Archives for Homepage Kids

March 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. Grab & Go: Kits Grab&Go: Kits are fun and educational activities to do at home. Kits are available in a variety of age ranges throughout the month, including AtoZ and special themed PreK level Kits. Dates that new Kits are available for pickup can be found on our online calendar. Trove Storytimes Storytimes for ages 2-6 with Trove Librarians – books, songs and
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year

Please join us on Friday, March 19th for a cultural spring program celebrating the Persian New Year. This year, White Plains Public Library is hosting a reading of The Phoenix of Persia, written by Sally Pomme Clayton and Amin Hassanzadeh Sharif. Afterwards we will work on coloring eggs for the Haftseen. Grab & Go spring bags for our Nowruz program will be available on March 15th. If you are unable to register or pick up a kit, please feel free to join us. You will need white vinegar, eggs, and food coloring or washable markers. Nowruz, or the Persian New
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Parenting: Great Books for Emerging Readers

Read Across America day, March 2nd, has already passed. But with all the media attention it and Dr. Seuss received this year, I wanted to address it. First, some history: Read Across America is the National Education Association’s (NEA) celebration of reading. Since its inception in 1998, it has focused on motivating children and teens to read, emphasizing that reading is about everyone and for everyone. So what is the big deal this year? Read Across America has long been associated with Dr. Seuss. The NEA had a partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to help draw attention to reading. While
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Turtle Dance Music Recorded Show

Turtle Dance Music provided a fantastic virtual show for the Library on February 16th. The “Space: the Cosmos for Kids Dance Party” was a wild and fun musical time. If you missed the show, Mr. Matt has graciously provided a recorded version of the program you can watch whenever you want! Like the show? There are more Turtle Dance Music performances to come, monthly, starting April 22. About Turtle Dance Music Turtle Dance Music is a children's music company dedicated to furthering child development through arts-integration, music, and educational entertainment. Turtle Dance Music sparks children's curiosity and imaginations through interactive,
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Learn about Owls

The Library is excited to host two STEAM-azing programs in March about the fascinating nocturnal birds called owls. STEAM at Home: Owls & Owl Pellet Dissection Grades K-3. Registration required. Space is limited. Tuesday, March 23, 4:00 p.m. During the program, participants will hear some owl stories and Greenwich Audubon Center will provide information about owls and lead an owl pellet dissection to learn more about what owls eat. Registered participants will pick up an Owl Pellet Dissection Kit prior to the program from the Library. An email address must be provided during registration to receive your Kit. Click here
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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. Like so many folk and fairy tales, such as The Three Little Pigs, there are many versions of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. For a traditional telling, check out this bilingual version on Hoopla by Candice Ransom or this version by James Marshall on Kanopy. However, since this is Peculiar Picks, here are three of my
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Perfect Picture Book Biographies for Women’s History Month!

Congress first designated March as Women’s History Month in 1987 to honor and celebrate women’s achievements and contributions to American history. The beginnings of the March celebration of women and their important accomplishments started much earlier, however. Kate Hannigan writes in her blog, “Like any great creation, Women’s History Month traces its roots to the tiniest seed of an idea—or in this case, a single date on the calendar: National Woman’s Day. First observed on February 28, 1909, it was organized by the Socialist Party of America to call for equal rights for women on the job and at the
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Dive into Diversity: Comics Edition

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. The graphic novel section in the Trove is one of our most loved collections. Read on for some recommendations of great diverse graphic novels and be on the lookout for a new kids comic book discussion club that we’ll be starting
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Dive into Diversity: Girl Power

To celebrate Women’s History Month, I have gathered together ten diverse titles with feisty and loving girl protagonists. Most are recently published titles and all are available as eBooks on OverDrive, or can be obtained by placing holds on the titles through the library catalog and picked up at the Library. For further reading, I also recommend: “55 Multicultural Picture Books About Strong Female Role Models”, a “Girl Power” booklist from Colours of Us (a website dedicated to multicultural children’s books) as a good resource for both nonfiction and fictional picture books to celebrate Women’s History Month. With all these
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Women’s History Month StoryWalk

Mae Among the Stars By Roda Ahmed, Illustrated by Stasia Burrington Starting February 26th, 2021 Get ready to journey into outer space as you take a walk along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the Library Plaza. Follow the panels and read, Mae Among the Stars, by Roda Ahmed and Illustrated by Stasia Burrington.  The StoryWalk will be available to view from February 26 – March 29. Mae Among the Stars is inspired by the life story of Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, the first African American woman to travel in space. As a child, Mae’s family encouraged her to
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My Mother the Astronaut

Traveling Lantern Theater Company presents “My Mother the Astronaut,” a video performance celebrating women STEM fields. The show will be available for unlimited viewing from March 7 – March 14. To receive access to the performance, visit the Library’s online calendar and register for the event on any of the days it is available for viewing. Be sure to provide an email address during your registration, as the access link will be sent via email! About the Show Aquarius' mom is an astronaut and today is “Take your child to work day.” Aquarius can't wait to go to NASA and
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Irish Lore and Enchantment

Saint Patrick’s Day, a day honoring Ireland’s patron saint, is March 17th. This March, we’ll celebrate Ireland, its culture, and its people, with some traditional Irish tales. Ireland is a land of green beautiful landscapes and rich folklore: fairies, pookas, leprechauns, banshees, and storytellers. This island nation has a lot to offer. Join us in celebrating Ireland by enjoying these wonderful stories. Have you ever heard of a goat being crowned king? Come listen to the tale of King Puck, from the town of Killorglin, County Kerry, Ireland to find out more about this “King” and sing about leprechauns with
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

STEAM Picture Books: Art

In this new monthly STEAM series, I will highlight some wonderful picture books that fall under a STEAM category: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. For the month of February we will be reviewing art books that celebrate African Americans. In celebrating Black History Month we will review graphic novels, picture books on art, poetry, hip-hop, dance, music, and learn about one of the most important moments in history: the Harlem Renaissance. These books can be found in our print collection at The Trove and on OverDrive. At the end of the post, you'll also find some fun and educational
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Reads Revisited

Reads Revisited is a blog series where Trove and Edge Librarians revisit some of their favorite childhood stories. In today's column, Trove Librarian Raquel Cavalcanti revisits From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (OverDrive; Library Catalog) by E. L. Konigsberg. Originally published in 1967, the story of the adventures of Claudia and Jamie was already a bit dated when I read it as a geeky art-loving child. It reads now, quite clearly as historical fiction, but I still greatly enjoyed hearing the audiobook of the story of the two young protagonists running away to hide out at the
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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. I just love how time travel opens up possibilities for zany storytelling, but also some exploration of deeper ideas, such as cause and effect and the consequences of actions. Oh No! Not Again! (Or How I Built a Time Machine to Save History) (Or at Least My History Grade) by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Dan Santat Library Catalog Sequel
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Announcing Tiny Tales

The Trove is excited to announce a new “bite-sized” early literacy video series called Tiny Tales. Trove Librarians will be recording and sharing short stories, songs, rhymes and more. Take a quick early literacy break, or watch a few in a row for a longer storytime! New videos will be released each Tuesday and Thursday on YouTube and the Library’s social media starting next week, but you can view the first two which are available now! Tiny Tales: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? with Ms. Ashley Tiny Tales: The Three Little Pigs with Mr. Josh Tiny Tales
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Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

African American Trailblazers

During Black History Month, let’s celebrate some of the African Americans who left their marks on America. Ms. Tata has curated a list of biographies that highlight the achievements of some of these stars. These books feature people who worked in diverse fields while breaking barriers, inventing, discovering, and creating — leaving a better world for us as a result. Enjoy their experiences below. She Was the First!: the Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm, by Katheryn Russell-Brown Library Catalog Flying Free: How Bessie Coleman’s Dreams Took Flight, by Karyn Parsons Library Catalog Misty Copeland: Ballet Star, by Sarah Howden Library
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

The Year of the Ox

2021 is the year of the Ox, starting from February 12th, 2021 (Chinese lunar New Year Day) and lasting until January 30th, 2022. It will be a Metal Ox year. The recent zodiac years of the Ox sign are: 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033…An Ox year occurs every 12 years. The zodiac sign Ox occupies the second position in the Chinese Zodiac. The 12 zodiac animals are, in order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Chelsea’s Chinese New Year, by Lisa Bullard. (Juvenile Nonfiction) Library Catalog / OverDrive & Libby /
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Black History Month StoryWalk: Mamie on the Mound

The Trove’s 2021 Black History StoryWalk Mamie on the Mound: A Woman in Baseball’s Negro Leagues By Leah Henderson Illustrated by George Doutsiopoulos Starting January 28th, 2021 Get ready to step back in time as you take a walk along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the Library Plaza. Follow the panels and read Mamie on the Mound by Leah Henderson and illustrated by George Doutsiopoulos.  The StoryWalk is up and ready to view on the Library's windows through 2/23. Mamie on the Mound tells the real-life story of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson who did not let her “two strikes”
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

#BlackJoy Picture Books

Black History Month is celebrated in February, but Black history encompasses every day from the beginnings of this nation, to today and onto the future. The struggles of the past, as well as the present, should not be ignored or forgotten, however it is equally important to remember and celebrate the joys and triumphs. Children’s author Kelly Starling Lyons eloquently writes in her blog, “Children’s books showcasing Black joy remind us of the beauty of family, friendship and community. They are touchstones that surround us with the blessing of who we are. In a world that tries to set us
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.