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October Middle Grade Pick of the Month

October 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, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Valentina Salazar is NOT a Monster Hunter by Zoraida Córdova Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook As the title makes clear, the main character of this novel is not a monster hunter – she’s a monster protector! …Or at least she used to be. For all of Valentina’s life, the Salazar family has protected the “monsters” who show up in our world and sent them back where they
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October 1, 2022 10:00 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.

Jump Into Halloween! with Jumpin’ Jamie

Jump Into Halloween! with Jumpin’ Jamie

Saturday, 10/29: 2:00 p.m. Children, Families. Library Auditorium. Kindie rock musician Jumpin' Jamie returns with his puppet friends to celebrate “Spooky Season” with a high-energy show filled with music and magic including the hit song “Ghost In My House” which has been ranked by Yahoo, Time Out NY, and Good Housekeeping as a “Top Halloween Song”. Jumpin' Jamie has performed thousands of shows for audiences as varied as birthday parties for 12 people to stadiums for 12,000. Jumpin' Jamie's debut album “Kookie” was released in 2018 and features appearances from members of They Might Be Giants, the late Peter Tork,
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October 1, 2022 8:30 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: events for children, events for kids, halloween, Halloween events in Westchester, Halloween events in White Plains, Jumpin' Jamie, music, Observances and Celebrations, puppets, and trove events.

Have a Spooktacular October

Have a Spooktacular October

I love October: the weather, the foliage, the crunch of leaves underfoot, and, of course, Halloween and all it entails. From the spooky to the macabre; the decorations and the costumes; the tricks and treats – it’s my favorite time of the year. Here’s some great programs, reading lists and resources to help you have a spooktacular October filled with skele-tons of fun. On October 15th, at 11:00 a.m., Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk brings Spooky (But Not Too) Scary Stories to children and their families! Afterward, children 10+, teens, and adults can join Kruk for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
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October 1, 2022 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Day of the Dead, day of the dead celebration in white plains, Dia de los Muertos, halloween, Halloween Books, Halloween events in Westchester, Halloween events in White Plains, Halloween Movies, Observances and Celebrations, October, and westchester day of the dead celebration.

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. My last Peculiar Picks featured the title Yeti, Turn Out the Light! Here’s a big list featuring bigfoots (bigfeet?), sasquatch(es?), and yeti(s?). The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot by Scott Magoon Library Catalog / hoopla In this variation on the classic “Boy Who Cried Wolf” tale, young Ben regularly tells tall tales of seeing bigfoot, and when no one believes
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September 26, 2022 9:27 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bigfoot, children's books, children's literature, Peculiar Picks, picture books, Sasquatch, staff picks, staff recommendations, and Yeti.

September Middle Grade Pick of the Month

September 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, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Definitely Dominguita: Knight of the Cape by Terry Catasús Jennings Library Catalog: Print Libby: Digital Audiobook Knight of the Cape is the first book in the Definitely Dominguita series about a young Cuban-American girl who goes on adventures in her neighborhood, inspired by the classic books she reads and rereads to feel close with her abuela, who has moved to Florida. In the first book, Knight of
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September 25, 2022 10:00 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.

September Programs for Younger Kids

September Programs for Younger Kids

Some great regularly occurring programs for younger children take place all month long, in-person, at the Library.  Check the online calendar or ask in the Trove for specific locations for each event. Check out our Autumn StoryWalk featuring Full of Fall by April Pulley Sayre on the Library Plaza from Thursday, September 1st – Wednesday, November 30th, 2022.  More information here. Storytime! Ages 2-6, Families Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – September 13, September 20, September 27 Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. – September 8, September 22 Saturday, 2:00 p.m. – September 10 Books, songs and fun with Trove librarians! Move & Groove with
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September 7, 2022 3:04 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's events, dance, kids, live music, music, performances, programs, September 2022, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

Meet Erica Roberts

Meet Erica Roberts

Our newest librarian is Erica Roberts, a native of Maryland who recently graduated from the University of North Carolina’s School of Information and Library Science at Chapel Hill. What interested you in becoming a librarian? When I graduated college, I was sure I was going to end up working in the publishing industry. After a number of false starts, I ended up working at my local Barnes and Noble – and as much as I hated the sell-sell-sell focus of the job, I did really love interacting with customers and offering book recommendations. When a relative suggested I talk with
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September 5, 2022 5:09 pm | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Director's Corner, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Erica Roberts, library staff, Meet the Staff, and staff interview.

Talk Like a Pirate Day

Talk Like a Pirate Day

AVAST ME HEARTIES! September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, celebrated annually since 1995. Stop by the Trove and grab a piratical read or check out our list of Swashbuckling Reads! Need some help with that scurvy pirate lingo or want some ideas for things to do to get into the scallywag spirit? Check out our blog post on Seafaring Activities!
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September 1, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Observances and Celebrations, pirate books, staff picks, staff recommendations, and Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 3

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 3

The Library has recently purchased a lovely collection of bilingual Spanish/English books. To celebrate reading in two languages, we will be featuring our beautiful new books in a 3-part blog series – so enjoy practicing your Spanish and English skills with these board books, picture books and nonfiction titles! La Biblioteca ha adquirido recientemente una colección de hermosos libros bilingües en inglés/español. Para celebrar leyendo en dos idiomas, estaremos presentando nuestros lindos libros en 3 partes. Así que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros en carpeta dura, ilustrados y no-ficción. Board Books / Carpeta Dura With
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August 25, 2022 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Español, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Autumn StoryWalk: Full of Fall

Autumn StoryWalk: Full of Fall

The Trove’s First 2022 Autumn Storywalk: Full of Fall by April Pulley Sayre Thursday, September 1st – Wednesday, November 30th, 2022 September will be here soon and we are starting our fall with an autumn StoryWalk. Take a stroll on the Library Plaza and along your way enjoy the book, Full of Fall written by April Pulley Sayre. Full of Fall is a visually stunning picture book that captures the essence of Fall. Readers will learn that when the September sun is low in the sky it is time to say goodbye to summer. In the next few pages, we
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August 22, 2022 2:42 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Autumn StoryWalk, Fall StoryWalk, storywalk, The Trove, and Trove StoryWalk.

Back to School

Back to School

It's time to start gearing up for the Back to School season. Here are some books to get kids excited for the new school year! Isabel and her Colores go to school, by Alexandra Alessandri. Library Catalog / Libby / hoopla Ollie’s school day: a yes-and-no book, by Stephanie Calmenson. Library Catalog / Libby Biscuit goes to school, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. Library Catalog / Libby / hoopla Bizcocho va a la escuela, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. (SPANISH) Library Catalog / Libby We want to go to school!: the fight for disability rights, by Maryann Cocca-Leffler & Janine Leffler. Library
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August 19, 2022 1:06 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: back to school, children's books, pictures books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Women’s Equality Day

Women’s Equality Day

On August 26th, 1920, U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the 19th Amendment and that date became known as “Women’s Equality Day.” The National Constitution Center’s article, Why is August 26 Known As Women's Equality Day? writes, “In 1971, Representative Bella Abzug championed a bill in the U.S. Congress to designate August 26 as ‘Women’s Equality Day.’ The bill says that ‘the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation annually in commemoration of that day in 1920, on which the women of America were first given the right to vote.’” Unfortunately, women’s equality and voting rights are
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August 16, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: 19th Amendment, children's books, Dive into Diversity, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, staff recommendations, Women's Equality, and Women's Equality Day.

American Artist Appreciation Month

American Artist Appreciation Month

August is American Artist Appreciation Month. It is never too early to learn about art, creativity, and expression. Discover activities you can do with your family at home or visit a museum such as The Met. During the month of August you can also treat yourself to a biography of Mary Cassatt or Faith Ringold and learn about their passion, influences, and styles of expression. Readers can learn about the Harlem Renaissance which helped African American artists get recognition for their contributions in the art world.  An Artist’s America by Michael Albert Library Collection: Print (Grades 4-6th) Michael Albert combined
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August 9, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: American Artist Month, art, artists, books for children, children's books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Great Podcasts for Kids 7

Great Podcasts for Kids 7

Summer isn’t over yet, and vacation is a great time for podcasts! I have some more great recommendations for you below, but be sure to also check out the previous Great Podcasts posts. 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 Podcasts, etc. Some, however, may be available only through the link provided. If you have some additional great podcast recommendations, leave them in the comments below! Podcast Potpourri The Children’s Hour Kids Public Radio Broadcast first on stations across the country, then
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August 4, 2022 11:24 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.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 2

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 2

The Library has recently purchased a lovely collection of bilingual Spanish/English books. To celebrate reading in two languages, we will be featuring our beautiful new books in a 3-part blog series – so enjoy practicing your Spanish and English skills with these board books, picture books and nonfiction titles! La Biblioteca ha adquirido recientemente una colección de hermosos libros bilingües en inglés/español. Para celebrar leyendo en 2 idiomas, estaremos presentando nuestros lindos libros en 3 partes. Así que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros en carpeta dura, ilustrados y no-ficción. Board Books / Carpeta Dura Brrum,
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July 27, 2022 2:08 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Español, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Appreciating Nature

Appreciating Nature

Time spent outdoors is both physically and mentally healthy for all of us. Spending time in nature promotes creativity, relieves stress and is just plain fun – especially for kids. Best of all, most of us won’t need to travel far to enjoy the great outdoors – Westchester County has great places to visit and commune with nature. I found Westchester Magazine’s article, These Are the Top Outdoor Activities in Westchester to be particularly helpful in finding so many wonderful green spaces in our area. Pairing outdoor adventures with great books creates even better opportunities to enjoy the benefits of
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July 26, 2022 1:32 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Dive into Diversity, nature books, nature books for kids, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

New Tech Services

New Tech Services

Here are our latest tech training appointments you can schedule with Digital Media Specialist Austin Olney. Tech Help (Advanced) For patrons who need one-on-one advanced tech help, in person. If you have a technical issue with a particular computer device, whether it is a laptop, smartphone or tablet, there is a service at the library to help. Patrons are now able to book one-on-one help, in person, with Digital Media Specialist Austin Olney. Get help troubleshooting various hardware and software issues, such as not being able to sign in to a website or transferring photos from one device to the
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July 22, 2022 10:41 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: computer help, digital technology, tech events for teens in Westchester, technology, technology classes, technology training, virtual reality, VR, and VR training.

Summer Reading 2022

Summer Reading 2022

Summer Reading at the White Plains Public Library starts Monday, June 27 and will run through Friday, August 19.  Logging reading over the summer will again be online this year via the READsquared platform through either the READsquared website or the READsquared app (available here: iOS and Android).           Lectura de Verano 2022 Find information on the great lineup of programs and events for kids, teens and families in July and August here. Get Started! Register and login to READsquared. Individual youth participants can register as themselves, or parents and caregivers can register all of their
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July 17, 2022 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: activities for children in White Plains, books, children, children's books, children's events, children's programs, families, library programs, Library programs for teens, programs for kids, Read Squared, reading, storytime, summer 2022, summer programs, summer reading, summer reading game, teen events, teens, The Edge, and The Trove.

Delicious Summer Foods

Delicious Summer Foods

Summer brings us images of picnics, watermelons, berries, ice cream, corn on the cob, hamburgers, and more. Take a moment to enjoy these stories of friends enjoying delicious food together. Good weather, good friends and good food; who could ask for more? Watermelon day, by Kathi Appelt. Library Catalog The burger and the hot dog, by Jim Aylesworth. Library Catalog Halal hot dogs, by Susannah Aziz. Library Catalog Cheers for a dozen ears : a summer crop of counting, by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky. Library Catalog / hoopla Ice cream, by Elisha Cooper. Library Catalog The little ice cream truck, by
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July 14, 2022 11:57 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, children's books, reading list, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

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. The characters in these stories just want to get a good night’s sleep. It’s Only Stanley by Jon Agee Library Catalog / hoopla The Wimbledon family is trying to sleep… Noises, smells, and more keep waking them up. It’s only their dog Stanley, doing increasingly strange things… but why is he doing them? Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli
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July 14, 2022 11:00 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.