Archives for Library News

Going to School

Going to School

As we start thinking about going to school, either for the very first time or once again, the idea can bring with it sweet memories of best friends and fun activities; or the fear and anxiety of the unknown. Read these titles with your children and start the conversation of how much fun school can be. Mi Escuela / My School, by George Ancona. Library Catalog The King of Kindergarten, by Derrick Barnes. Library Catalog / OverDrive & Libby The Bus For Us, by Suzanne Bloom. Library Catalog Biscuit Goes to School, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. Library Catalog / OverDrive
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August 12, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: back to school, children's books, children's literature, staff picks, staff recommendations, and The Trove.

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. Today’s Peculiar Picks features girls who befriend monsters, frequently proving to others that there is more to someone than their appearance while dismantling prejudiced ideas and stereotypes. Lula and the Sea Monster by Alex Latimer OverDrive & Libby / hoopla / Library Catalog Lula and the Sea Monster is such a delightful book about friendship, along with some environmentalism.
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August 12, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, monsters, Peculiar Picks, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Great Podcasts for Kids 3

Great Podcasts for Kids 3

Continuing the series of Great Podcasts for Kids, here are some more excellent podcasts for your kids, and you, to enjoy, on a variety of topics and themes selected by Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. Be sure to also check out the other posts in this series: Great Podcasts for Kids 1 Great Podcasts for Kids 2 Great Podcasts for Teens Great Podcasts for Parents and Caregivers 1 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. If you have some
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August 11, 2021 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Great Podcasts, Great Podcasts for Kids, podcasts, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Parenting: Moving

Parenting: Moving

Big changes like moving are hard for everyone, but especially hard for children. Here are some things I learned from my move last year, tips from the pros, and some nice books you can share with your children to prepare them. My five-year-old son was afraid that he would forget his old house. Mind you, this was after we convinced him that all his toys would, in fact, be coming to the new house with us. So, we decided to have him make a video tour of the old house. He went from room to room, explained what he did
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August 11, 2021 9:08 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: parenting and parenting tips.

Teen Book Review: With the Fire on High

Teen Book Review: With the Fire on High

Title: With the Fire on High Author: Elizabeth Acevedo Publisher: Quill Tree Books Library Catalog / Hoopla / OverDrive & Libby With the Fire on High is an empowering story of teen mom Emoni Santiago. She faces struggles unlike those of her peers but she finds comfort in cooking, which is her passion and gift. Emoni's dreams to graduate and one day become a chef seem impossible when having to juggle the daily struggles of being a teen mother. With help from her grandmother, her best friend Angelica, Malachi, a recent transfer student, her baby Emma, and cooking, Emoni finds
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August 9, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book review, books, Elizabeth Acevedo, for teens by teens, reading, teen book review, and teen volunteers.

New Movies Streaming in August

New Movies Streaming in August

Maybe you're already familiar with our streaming services hoopla and Kanopy, but did you know that they add new content each month? Find a list below of some exciting new titles available on each platform this month. hoopla Death to Smoochy (2002 dark comedy) Directed by Danny DeVito. Starring Edward Norton, Robin Williams, Danny DeVito, Jon Stewart, Catherine Keener, Harvey Fierstein. Two icons of children's television are pitted against one another in this satirical dark comedy! Cleopatra Jones (1973 action & adventure) Directed by Jack Starrett. Starring Tamara Dobson, Bernie Casey, Shelley Winters, Brenda Sykes, Esther Rolle. Tamara Dobson is
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August 5, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: films, hoopla, Kanopy, movies, staff picks, staff recommendations, and streaming services.

August 2021 LibraryReads

August 2021 LibraryReads

Here are the books published this month that librarians across the country love. Find out more here. If the Shoe Fits: A Meant To Be Novel by Julie Murphy Library Catalog: Print OverDrive/Libby: eBook “Low on job prospects, fashion school grad Cindy moves in with her stepmom, a reality show producer. When a spot opens up in the Bachelor-style series, Cindy seizes the chance to get nationwide exposure for her designs. The last thing she expects is to find love. A Cinderella-inspired romance with a plus-sized heroine and a multicultural cast. For fans of Red, White, & Royal Blue, The
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August 4, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: books, Library Reads, LibraryReads, reading list, and recommendations.

Teen Book Review: American Panda

Teen Book Review: American Panda

Title: American Panda Author: Gloria Chao Publisher: Simon and Schuster Library Catalog / OverDrive & Libby Gloria Chao’s romance novel American Panda is about a seventeen year old girl named Mei Lu who is leading up to her parents expectations in life. Mei Lu goes to college even though she should be in high school but, she skipped fourth grade. Mei’s parents already had their plan set for her and it was to become a doctor, marry someone who’s Taiwanese and produce babies. The problem was that Mei dislikes germs, falls asleep in her classes, and likes a guy who
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August 2, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book review, books, for teens by teens, reading, teen book review, and teen volunteers.

English Conversation Group

English Conversation Group

New schedule: Every other Wednesday* 2:00–3:00 p.m. *Note the new day and frequency ESL speakers, come practice your English conversation skills in this fun, supportive virtual setting! Feel free to bring your own conversation topics. For more information on joining, click the date(s) you would like to attend: September 29th October 13th October 27th A key element to learning a new language is to practice, and our English Conversation Group (ECG) provides exactly that opportunity. If you speak English as a second (or third, or fourth!) language, you're welcome to come and converse with other people, both language learners and
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August 1, 2021 10:00 am | by | 4 Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: english as a second language, english conversation group, and ESL.

What You Need to Know About… Monster

What You Need to Know About… Monster

Gone are the days when every middle school and high school summer reading list was full of titles by Walter Dean Myers. While at one time, Myers was the go-to author for diverse characters, because he was one of the only authors of diverse characters, we are now fortunate that the publishing industry has begun embracing diverse authors.  WIth this shift in the publishing industry, and public desire for diverse works, there is an increasing body of wonderful and important works by newer writers such as Jason Reynolds and Angie Thomas. But this doesn’t mean that Myers' books are no longer poignant
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July 27, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: teen movies, teens, What You Need to Know About, and YA literature.

Dive Into Diversity: Happy Summer Birthdays!

Dive Into Diversity: Happy Summer Birthdays!

There are so many talented and diverse children’s authors and illustrators being published! To celebrate them, I have decided to celebrate their birthdays on a seasonal basis starting with summer, and hopefully continuing throughout the year 2021-22. I was greatly inspired by Eric VanRaepenbusch’s website, Happy Birthday Author, and highly recommend it! VanRaepenbusch’s website focuses on creating “memorable reading experiences by celebrating author and Illustrator birthdays.” He has engagingly documented the authors and illustrators he as a homeschooling parent has studied with his children, and the STEAM activities they have done together to create an incredible resource for other parents
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July 26, 2021 11:31 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Teen Book Review: Follow Your Arrow

Teen Book Review: Follow Your Arrow

Title: Follow Your Arrow Author: Jessica Verdi Publisher: Scholastic Library Catalog / OverDrive & Libby A girl named Cece Ross is a social media influencer. Things are great until she and her girlfriend break-up. Soon after she meets a boy who isn’t on social media at all and keeps her internet fame a secret. But social media catches up quickly and now Cece faces a scandal. I really enjoyed this book, it was quick and easy and deals with topics like identity, the LGBTQ+ community and social media. I definitely recommend this book as we see Cece grow to put
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July 26, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book review, books, for teens by teens, Jessica Verdi, reading, teen book review, and teen volunteers.

Summer STEAM: Beaded Bubble Wand

Summer STEAM: Beaded Bubble Wand

After the Summer Solstice on Sunday, June 20th, summer is officially underway! We’re celebrating with a summer-themed Grab & Go STEAM kit, available to pick up on July 26th. The kits will contain beads and a pipe cleaner. This is a fun and easy craft that can be done indoors or outdoors. You can make the design above or use these instructions to create your own unique craft. Whether you love to blow bubbles, want to work on a creative craft or just want to unplug, this is a fun activity for the entire family. For an enriched STEAM activity
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July 26, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Grab & Go kits, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEAM kits, and STEM.

Explore Japanese Culture: Sushi

Explore Japanese Culture: Sushi

Food Series Wednesday, August 11th 7:00–8:00 p.m. Click here for the zoom link. Did you know there are many kinds of sushi in Japan? Do you know why wasabi and ginger are served on the side? From its origins to how it has become a celebratory dish of choice, to its evolution in Japan, we will show you sushi in all its forms. We will also show how you can prepare some forms of sushi easily at home. That’s right, you can be a sushi chef right at home! Come join us to learn all you need to know about
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July 26, 2021 8:44 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Library News.
Tags: cooking, cuisine, events, Explore Japanese culture, food, and sushi.

Shadow Puppetry Performances and Workshop

Shadow Puppetry Performances and Workshop

Firelight Shadow Theater presents two pre-recorded performances available for viewing from July 11 – July 30. Me and My Shadow is for PreK and family audiences, while Spin Me a Shadow, Tell Me a Tale is for Grades K-5 audiences. Then, on August 11, kids in Grades 2-5 are invited to take part in a shadow puppetry workshop. As Daniel Barash of Firelight Shadow Theater says, “See you in the land of shadows!” Me and My Shadow PreK, families Pre-recorded show accessible July 11 – July 30 Access the video here starting July 11. After first introducing youngsters to the
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July 23, 2021 10:33 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's events, Firelight Shadow Theater, shadow puppetry, shadow puppets, The Trove, and trove events.

Dive Into Diversity: Let’s Go on a Trip

Dive Into Diversity: Let’s Go on a Trip

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’s summer break and perhaps your family is traveling! If that isn’t the case, here are a few recommendations of great diverse stories about going on a journey that you can stay home and enjoy! Fly on the Wall by Remy
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July 23, 2021 9:50 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, juvenile fiction, staff picks, staff recommendations, and travel.

Dive into Diversity: YA Retellings

Dive into Diversity: YA Retellings

In 2021, my Dive into Diversity posts about young adult books will focus on a different genre each month. I’ll highlight books with characters that represent a range of experiences and identities. I’ll also feature authors who share an aspect of their characters’ identity as much as possible. I was somehow able to wait until July before writing about one of my favorite types of fiction: retellings of fairy tales and classic stories. This month I read A Blade So Black by L. L. McKinley, a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. In this version, Alice stumbles into an awareness of Wonderland when
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July 22, 2021 10:56 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, fairy tales, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA Fiction.

Grab & Go Craft Kits: Wire Photo Holder

Grab & Go Craft Kits: Wire Photo Holder

Teens in grades 7-12 can pick up a kit with project supplies at the Library, then follow along with the instructional video below to make the project. Or, you can find the materials around your home and follow the video to make the project. Kits are first come, first served, and will become available on Monday, July 19th in the Library lobby. For this month’s project, we’re making a decorative photo holder using a rock and some wire. The kit includes a smooth, flat rock, two feet of wire, some paint, a foam brush, and a couple of popsicle sticks.
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July 19, 2021 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: crafts for teens and Grab & Go kits.

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. Here’s Part 3 of Peculiar Picks of books based on songs, uplifting and positive. Here are Part 1 and Part 2. Note: I recommend caregivers listen to the music for themselves before sharing with their child to determine if they feel it is appropriate for their child. Let’s Dance adapted from lyrics by David Bowie, illustrated by Hannah Marks
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July 15, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, music, Peculiar Picks, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Great Podcasts for Kids 2

Great Podcasts for Kids 2

Summer’s not over yet and that may mean you have some car trips coming up. Or, perhaps, you just want to give your kids some screen-free learning opportunities? Here are some excellent podcasts, on a variety of topics and themes, to enjoy, selected by Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. Also, be sure to check out Part 1 in this series of podcast recommendations as well as recommendations for Great Podcasts for Parents and Caregivers. 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
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July 14, 2021 10:00 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.