Archives for Library News

Turtle Dance Music

Turtle Dance Music

Turtle Dance Music presents: Reading Rocks! A Virtual Music, Bubble and Comedy Show! Thursday, September 16, 11:00 a.m. Children, families, all ages welcome! Access the program here. Note: a free registered Zoom account is required to access the Library’s youth programs. Get a Zoom account here. Reading Rocks! A Virtual Music, Bubble and Comedy Show features wonderful classic and original children’s songs and tales. The show engages children with songs, comedy, bubbles, and music technology. Join us for this novel 40-minute performance which will be accompanied by visual and sensory experiences. Kids will dance, sing, laugh, use their imaginations and
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September 14, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: children's events, dance, kids events, trove events, and Turtle Dance Music.

Teen Book Review: A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Teen Book Review: A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Title: A Very Large Expanse of Sea Author: Tahereh Mafi Publisher: Harper Collins Library Catalog / Hoopla / OverDrive & Libby The romance novel A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi is about a high school sophomore named Shirin who‘s had a tough life growing up dealing with bullying. Shirin’s tired and annoyed of people stereotyping her; based on her religion, what she wears, and who she is. Since Shirin is used to receiving so much disrespect and physical violence, she builds up a strong personality. A strong personality where if someone makes a joke about her, she’ll
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September 13, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book review, books, for teens by teens, reading, Tahereh Mafi, teen book review, and teen volunteers.

Autumn is Here!

Autumn is Here!

Fall is right around the corner. What better time to leaf through a good book. You can have a hoot with any of these titles. Rake in a good read and get ready for some pumpkin spice and everything nice coming your way. From crisp air to light sweaters, from picking apples to carving pumpkins, this is the season of fun. Happy autumn! This is a Taco!, by Andrew Cangelose. Library Collection OverDrive / Libby How to Grow an Apple Pie, by Beth Charles. Library Collection OverDrive / Libby Pete the Cat Falling for Autumn, by James Dean. Library Collection
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September 9, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: autumn, autumn reading list for children, children's books about autumn, and children's literature.

Tiny Tales: If You’re Going to the Pool

Tiny Tales: If You’re Going to the Pool

Welcome to our new series of Tiny Tales videos! Tiny Tales are short “bite-sized” song and story videos. Watch one for a short early literacy break, or a few for a whole storytime! You can find all of our Tiny Tales videos, including the thirty six videos in the previous series, right here! Today’s video features Trove librarian Ms. Lauren presenting “If You’re Going to the Pool.” Tiny Tales are made possible with support from the White Plains Library Foundation.
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September 7, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: library storytime recording, library storytime video, online library storytime, storytime, The Trove, Tiny Tales, video, videos, virtual library storytime, westchester libraries, westchester library storytime, white plains library, and white plains new york.

Mindfulness Practice

Mindfulness Practice

Transitions can be tricky, and it takes some practice to adjust to circumstances that are beyond our control. Whether it’s watching your child graduate from kindergarten, starting a new job, or getting used to a post-pandemic world, transitions can be overwhelming for most people. During this phase, transitioning from one type of life to another, complex emotions often arise that make us feel overwhelmed, anxious, worried, or frustrated. I have been practicing mindfulness for over ten years now and still have a lot to learn. However, I can honestly state that the practice of Zen meditation, yoga and mindfulness has
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September 6, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: kids books, Meditation, mindfulness, staff picks, staff recommendations, and stress management.

Teen Book Review: Prisoner B-3087

Teen Book Review: Prisoner B-3087

Title: Prisoner B-3087 Author: Alan Gratz Publisher: Scholastic Library Catalog / Hoopla / OverDrive & Libby Alan Gratz's Prisoner B-3087 takes place in Poland during World War II when the Nazis invade. It's about a Jewish boy named Yanek who must struggle and survive while still grasping onto humanity and hope. Yanek faces many situations that are life-threatening, but it only makes him stronger and aware towards one goal; to survive. The novel is based on the true story of Jack Gruener, who survived the Holocaust. I highly recommend this book to someone who is interested in learning about history
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September 6, 2021 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Alan Gratz, book review, books, for teens by teens, reading, teen book review, and teen volunteers.

September 2021 LibraryReads

September 2021 LibraryReads

Here are the books published this month that librarians across the country love. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune Library Catalog: Print OverDrive/Libby: eBook / audiobook “After dying of a heart attack, Wallace ends up in Charon’s Crossing Tea and Treats, a shop run by Hugo the ferryman, whose job is to help people come to terms with their death and cross over. Wallace learns and grows, becoming better in death than in life. For readers who enjoy character-driven, humorous, and heartrending stories and fans of A Man Called Ove, This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance, and Less.” —Andrea
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August 31, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: librarian recommendations, Library Reads, library staff picks, LibraryReads, September 2021 book releases, September LibraryReads, and staff recommendations.

What You Need to Know About… Marvel’s Eternals

What You Need to Know About… Marvel’s Eternals

Disney is adding the Eternals into the MCU this November, but who are they? At first glance the Eternals look like souped up X-People (that’s right, I said “people” to fight our patriarchal society, deal with it), who have been around a really long time. The Eternals were created by Jack Kirby in the 70’s. Jack Kirby gave us Captain America back in the 40’s, was one of the principal authors of Marvel’s silver age, and brought X-Men (fine, I said it but only because that is the title, hence the italics). The Eternals were then brought back by Neil
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August 31, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: comic books, graphic novels, Marvel, staff picks, staff recommendations, the Eternals, and What You Need to Know About.

New Movies Streaming in September

New Movies Streaming in September

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 Antigone (2021 Canadian drama) Directed by Sophie Deraspe. Starring Nahéma Ricci, Rawad El-Zein, Antoine Desrochers. Writer-director Sophie Deraspe's incisive liberal adaptation of the Greek tragedy by Sophocles is the daring story of one young woman's commitment to her family, even if it means sacrificing herself. Newcomer Nahéma Ricci gives a stunning, luminous performance as Antigone, an Algerian-born teenager living in Montreal with
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August 31, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured and Library News.
Tags: free library movies, hoopla, Kanopy, library staff movie recommendations, library staff picks, movies streaming at westchester libraries, staff picks, and streaming movies.

Teen Book Review: Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

Teen Book Review: Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

Title: Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie Author: Jordan Sonnenblick Publisher: Scholastic Library Catalog / OverDrive & Libby Jordan Sonnenblick’s realistic fiction novel Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie is about a thirteen year old boy named Steven and his five year old little brother Jeffrey. Jeffrey’s diagnosed with leukemia and Steven wants to keep that silent because he also needs to focus on school, tries to catch up with his extra activities, and has a crush on someone. While Jeffrey is not well, Steven can’t pay attention to his studies because he’s worried of his brother and doesn’t want anything worse
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August 30, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book review, books, for teens by teens, Jordan Sonnenblick, reading, teen book review, and teen volunteers.

Fall STEM Programs for Kids & Teens

Fall STEM Programs for Kids & Teens

Minecraft for Teens In this session, youth are invited to play Minecraft together online in a safe, learning environment. Activities will include working together to survive in a randomly generated world and/or building things collectively in creative mode. All are welcome to partake in some fun with library friends and Digital Media Specialist Austin Olney. Participants must own Minecraft (non-java) on either Windows 10, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, or Oculus Rift to join a private server. Email aolney@whiteplainslibrary.org for questions and help. 9/7/2021 Tuesday 4:00-4:45 p.m. 10/5/2021 Tuesday 4:00-4:45 p.m. Fortnite with Friends Ready for some
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August 26, 2021 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: digital technology, STEAM learning, STEM learning, STEM programs for kids, STEM programs for teens, and technology.

Tiny Tales Videos Return

Tiny Tales Videos Return

We are excited to announce there will be new Tiny Tales videos by Trove Librarians starting September 7th. What are Tiny Tales? Tiny Tales are short “bite-sized” song and story videos. Watch one for a little early literacy break, or a few for a whole storytime! Tiny Tales will be available for viewing on the Library’s YouTube channel, social media (Facebook, Instagram), and will be posted here on our website. You can check out the 36 videos that were made earlier this year, right here! Tiny Tales are made possible with support from the White Plains Library Foundation.
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August 25, 2021 5:31 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: library storytime recording, library storytime video, online library storytime, storytime, The Trove, Tiny Tales, video, videos, virtual library storytime, westchester libraries, westchester library storytime, white plains library, and white plains new york.

National Novel Writing Month for Young Novelists

National Novel Writing Month for Young Novelists

Have you heard about National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo? It’s a challenge that takes place each year in the month of November, where people work toward writing a book. This fall, we’re hosting a pre-planning writing series for young writers in grades 4 and up who may be interested in writing during NaNoWriMo. Each Thursday at 4:00 p.m., we’ll meet to discuss various elements that make up a novel, and work through the exercises in NaNoWriMo’s Young Novelist Workbook. By the end of the series, participants will have ideas for characters, setting, and plot ready to go, so they
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August 25, 2021 10:28 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: creative writing, NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, and youth writing workshop.

Fall Virtual Tabletop Games

Fall Virtual Tabletop Games

Need something fun to do after school? Then join librarians Ashley and Erik from the Trove and the Edge to play virtual tabletop games! This program is for children and teens in grades 4 and up. We’ll be meeting on September 20th, October 4th, and October 18th at 4:30 p.m. Some of the games we normally play include 6 nimmt!, 7 Wonders, Solo, Sushi Go!, Go Nuts for Donuts, and Yahtzee. We use the platform boardgamearena.com to play the games while we chat on Zoom. Kids and teens that haven’t attended the program before will need to create a free
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August 24, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: tabletop games, tabletop games for kids, and tabletop games for teens.

Teen Book Review: Kindred

Teen Book Review: Kindred

Title: Kindred Author: Octavia Butler Publisher: Beacon Press Library Catalog / Hoopla / OverDrive & Libby In the book Kindred, Dana, an African American woman, is transported back in time to Maryland before the Civil War to save Rufus, a young white boy. In a series of journeys that defy time, Dana faces many life-threatening scenarios. This book is an excellent read for fans of history and suspense as Dana consistently puts her life on the line to help others. This book also contains mild violence to demonstrate the inhumane treatment of slaves during this period. Overall, this book is
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August 23, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book review, books, for teens by teens, Octavia Butler, reading, teen book review, and teen volunteers.

Projects on the Plaza: For Teens

Projects on the Plaza: For Teens

In September, the Library will hold two outdoor STEM programs for teens. The programs will be on the Library Plaza, underneath the tent, on Wednesday afternoons from 4:00-5:30 p.m. September 15: Ecosystem in a Bottle Participants will learn how to take an old soda bottle and transform it into a planter. September 29: Marshmallow Launchers Participants will create marshmallow launchers using household items like toilet paper rolls and rubberbands. All participants will be expected to follow social distancing guidelines and wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.
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August 23, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: events for teens, Library programs for teens, STEM programs for teens, teen events, and The Edge.

Dive into Diversity: Happy Autumn Birthdays!

Dive into Diversity: Happy Autumn Birthdays!

There are so many talented and diverse children’s authors and illustrators to recommend! To highlight them, I have continued with my series of celebrating their birthdays on a seasonal basis. I started with summer, and I can’t believe it, but now it’s time to celebrate Autumn birthdays! I hope you enjoy the great titles below. A great resource to find even more diverse notable titles for kids is We Need Diverse Books’ website, Where Can You Find Diverse Books? Right Here! Happy Autumn birthdays! Writer Aisha Saeed, Birthday: September 2nd Bilal Cooks Daal, illustrated by Anoosha Syed (Grades K-2) OverDrive
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August 19, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: authors and illustrators, autumn, children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Dive into Diversity: YA Mysteries

Dive into Diversity: YA Mysteries

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. This month I've collected a list of YA mysteries. This month, I'm happy for another opportunity to talk about Slay by Brittney Morris. We discussed this exciting mystery at our last Project LIT book club for teens in the spring, and it was unanimously declared a favorite. The main character, Kiera Johnson,
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August 19, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, mysteries, staff picks, staff recommendations, teens, YA Fiction, ya mysteries, young adult books, and young adult fiction.

Dive into Diversity: School Stories

Dive into Diversity: School Stories

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. As inevitably happens this time of year, summer break is unfortunately coming to an end! Get in the mindset for a new school year by reading one of these awesome diverse school stories! The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson For
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August 19, 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, Dive into Diversity, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Summer Reading 2021

Summer Reading 2021

Summer Reading at the White Plains Public Library starts Monday, June 28 and will run through Friday, August 20! Due to the impact of COVID-19 on services, Summer Reading will be completely online this year via the READsquared platform, the READsquared website, or the READsquared app, available for iOS and Android. 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 children at one time. This allows
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August 18, 2021 10:31 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: children, families, Read Squared, summer reading, summer reading game, teens, The Edge, and The Trove.