moment we had to leave him at the hospital to 16 days later when he lost his life.” Never A Miss You were never a miss They didn’t know Rushed inside while they waited for more rows Failing miserably on the account of all others Your dignity and pride now tossed aside Unable to speak as voices disappear Pleading for breath but life was so unclear You were never a miss Mind like no other
Read More

May 12, 2020 3:51 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Featured, and Homepage.
Tags: coronavirus, covid-19, COVID19, poem, and white plains.

Hoopla Staff Picks: Folk Music

Hoopla Staff Picks: Folk Music

Possibly our most dynamic resource offered is Hoopla, as it includes a variety of different formats from books to movies and music. In order to highlight some of these, we've written up recommendations of just a few formats you can stream and download with your library card. Below are some folk music recommendations from Adult Services librarian Kristen Thornton-De Stafeno. One of my favorite genres to browse on Hoopla is folk as it encompasses so many styles (there are well over 4,000 titles grouped under the genre); that and I used to host a folk-themed radio show. Below I highlight
Read More

May 12, 2020 12:07 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: hoopla, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

STEAM at Home: Creepy Candy

STEAM at Home: Creepy Candy

To celebrate Eat Anything You Want Day and Twilight Zone Day (May 11), I thought it would be fun to experiment with creating some creepy candies: dancing worms, growing gummy bears, and rainbow candy art. I have always been fascinated by creepy crawlies and I have a sweet tooth, so a project that combined experiments with candy sounded like lots of fun. I also love researching STEAM projects and learning the creative science behind the process. As an adult, it’s a really fun way to get in touch with your inner child. And as a parent or caregiver these experiments
Read More

May 11, 2020 1:23 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Observances and Celebrations, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, and STEM.

Library Launches Documenting COVID-19 Collection

Library Launches Documenting COVID-19 Collection

We're living in unprecedented times. Many of us are working from home and adapting to shared living spaces, childcare demands, and social isolation. Others have had health challenges or find themselves unemployed. Meanwhile, we hear examples of adaptation and education, creativity and bravery. Our lives have continued in new ways. For these reasons, the Library—with your help—is creating a new collection: Documenting COVID-19: White Plains Experiences. The Library wants to hear about you, what you're doing, how you're doing, what you see outside your window. Contributions to the Library’s collection can be anything, from a three-line poem to a 200-page
Read More

May 7, 2020 10:47 am | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: collection, coronavirus, covid-19, and local history.

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home

Parents, teachers, special education service providers, and everyone who works with children are doing everything they can during these unprecedented times to help our children thrive. One thing many younger children are missing out on in this at home environment is sensory input. This is important for not only our children who have sensory issues (most common in children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD), but also for typically developing children. As a parent whose son seeks sensory input constantly, I have been working with his service providers to give him as much as possible. I started out this quarantine
Read More

May 7, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: parenting tips, sensory-friendly, special needs, and special needs parenting.

Hoopla Staff Picks: American Songbook & Broadway

Hoopla Staff Picks: American Songbook & Broadway

Possibly our most dynamic digital resource, Hoopla includes a variety of different formats from books to movies and music. In order to highlight some of these, we've gathered staff recommendations of just a few formats you can stream and download with your library card. Below are some album recommendations from Adult Services & Local History Librarian Austin Duffy and Adult Services Librarian Sharon Rothman. The Great American Songbook picks from Austin: Bing Crosby. Bing Sings the Great American Songbook. Short, breezy covers of classics like “Manhattan” and “I’ve Got A Crush On You.” Nancy Wilson. The Great American Songbook. Elegant,
Read More

May 6, 2020 11:20 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: hoopla, music, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Hoopla Creative Writing Resources

Hoopla Creative Writing Resources

Writing can be a cathartic and stress-reducing activity, making it well suited to our current reality. Just as reading a good book can be a comfort right now, getting lost in a writing prompt can also be a portal into another world. Luckily, Hoopla offers a wealth of resources for writers of all ages, from children to adults. I’ll start by recommending a creative writing book by one of my favorite authors, Gail Carson Levine. I’ve loved her books since middle school, when I read Ella Enchanted, an original fairy tale about a girl who is cursed with the gift
Read More

May 6, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: creative writing, hoopla, and writing.

STEAM at Home: Trove Kinetic Sculpture

STEAM at Home: Trove Kinetic Sculpture

I know there are a lot of people out there who are big fans of the kinetic sculpture in the Trove. The sculpture was created by Jeffrey Zachmann, a kinetic sculptor from Minnesota. Interested in knowing more about the creator of the Trove’s kinetic sculpture? Watch this interview where Mr. Zachmann discusses his work. At the end of each week’s What’s the Story? Safe At Home newsletter, I’ve been sharing videos of a variety of really cool kinetic sculptures and marble runs as an homage to the kinetic sculpture in the Trove. Those videos I have shared so far have
Read More

May 6, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Jeffrey Zachmann, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEM, and Trove Kinetic Sculpture.

Mother’s Day Book Display

Mother’s Day Book Display

Mother’s Day is traditionally celebrated on the second Sunday in May, which falls on the 10th of May this year. Usually in the Spring, Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world! The day honors mothers and grandmothers for their love, nurturing, and care. If you are interested in creating some lovely hand-made flowers for the special moms and grandma’s in your life join Lina Cavalcanti’s craft program by watching the video here. To celebrate the mothers and grandmothers in our lives, I have gathered a collection of fun and noteworthy titles below:  
Read More

May 5, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Mother's Day, Observances and Celebrations, and virtual book display.

Make a Flower Gift for Mother’s Day!

Make a Flower Gift for Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day will be here soon! If you’d like to make something for your mom(s) or grandma(s), watch the video below as Lina Cavalcanti shows you how to create hand-painted, paper flowers for your special someone(s). Looking for some books to read with your loved ones? Then check out this collection of Mother's Day themed eBooks I recommended. Using a few basic materials, you can create a unique gift – and have fun in the process! In this craft program video you’ll learn how to hand paint the paper, cut out the petals, and embellish your flowers to make something
Read More

May 5, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Mother's Day, Observances and Celebrations, STEAM, STEAM activities, and STEAM at home.

STEAM at Home: Lava Lamp

STEAM at Home: Lava Lamp

Make a Lava Lamp using materials found around your home. Then experiment with it. Materials: Clear glass cup Water Vegetable oil Food dye Alka Seltzer Light – flashlight or lamp Procedure: Fill the glass ¼ full with water. Add some food dye. Fill the rest of the glass with vegetable oil (but not all the way to the top). Break up the Alka Seltzer tablet into 4 pieces. Drop 1 piece of Alka Seltzer into the glass and see what happens. Once it has worked, turn off the rest of the lights in the room and place the glass over
Read More

May 5, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, and STEM.

National Paranormal Day

National Paranormal Day

As a kid, my journey into reading and loving books began with the paranormal. I devoured Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy books along with R.L Stine’s Fear Street. I quickly moved to comic books like The Maxx, horror books by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and my favorite author Robert R. McCammon. I also began to venture into manga, especially CLAMP, an all-female Japanese writing group that wrote Cardcaptur Sakura, xxxHolic, and Tsubasa. Most of their manga has elements of Japanese mysticism and the occult. With the popularity of Stranger Things, we can see that the paranormal can be a coming
Read More

April 30, 2020 2:11 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: eBooks, Observances and Celebrations, Paranormal Day, and staff recommendations.