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Holocaust Remembrance Author Event

Holocaust Remembrance Author Event

The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this annual day of commemoration, the UN urges every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides. To find out more, click here. Find our OverDrive/Libby reading list here. Holocaust Remembrance Day Virtual Author Visit Thursday, January 27th 4:30–5:30 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link. Join us for a visit from author Michelle Bisson to discuss her book, Hedy's
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January 14, 2022 10:01 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Holocaust Remembrance, Holocaust Remembrance Day, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Observances and Celebrations.

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. While looking for dragon books for the October 14, 2021 Peculiar Picks, I discovered there are so many awesome dragon books, so, there will be more draconic Peculiar Picks, including this one, to come, some around certain recurring themes. This month, we look at dragons and their eating habits. What do you think dragons like to eat? The Yin
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January 13, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Peculiar Picks, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Children’s Nonfiction Titles to Celebrate Black History Part 1

Children’s Nonfiction Titles to Celebrate Black History Part 1

The banning of children’s books on Black history (And children’s books on the LGBTQIA+ experience) has greatly risen recently throughout the United States. Students and teachers are fighting back. One student and teacher victory (for now) led to the rescinding of a book ban instituted by the Central York Pennsylvania School District board. Alyssa Shotwell wrote in her article in the Mary Sue, “Last year, heated school debates resulted in the York, Pennsylvania schools banning (and, in some cases, holding ongoing ‘reviews’ of) a four-page list of materials. In the list sent to teachers across the Central York District, books
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January 12, 2022 10:46 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Black History, black history month, Dive into Diversity, Martin Luther King Jr., Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Observances and Celebrations.

Battle of the Books Club

Battle of the Books Club

Join librarians Kat and Lauren for a new book club this spring. We'll meet each month for a book discussion and a game, in the beloved Battle of the Books (BOB) trivia format. Read some awesome books and then team up with your friends to show off your book knowledge in a fast-paced tournament. We kicked off the series with a fun discussion of It Ain't So Awful, Falafel with author Firoozeh Dumas in January… read on to find out what's next. In February, we're reading Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee. We'll meet on Monday, February 3rd, at
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January 11, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: battle of the books, Battle of the Books Club, book clubs in Westchester, book clubs in White Plains, teen book club, and YA books.

International LEGO Day

International LEGO Day

International LEGO Day celebrates the day that a Danish carpenter, Godfred Kirk Christiansen, filed a patent for the original LEGO brick system in 1958. LEGO is one of the most beloved toys in the world. LEGO allows children to learn about building by playing with bricks and creating different structures, robots, castles and more. To celebrate National LEGO Day, I will highlight some books that include facts, cool creations, and information about the creators of Lego. For example, did you know that LEGO has been around for more than seventy years? To celebrate International LEGO day you can create a
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January 6, 2022 11:45 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Grab & Go kits, Grab & GO Kits for kids, International LEGO Day, and legos.

Tiny Tales: Colors We Know

Tiny Tales: Colors We Know

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 Ms. Ashley presenting “Colors We Know” Tiny Tales are made possible with support from the White Plains Library Foundation.
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January 4, 2022 10:00 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.

Project LIT Book Club for Kids & Tweens

Project LIT Book Club for Kids & Tweens

Wednesday, January 12th 4:30–5:45 p.m. Click here to register. Join librarians Ashley and Caroline for a book discussion and trivia game for 4th to 8th graders. We will be reading When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. We will provide a free copy of the book for the first five individuals to register for the discussion. When the books are available, we will email to arrange pickup; please list an email address when registering. You can place a hold on the print book with your library card using our catalog here. If you prefer the eBook, you
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December 15, 2021 3:13 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book club, book discussion, kids book club, Project Lit, and Project Lit Community.

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. As 2021 wraps up, I thought I’d focus on some of my favorite peculiar picture books of the year that haven’t been featured in other Peculiar Picks posts. The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld Library Catalog / eBook Selected as a New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Book of the Year, I
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December 14, 2021 1:15 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Peculiar Picks, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Dive Into Diversity: 2021 Releases

Dive Into Diversity: 2021 Releases

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 is absolutely shocking to me that 2021 is winding down! This year has been quite the whirlwind. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds as we head into 2022! There have been a ton of amazing diverse books
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December 10, 2021 10:07 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, books for kids, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, and The Trove.

Dive into Diversity: #fREADom to Read

Dive into Diversity: #fREADom to Read

Recently, well-respected, award-winning children’s and teen titles have faced severe, targeted censorship attacks in such states as Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Virginia, Georgia and Illinois. Award winning titles such as the Newbery-winning title New Kid by Jerry Craft have faced heavy racist and anti-LGBTQIA+ attacks, and we in the Trove wanted to celebrate and support the #fREADom to read them, and all books that affirm the uniqueness and special characteristics of every child and teen. The excellent children’s books highlighted in this blog come from Texas State Representative Matt Krause’s list of over 800 titles (16 pages!) he is seeking “to
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December 9, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: #Freadom to read, banned books, books for children, censorship, children's literature, and Dive into Diversity.

Let’s Draw Cartoons

Let’s Draw Cartoons

Kids, teens, and families are invited to join nationally syndicated award-winning cartoonist Rick Stromoski virtually on Tuesday, December 28th at 2:00 p.m. for a fun workshop to learn how to draw cartoon characters! All participants will need is a stack of paper and something they like to draw with! Participants had a blast when Rick presented his Let’s Draw Monsters! program in October (see below for some examples of work created!) so don’t miss out on this fantastic program! Let’s Draw Cartoons! Tuesday, December 26, 2:00 p.m. Grades 3+, teens, families Access the program here. Note: a free, registered Zoom
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December 7, 2021 1:54 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: cartoons, comics, drawing, drawing workshop for children, drawing workshop for kids in Westchester, learn to draw, and Rick Stromoski.

Tiny Tales: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Tiny Tales: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

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 Ms. Caroline presenting “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” Tiny Tales are made possible with support from the White Plains Library Foundation.
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December 7, 2021 1:35 pm | 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.

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. While the monarchs in these three books each may have outlawed certain activities, by royal decree I do hereby declare “You should read these books!” The Hair Scare by Jeffrey Fisher Library Catalog Much like Al the gnome in Go Big or Go Gnome (featured in Peculiar Picks for NoShave November last year), Radbert is blessed with the ability
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November 17, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, No Shave November, Observances and Celebrations, Peculiar Picks, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

NaNoWriMo for Young Writers: Sharing Time

NaNoWriMo for Young Writers: Sharing Time

In September and October, we offered a NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) program for young writers in grades 4-12. We brainstormed ideas, learned about conflict and worked on character sketches and writing prompts. This month, we're hosting an hour of quiet writing time each week for young writers to work on their NaNoWriMo project, or to work from writing prompts. Next, in December we've set aside an hour for our young writers to get together to share and celebrate their work. All of the kids and teens who participated in our NaNoWriMo series from September through November are welcome to
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November 17, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: creative writing, NaNoWriMo, and National Novel Writing Month.

Dive Into Diversity: Let’s Laugh

Dive Into Diversity: Let’s Laugh

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. National Comedy Day is held on November 7th. To celebrate, here are some humorous diverse book selections that may make you laugh! Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez For children in grades 4-8. Library Collection: Print Hoopla: eBook
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November 16, 2021 2:55 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, humor, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Dive into Diversity: Happy Winter Birthdays!

Dive into Diversity: Happy Winter Birthdays!

There are so many talented and diverse children’s authors and illustrators to recommend! To highlight them, I have continued with my series of celebrating their birthdays on a seasonal basis. I started with summer, I covered Autumn birthdays, and here we are now at Winter birthdays! I hope you enjoy the great titles below. A great resource to find even more diverse notable titles for kids is the Colours of Us website, The Colours of Us: All About Multicultural Children's Books. Happy Winter birthdays! Author and Illustrator Jason Chin, Birthday: December 5th Redwoods (Preschool – 2nd Grade) OverDrive hoopla Library
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November 16, 2021 2:33 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, children's books, Dive into Diversity, Observances and Celebrations, and winter.

Winter Holiday Grab & Go Kits

Winter Holiday Grab & Go Kits

The Trove will be celebrating the Winter holidays this year by creating Grab & Go kits for children ages preschool-2nd grade filled with activity sheets and a craft for Hanukkah, Shabe Yalda, Christmas, Navidad/Día de Reyes, and Kwanzaa. Kits will be available in the Library’s lobby on a first-come, first-serve basis while supplies last. Hanukkah is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem by the Maccabees from King Antiochus Ephiphanes and the subsequent rededication of the Second Temple in the 2nd century BCE. It is also known as the Festival of Lights, and is celebrated with family and such
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November 15, 2021 3:18 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Christmas, dia de reyes, Grab & Go kits, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Navidad, Observances and Celebrations, Shabe Yalda, and winter holidays.

Native American Stories

Native American Stories

In November we honor the peoples who have lived here before European colonization. Their presence continues to be felt and seen everywhere. From teaching the pilgrims how to survive those first bitter Northeastern winters, to the underappreciated part they played on the Underground Railroad, to the Code Talkers who helped us win World War II, there is a lot about them we still do not know. As we continue to know their stories, to share their wisdom, and learn from each other, we can take a moment to enjoy the titles below. You can also visit the Smithsonian National Museum
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November 10, 2021 10:34 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, National Native American Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, November, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, and The Trove.

Introducing Our New and Improved Parenting Collection

Introducing Our New and Improved Parenting Collection

As parents, one of our most difficult responsibilities is talking to our children about certain challenging topics. Books are a fantastic way to stimulate these types of discussions and help teach our children valuable life lessons. We've recently reorganized and refreshed our parenting collection. Now, these books are even easier to find! Our parenting collection is now located near our non-fiction collection, behind our reference desk. It is divided into two sections: one with books meant for you to read as parents, and one with books for children and parents to read together. Books for parents are shelved as they
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November 9, 2021 3:39 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for parents, library collection, parenting collection, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Diwali Virtual Exhibit

Diwali Virtual Exhibit

Diwali, or Dipawali, is India‘s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects us from spiritual darkness. This festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday is to Christians. Over the centuries, Diwali has become a national festival that's also enjoyed by non-Hindu communities. For instance, in Jainism, Diwali marks the nirvana, or spiritual awakening, of Lord Mahavira on October 15, 527 B.C.; in Sikhism, it honors the day that Guru Hargobind
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November 9, 2021 2:55 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: diwali, Observances and Celebrations, The Trove, and virtual exhibit.