Archives for books

2019 Staff Picks

2019 Staff Picks

The White Plains Library Staff have assembled their picks for the year, featuring cookbooks, DVDs, music, audiobooks, and plenty of plain old books. It's a wonderfully wide-ranging list, full of lots of surprises, and should help with your holiday shopping or just some entertainment for yourself. Enjoy! Below you'll find a list with links to the catalog or resource where they're available (simply click on the title) as well as a blurb on why staff enjoyed it. Gluten-free Baking at Home by Jeffrey Larsen (Cookbook) “Why I liked it: Because of the mix of classic recipes like carrot cake and
Read More

December 11, 2019 3:30 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: best books of 2019, book recommendations, books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Meet the Authors: Himmelfarb & Massena

Meet the Authors: Himmelfarb & Massena

This post has expired and the events have already occurred. Copies of the book that is mentioned can be purchased at the Everyday Healthy Cafe on the first floor of the Library. White Plains in the 20th Century (Arcadia Publishing) is a 130-page compendium of photographs of White Plains throughout the 1900s compiled by former White Plains librarian Ben Himmelfarb and current city archivist Elaine Massena. They gathered 200 photographs largely from the collections of artist/photographer John Rosch (1854-1949) and longtime White Plains city historian Renoda Brown Hoffman (1909-2005) to show how a village-turned-city (in 1916) evolved over 100 years.
Read More

November 12, 2019 9:52 am | by | 8 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Library News, and Local History.
Tags: adults, author event, Ben Himmelfarb, books, Elaine Massena, local history, white plains collection, and white plains history.

Best Books of 2018 Poll

Best Books of 2018 Poll

Here are the top ten books published this year that librarians across the country love. Just click on a title or book cover to place it on hold. When you're done reading the list, make sure to vote for your favorite! We'll be sharing the results in one of our upcoming newsletters. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover Published: 2/20/2018 by Random House “In her memoir, Westover recounts her childhood growing up in a strict Mormon family, ruled by an erratic father, and living off the grid in Idaho. Westover compellingly sketches her years growing up, her relationships with siblings,
Read More

November 28, 2018 1:20 pm | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Authors & Books, Director's Corner, eNewsletter, and Featured.
Tags: books, Library Reads, and poll.

Local History: Slow Down with a Book

Local History: Slow Down with a Book

If you are reading this, you probably read more than just quaint blog posts. You might have a list of trusted sites you regularly browse, or perhaps you let an algorithm assemble content for you. Either way, information is liable to come at you fast in the form of tawdry headlines illustrated with photographic click-bait or in tweet-size bursts that belie the complex stories hidden behind shortened links. In the midst of all the media vying for our attention, I'd like to offer a classic suggestion: the book. All of the books below are part of the library's local history
Read More

December 9, 2016 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: books, grace church, local-history, peter gansevoort, Revolutionary War, washington irving, white plains collection, White Plains High School, and white plains history.

Book ‘Em Goes Historical

Book ‘Em Goes Historical

Our mystery book group, Book ‘Em, facilitated by Library Director Brian Kenney, will be going back in time this season–from Ancient Rome to colonial India to Belfast in the '80s–as they read some of the finest crime fiction, each of which is first in a series. The first session is Wednesday, September 21 and we will be discussing The Strangler Vine by M. J. Carter.  A forthcoming flyer will include all the titles for the next 9 months of discussions. Refreshments will be served. All meetings will be held in Room A on the second floor from 2:30-4:00 p.m. For more information,
Read More

September 14, 2016 5:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Events.
Tags: adults, books, and mystery.

Battle of the Books in the Edge

Battle of the Books in the Edge

All tweens and teens entering grades 6-10 in September 2016 are invited to join The Edge team for the Battle of the Books competition! Teams from libraries throughout Westchester will compete by answering trivia questions based on five different books. Participants will read the pre-selected books over the summer, attend team meetings in the fall, and compete (as a team) in the Westchester Library System Battle of the Books tournament. The tournament takes place on Saturday, October 15, at Ossining High School. Team practice will be held on Wednesday afternoons at 4:30 p.m. in the Edge Media Lab, beginning on August
Read More

August 22, 2016 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, and Teens.
Tags: battle of the books, books, reading, teens, and The Edge.

Exercise Your Mind – READ! A new Adult Summer Reading Program

Exercise Your Mind – READ! A new Adult Summer Reading Program

Join us for our new Adult Summer Reading Program, “Exercise Your Mind – READ!” from from July 5 – August 12. We've tailored this program for grownups– no assigned reading, no book reports, no homework, no worries! Register for Exercise Your Mind and read whatever you'd like, whenever you'd like, wherever you'd like. Whether you're headed to the beach, the mountains, or your own backyard, take along a book and snap a “shelfie.”  Share it with us and we'll add it to our in-library display and our Instagram page to enter our raffle drawing for prizes. Engage in fun programs
Read More

June 18, 2016 9:43 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Events.
Tags: adults, books, summer read, and summer reading.

Kick Off Black History Month

Kick Off Black History Month

The Trove at the White Plains Public Library and White Plains Juneteenth Heritage Committee have joined together to kick off February as Black History Month on Sunday, January 31 in The Trove. The activities begin at 1:00 p.m. with the opening of the annual Black History StoryWalk®. This year’s StoryWalk® is  based on the book, Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton written and illustrated by Don Tate. This is an opportunity to learn about George Moses Horton, the first African-American man to be published. The StoryWalk® is open during regular library hours to families with children in first
Read More

January 25, 2016 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events and Kids.
Tags: Black History, books, children, storytime, storywalk, and The Trove.

Meet 97-year-old Yoga Master Tao Porchon-Lynch

Meet 97-year-old Yoga Master Tao Porchon-Lynch

Millions across the globe have been inspired by 97-year-old Tao Porchon-Lynch–World War II French Resistance fighter, model, actress, film producer, wine connoisseur, ballroom dancer, and yoga master. Porchon-Lynch was named “Oldest Yoga Teacher” by Guinness World Records in 2012. She will appear at White Plains Public Library on Sunday, January 17 at 2:00 p.m. to discuss her book, Dancing Light: The Spiritual Side of Being Through the Eyes of a Modern Yoga Master. Porchon-Lynch has been covered by media around the world and her YouTube videos have garnered over 2 million views. Her inspirational memoir, Dancing Light, shows us what
Read More

January 14, 2016 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Events.
Tags: adults, author event, books, and yoga.

WLA/WLS Mock Book Awards

WLA/WLS Mock Book Awards

WLA/WLS Mock Book Awards Thursday, January 7 at 5:30 p.m. Start the new year with a conversation about some of the best children’s and young adult books of 2015. The Westchester Library Association and the Westchester Library System are hosting a discussion of potentially award-winning books published in the last year. This is a great opportunity to meet other readers and deepen your knowledge of Youth Literature. Breakout groups will consider mock nominees for the Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz awards. Adult community members interested in children’s and young adult literature, librarians, teachers, and publishers are invited to attend. However, this
Read More

December 28, 2015 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books.
Tags: adults, books, and reading.

The Trove’s Book Bunch

The Trove’s Book Bunch

Books and pizza! What could be better?? Here at The TROVE our Book Bunch groups feast on this perfect pairing! Book Bunch is the TROVE’s book discussion program for 3rd and 4th graders and 5th and 6th graders. It offers students an opportunity to read something fun, new and challenging, and then talk about it with other kids over pizza at Uno Chicago Grill. The creative juices get flowing as book ideas & opinions are exchanged while pizzas are hand-made, sent off to the oven, and then enjoyed together. Book Bunch is held approximately 4 times a year during a school
Read More

November 25, 2015 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events and Kids.
Tags: book discussion, books, children, kids, pizza party, and The Trove.

Battle of the Books

Battle of the Books

Here at the Trove an elite group of voracious readers are preparing for battle. They will be marching off to the Westchester Library System’s “Battle of the Books” to be staged at Ossining High School on October 14th. Librarians across the county have chosen 5 books (Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, Cracker by Cynthia Kadohata, Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea, and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein) which will be the fodder for a fierce trivia challenge. The Trove’s platoon of eight 5th and 6th graders (the self
Read More

September 4, 2015 10:03 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Kids.
Tags: books, children, and teens.

Every Hero Has a Story!

Every Hero Has a Story!

The Trove summer reading game begins Monday, June 29 and runs through August 14. Be a hero and READ! Each day you come in to report on books you have read, you will receive a prize. Bring your passport from school or get one from The Trove and get it stamped each time you come in. We will have summer reading suggestions displayed for all grades through grade six. Summer Reading Game
Read More

June 24, 2015 2:18 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books, children, reading, summer, and The Trove.

Battle of the Books in The Edge

Battle of the Books in The Edge

  All tweens and teens entering grades 6-9 in September 2015 are invited to join the Edge team for the Battle of the Books competition! Teams from libraries throughout Westchester will compete by answering trivia questions based on five different books. Participants will read the pre-selected books over the summer, attend team meetings, and compete (as a team) in the Westchester Library System Battle of the Books tournament. The tournament takes place on October 17, 2015, at Ossining High School. The first meeting takes place on June 23 at 4 p.m. in The Edge Media Lab. We will be discussing
Read More

June 22, 2015 2:11 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Teens.
Tags: books, teens, and The Edge.

Black History StoryWalk® Opens Sunday, February 15 With Little Melba and Her Big Trombone.

Black History StoryWalk® Opens Sunday, February 15 With Little Melba and Her Big Trombone.

Celebrate black history by taking the latest StoryWalk® in The Trove! The book being featured is Little Melba and Her Big Trombone, written by Katheryn Russell-Brown and illustrated by Frank Morrison. It is the story of African American jazz musician Melba Doretta Liston, the first woman trombonist to play in the big bands during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s — how she selected the trombone as her instrument, taught herself how to play it, and later went on to teach many of the great musicians of the twentieth century. Little Melba and Her Big Trombone was selected as one of two
Read More

February 11, 2015 6:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: books, children, families, and storywalk.

Celebrate Caldecott Award Winning Picture Books!

Celebrate Caldecott Award Winning Picture Books!

Please join us for a special Family Storytime in The Trove: “Celebrate Caldecott Award Winning Picture Books!” Sunday, February 1, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. This will be an interactive storytime with craft and snack for children ages 3 years and up with their families. Every year The Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of The American Library Association (ALA) awards its prestigious Caldecott medal to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. This medal is named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. The 2014 Caldecott Medal went to illustrator Brian Floca
Read More

January 30, 2015 6:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: books, children, families, and storytime.

Meet the Author — Dr. Ari DeLevie

Meet the Author — Dr. Ari DeLevie

This Thursday, January 29, Dr. DeLevie will read from his debut novel, Coping with Demons of War, which Kirkus Reviews calls “an intelligent, cumulatively powerful” work which involves eight men in a room, all veterans of the Israeli armed forces, all suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Dr. DeLevie draws on his forty-plus years of experience with veterans both in the United States and Israel who struggle years and even decades later from the debilitating effects of post traumatic stress disorder. The author will sign and sell his book following the presentation. It all starts at 2:00 p.m. in our
Read More

January 26, 2015 6:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: adults, author event, and books.

Book ‘Em: A Mystery Book Group

Book ‘Em: A Mystery Book Group

Join Library Director Brian Kenney in exploring great crime novels, ranging from the classics to the present. All meetings will be held in Room B, second floor, from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. There is a limit of 18 persons, registration is appreciated. Register through our online program calendar here on our website – select “Classes and Events” then “Adult Calendar”. Refreshments will be served. This month's selection is: Wednesday, January 21 The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith Upcoming selections: Wednesday, February 18 The Chatham School Affair by Thomas Cook Wednesday, March 18 Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg Wednesday, April 15
Read More

January 20, 2015 6:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: adults, books, mystery, and reading.

Hoopla: Streaming Movies and Music Now Available

Hoopla: Streaming Movies and Music Now Available

We are excited to announce the public availability of thousands of movies, television shows, music albums and audiobooks, all available for mobile and online access through a new partnership with hoopla digital. White Plains Library card holders can download the free hoopla digital mobile app on their Android or iOS device or visit hoopladigital.com to begin enjoying thousands of titles – from major Hollywood studios, record companies and publishers – available to borrow for instant streaming or temporary downloading to their smartphones, tablets and computers. hoopla digital has a simple sign-up and attractive, easy-to-use interface, so it’s easy to get to your listening and viewing experience.
Read More

December 15, 2014 6:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage, Library News, and Technology.
Tags: all ages, audiobooks, books, collection, computers, eBooks, movies, music, services, and technology.