Archives for Homepage Kids

Meet Donna Gehlmann

Meet Donna Gehlmann

Please join me in welcoming our newest staff member, Youth Services Librarian Donna Gehlmann. What interested you in becoming a librarian? I have always loved books and reading. Going to our public library as a child with my mom and sister is a happy memory for me. I have volunteered at my son's school (in the libraries) and seeing the joy on all the children's faces when they come to the library has left an impression on me! Why did you decide you wanted to work with youth? I was a 2nd grade aide for three years and loved being
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December 20, 2022 3:52 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Donna Gehlmann, library staff, Meet the Staff, and staff interview.

January Tweens Talk Banned Books

January Tweens Talk Banned Books

January Tweens Talk Banned Books Grades 4-6 January 19th at 4:30-6:00 p.m. Virtual Registration required. Register here. Note: All of our youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account to attend. Sign up for a free Zoom account here: http://zoom.us/signup. As cases of censorship have grown more widespread throughout the U.S., the Library has kicked off a year-long celebration of banned books – #WPFreedomToRead – that started during Banned Books Week (September 18-24 2022.) The Library’s celebration of banned books will feature a variety of programs for adults, teens, and children throughout the year. Join us at the Trove for
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December 16, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, banned books, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, book discussion for teens, books for children, and juvenile fiction.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 4

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 4

The Library has a lovely collection of bilingual Spanish/English books. To celebrate reading in two languages, we will be featuring our beautiful new books in a blog – so enjoy practicing your Spanish and English skills with these picture books. La Biblioteca tiene una colección hermosa de libros bilingües en inglés/español. Para celebrar leyendo en dos idiomas, le estaremos presentando nuestros lindos libros aquí. Así que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros ilustrados. El niño de maíz / The Boy of Maize, by Mario Bencastro. Library Catalog Inspirado en el mito maya de la creación, este
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December 14, 2022 9:20 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

December Book Bunch

December Book Bunch

Thursday, December 22nd at 4:30 p.m. Click here to register for our Book Bunch Join Caroline for a book discussion and trivia game for 4th through 8th graders! We will be reading Stargazing by Jen Wang. This is a perfect read to celebrate the holiday season. Stargazing is a graphic novel by Jen Wang. The book is about a friendship between two Chinese American girls Christine and Moon. Soon the two girls become best friends and share their favorite books and videos, and confide in each other. When Moon tells Christine a secret (that she has visions from celestial beings),
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November 15, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, and The Trove.

Celebrate December Holidays (younger kids)

Celebrate December Holidays (younger kids)

The White Plains Public Library is offering a variety of programs celebrating the December holidays this year – we hope you can come and join us! Author Visit & Storytime: Hanukkah Nights Ages 2-6, Families Friday, 11:00 a.m. – December 2 Join author, artist and children’s book creator Amalia Hoffman in celebrating a colorful and creative Hanukkah with her new book Hanukkah Nights! More details can be found here. Hanukkah Grab & Go Kit Available in the Library Lobby starting Monday, December 12 at 10:00 a.m. while supplies last. Hanukkah-themed Grab & Go kits for children in Kindergarten through 3rd
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November 12, 2022 10:12 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, Christmas, December 2022, Feliz Navidad, Hanukkah, holidays, kids, Kwanzaa, performances, programs, Shabe Yalda, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

December Programs for Younger Kids

December Programs for Younger Kids

Great programs for younger children take place all month long, every month, at the Library.  See our online calendar or stop in the Trove for location information. Holiday PreK Grab & Go Kits Available throughout December – More information here. Storytime! Ages 2-6, Families Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – December 6, December 20, December 27 Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. – December 1, December 15, December 29 Saturday, 2:00 p.m. – December 3 Stories, songs and fun with a Trove Librarian. Following Storytime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the children and caregivers are invited to Toy Time in the Story Trove – a time
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November 10, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, dance, December 2022, kids, live music, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

Author Visit Storytimes in December

Author Visit Storytimes in December

Author Visit & Storytime: Hanukkah Nights Ages 2-6, Families Friday, 11:00 a.m. – December 2 Join author, artist and children’s book creator Amalia Hoffman in celebrating a colorful and creative Hanukkah with her new book Hanukkah Nights! Amalia will demonstrate how she created amazing textures for each night of Hanukkah. Children will create their own bright lights and have fun! The presentation will include lighting an electronic menorah, coloring pages and sing-along. Learn more about Amalia Hoffman here. Author Visit & Storytime: Cucarachita Martina Ages 2-6, Families Saturday, 2:00 p.m. – December 10 Listen to New York city author Yadhira
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November 9, 2022 6:27 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: author visit, children's events in White Plains, Hanukkah, storytime, and trove.

Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month

In November we honor the peoples who 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 much about them we still do not know. As we continue to learn 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 of the
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November 9, 2022 3:07 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, 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.

November Programs for Younger Kids

November Programs for Younger Kids

Great programs for younger children take place all month long, every month, at the Library.  See our online calendar or stop in the Trove for location information. Autumn StoryWalk: Full of Fall On display on the Library Plaza through Wednesday, 11/30 Featuring Full of Fall by April Pulley Sayre – a visually stunning picture book that captures the essence of Fall.  More information here. Storytime! Ages 2-6, Families Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – November 1, November 15, November 29 Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. – November 3, November 17 Stories, songs and fun with a Trove Librarian. Following Storytime, the children and caregivers
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November 2, 2022 9:55 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, dance, kids, live music, music, November 2022, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

Wanderhome: The Journey Begins

Wanderhome: The Journey Begins

Wednesday, November 9th, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Grades 7-12 Edge Media Lab No registration required! For more information click here. Have you ever been interested in playing D&D but felt too intimidated by all the rules? Ever read books like Erin Hunter's Warriors or Brian Jacques' Redwall series and wanted to have adventures like those characters? Look no further than the roleplaying game (RPG) Wanderhome! Wanderhome is a game created by Jay Dragon based on cooperative storytelling, with only a couple rules and guidelines to keep straight after character creation. The game is run either by a game master or
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November 1, 2022 2:00 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: dnd, Dungeons and Dragons, Roleplaying game, RPG, table top games, table top gaming, tabletop games, tabletop gaming, and Wanderhome.

November Middle Grade Pick of the Month

November 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! Windswept by Margi Preus Library Catalog: Print Windswept is a story within a story, regaling the reader with a story fit for a fairy tale about the journey of a young girl in search of her lost siblings. In a future of our world, when stories are banned, anyone under the age of fifteen is forbidden from going outside for fear of the wind sweeping them away.
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November 1, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: middle grade, middle grade fiction, Middle Grade Pick of the Month, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Parenting Collection

Parenting Collection

Did you know the Library has a Parenting Collection in the Trove filled with books for adults and children to help with various topics related to raising a child? Stop in and check it out! The Parenting Collection is a collection of titles to help caregivers raise children from pregnancy through teen years, as well as books written for children to help them understand themselves & the world, organized into topics including: Big Ideas! (social justice & activism, gender identity, racism & prejudice, etc.) Brain & Body COVID Family Illness Family Types Feelings Grief Maturing New Baby New Places Potty
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November 1, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for parents, books on parenting, caregivers, parenting, parenting books, parenting collection, parenting collections, and The Trove.

Announcing Kids Pick

Announcing Kids Pick

The Trove has a new program called Kids Pick which is for all Trove patrons to participate in! What is Kids Pick? Well, you just read a book and give us your review! Did you just read a book you can't stop talking about? Do you have a favorite book you think everyone should read? Maybe you love the illustrations in a new graphic novel! It is as easy as 1, 2, 3… Read a book! Fill out the Kids Pick form available in the Trove. Give the form to a Librarian at the Compass desk. We will put your
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October 31, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book review, children's books, juvenile fiction, juvenile nonfiction, Kids Pick, and The Trove.

Freedom to Read Storytime

Freedom to Read Storytime

Wednesday, November 9th at 7:00 p.m. Age group: Children 3+ with their families Location: Auditorium Come celebrate Native American Heritage Month with us with the award-winning title Fry Bread; a Native American Family Story, by Kevin Noble Maillard and The People Shall Continue, by the multi-award winner author Simon J. Ortiz. Have fun with a family game and make a craft to take with you. Freedom to Read Storytime is part of the Library’s #WPFreedomToRead initiative. While the books read may not all be challenged, they represent the topics, themes, and people being censored – themes and creators representing diverse
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October 26, 2022 3:36 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, Freedom to Read Storytime, Native American Heritage Month, Observances and Celebrations, and storytime.

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, 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, 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, October, puppets, and trove events.

Have a Spooktacular October 2022

Have a Spooktacular October 2022

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, Spooktober, 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, 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, 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, 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.