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. March is Women's History Month so I’ve put together a list of some books that feature diverse strong female characters that I’ve been wanting to read! Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee (Available in eBook format on Hoopla) For children in
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Archives for Kids
Stuck at Home: Staff Picks
Stuck at home with kids and teens due to the virus? The White Plains Public Library has you covered with these suggestions from Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. Some of the sites listed here may be offering some content free of charge or may be offering free access currently in response to the virus, but will move to a charge model again in the future. Please take care when using these sites to avoid unwanted charges. Online Reading, Storytimes and Read Alouds from the Library These resources require a library card to access. Libby: Access an abundance of digital
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Storytimes at Home
Just because you’re stuck at home (and can’t get physical books from the Library) doesn’t mean storytime can’t take place. While screen time has always been a concern, perhaps that concern could be let slide to get great books read-aloud to your child. Check out these resources for online storytimes. Some are from the Library’s resources and others are hand-selected by Trove librarians. From the Library Daddy-Daughter Storytime with White Plains Public Library’s Youth Services Manager, Josh Carlson. Morning and Evening Storytimes from Trove Librarians on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting April 7. Bedtime Stories for Teens and Adults with Edge
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Talkin’ Tech: Modern Multilinguals
Let’s talk about technology. Since the invention of the wheel, tools have become more and more complex – and today it can be hard to keep up! In the “Talkin' Tech” column, we will discuss the ever-changing trends in the modern digital arena. From artificial intelligence to Zuckerberg, join Austin in examining all things tech from our vantage point in the 4th industrial revolution: the imagination age! Have you ever wanted to try your hand at coding? Coding, or computer programming, is the way we talk to computers and tell them what to do. It is like learning a second
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coding, digital technology, STEAM, and STEM.
Reading Around the World: Irish Culture
With Tata's “Reading Around the World” book picks, younger patrons and their families will enjoy reading about the different cultural celebrations around the world. Easy holiday Picture Books and easy Folklore stories will introduce young readers to the world outside the U.S. Simply click on a title or cover to place it on hold. Irish lore and traditions are cherished by all. The contributions of our Irish immigrants have carved a path into our very identity. Enjoy these titles full of wit, humor and tradition. And may we all enjoy the luck of the Irish! PICTURE BOOKS The Leprechaun Under
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Online Tutoring
If your schooling and learning support options have been affected by COVID-19, remember—as always—Tutor.com is available to help. Students will be able to connect with tutors from 9:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, until June 15. Access for free through our website here: https://whiteplainslibrary.org/trove/tutor-com-info/
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education, learning, school, tutoring, and tutors.
Youth Services Program Cancellations
The Trove and Edge are canceling all programming through April 12th with the exception of the Trove's regular weekly storytimes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. Check our online calendar for a full list of up-to-date cancellations. Special events will be rescheduled.
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Board Book Bonanza: Women’s History Month
“Board Book Bonanza” highlights the wealth of excellent board books being published for babies and young preschoolers for parents and caregivers to share with their little-ones. It's never too early to have fun and learn about science, art, history, and so much more! Recently, authors and illustrators have created a variety of collective biographies and biographies for babies with age-appropriate content. Here are some notable board book biographies of women to celebrate Women’s History Month: Dream Big, Little One by Vashti Harrison “Harrison offers an uplifting celebration of black leaders from the past and present. The subjects include scientists, artists
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African Folktales
The African continent is home to many peoples and cultures. This sample covers only 6 diverse peoples from Africa, leaving many more to explore. Whet your appetite with these stories and visit the Trove to find many more. Enjoy! Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile, by Won-Ldy Paye “A clever chicken outwits a hungry crocodile by convincing the reptile that she is her sister. This trickster tale is smart and funny. It comes from the Dan people of Liberia and this illustrated version is perfect for a younger audience.”—School Library Journal Beautiful Blackbird, by Ashley Bryan “Because they don't have
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African American Tradition
The African American tradition of storytelling helps bring together collective experiences and wisdom through well-known characters and stories as in the ones selected here. Enjoy these stories of hope, humor, kindness, cleverness, and more. Jump! The Adventures of Brer Rabbit, by Joel Chandler Harris “The folktales collected by Harris from former slaves at the end-of-the-century constitute a valuable contribution to African American folklore. The illustrations, full-page portraits of the character and their antics, are in pen-and-ink and watercolors. They match the text in humor and vigor.”—School Library Journal The Headless Haunt and Other African-American Ghost Stories, by James Haskins “A
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Girl Power in Picture Books
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. Raquel's portion is aimed at readers up to Grade 3. A good web resource for book ideas to celebrate Women’s History Month is the A Mighty Girl website, which “features over 3,000 girl-empowering books.” Here are a few of the great picture books for young readers to celebrate Women’s History
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Peculiar Picks: Narwhal and Jellyfish Series
Peculiar picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Picture books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. Many of the books in this column are ones that my wife and I have read with our daughter. Our experiences of trying to find books to keep up with her insatiable love of books, while also keeping us interested in reading them, lead to a lot of the choices in this column. The Narwhal and Jellyfish books by Ben Clanton
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Pointers 4 Parents: The Breaking News
Lauren's “Pointers 4 Parents” column features tips, tricks, and resources for caregivers with a specific focus on children with special needs. In light of all the terrible news that we see daily, be it on the news, social media, or in real life, here are some resources to help you talk to your children. Caroline Knorr of Common Sense Media suggests tips for talking to kids about violence, crime, and war at different ages. Common Sense Media is an amazing online resource for parents in general, not just for this topic. It gives parents information about nearly everything media related
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Women in STEM
All of the remaining programs are canceled this month. Take part in programs celebrating Women in STEM to celebrate Women's History Month throughout March. Women in STEM Film series: Thursday, March 5 at 6:00 p.m.: Gravity (PG-13, 91 mins.) Tuesday, March 10 at 6:00 p.m.: Hidden Figures (PG, 127 mins.) Thursday, March 12 at 6:00 p.m.: Contact (PG-13, 153 mins.) Tuesday, March 12 at 6:00 p.m.: Amelia (PG, 111 mins.) Tuesday, March 24 at 6:00 p.m.: Temple Grandin (PG, 110 mins.) Thursday, March 26 at 6:00 p.m.: Arrival (PG-13, 116 mins.) Tuesday, March 31 at 6:00 p.m.: Gorillas in the
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Writing Tips for Young Writers: Writing Blocks
Caroline's “Writing Tips for Young Writers” column will feature fun writing prompts/props to motivate students in grades 3-6 to pursue creative writing. This month's column is “Writing Blocks: Find a Writing Buddy!” Do you find yourself hitting a writing block—a feeling of not being able to write—even if you have to work on an assignment? Do you love to write for fun but feel as if you are climbing Mount Everest with each blank page? As someone who loves to read and has been published, I still feel intimidated by the blank pages that await me. However, I’ve learned that
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creative writing and writing tips.
Dive Into Diversity: Black History Month for Grades 4-6
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. Author and educator Zetta Elliott put together this incredible list of middle grade and young adult books published in 2019 by black authors. Below are a bunch of them that I’m especially looking forward to reading! New Kid by Jerry Craft
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Board Book Bonanza: Celebrating Black History Month
“Board Book Bonanza” will highlight the wealth of excellent board books being published for babies and young preschoolers for parents and caregivers to share with their little-ones. It's never too early to have fun and learn about science, art, history and so much more! The following is a list of positive and loving board books for babies available in the Trove to celebrate Black History Month: Be Boy Buzz by Bell Hooks & Christopher Raschka “Brown-skinned boys with long, curving arms and curly hair lope and leap across sienna-colored pages; bright squiggles of scribbled design add a geometric counterpoint to
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Dive into Diversity: Celebrating Black History Month with Picture Books
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. Raquel's portion is aimed at readers up to Grade 3. A great resource for parents and educators looking for the newest, excellent titles for children by African-American writers and illustrators is The Brown Bookshelf’s 28 Days Later: A Black History Month Celebration of Children’s Literature at 28 Days Later. Highlighted
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Pointers 4 Parents
Lauren's “Pointers 4 Parents” column features tips, tricks, and resources for caregivers with a specific focus on children with special needs. As an introduction to this column, let’s start with some tips for reading to or with your child(ren). An Ohio State University study suggests that children who have five books a day read to them enter kindergarten having heard about 1.4 million more words than children who aren't read to. Listen, I understand that life happens. There are days for every parent when there’s just no time for anything you want to do. Some days you may not get
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Black History Month
Take part in programs celebrating Black History Month throughout February. Black History Month Film series: Feb. 2, 2:00pm: Remember the Titans (PG, 114min) Feb. 4, 6:30pm: To Kill a Mockingbird (NR, 129 min) Feb. 5, 6:30pm: Dreamgirls (PG13, 129min) Feb. 6, 6:30pm: 42 (PG13, 128min) Feb. 8, 2:30pm: Queen of Katwe (PG, 124min) Feb. 9, 2:00pm: The Wiz (G, 133 min) Feb. 11, 6:30pm: Hidden Figures (PG, 127min) Feb. 13, 6:30pm: Selma (PG13, 128min) Feb. 16, 2:00pm: Ruby Bridges (NR, 120min) Feb. 18, 6:30pm: Red Tails (PG13, 124min) Feb. 19, 6:30pm: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse (PG, 117min) Feb. 20, 2:00pm:
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