Afrobeats Dance Workshop Wednesday, June 28th, at 6:30–8:00 p.m. For: Adults and teens Location: Auditorium Afrobeats Dance is a combination of modern day African movement paired with Afrobeats music. The movement is full body & high energy. Focusing on hip releasing, footwork, arm coordination and rhythm. It's a fun form of dance because it allows the body to move naturally and with the percussion of the music. Past Juneteenth Events: Grab & Go Kits: Juneteenth! Monday, June 12th at 10:00 a.m. For: Grades K-3 Location: Lobby Pick up a new Grab & Go Kit at the Library, while supplies last,
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Archives for children’s books
May is Family Wellness Month!
The month of May is a great time to educate, encourage, and enact a healthy lifestyle for your family! Eating healthy, exercising, and unwinding at the end of the day are important ways for keeping everyone happy and healthy. There are lots of simple activities you can do to keep your mind & body fit…and think about ways to improve your daily habits, such as going to bed at a reasonable time! Books for the whole family to check out: Taking Care of Me by Mari C. Schuh Library catalog, ebook Yoga for little kids: simple poses to encourage
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Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month
On April 20th, 2006, President Bush issued the first proclamation designating May 2006 as Jewish American Heritage Month. Since then, the month of May is dedicated to celebrating the many contributions of Jewish Americans in the last 369 years and encourages everyone to learn more about the history, culture, accomplishments, and diversity of the American Jewish community. A great wealth of resources for families to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month are the programs and exhibits of the Jewish Museum on 5th Avenue at 92nd Street in NYC. Check out their family events here. To celebrate the month, I have gathered
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May Author Visit Storytimes
We have three local author visit storytimes scheduled this May. Join us to hear these authors read their stories, and chat with them about their books in person! Author Visit Storytime: Sophie’s Special Story by Gabriella Gizzo Saturday, May 13th at 2 pm Library Catalog This book is about the special bond between an owner and her dog, Sophie. This unique story line expresses Sophie's adventures as she journeys through life with Gabriella. The purpose of this book was to creatively target speech and language goals through Sophie's experiences. Throughout the story, Sophie's development is revealed through her descriptors. These
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May is Latino Books Month
Latino Books Month was launched by Rhode Island Latino Arts (founded in 1988 & today is Rhode Island’s leading nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to the promotion, advancement, development and cultivation of Latino arts) and has been sponsored by the Association of American Publishers (AAP). Latino Books Month began in 2004 and has been celebrated ever since. It is dedicated to all Latino authors, illustrators and books, including fiction, poetry, drama, autobiography and art. It is meant to inspire literacy amongst the Latino community, promoting English and Spanish reading and highlighting Latino countries and cultures. Latino Books Month encourages librarians, teachers,
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Celebrate Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month
Celebrate Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month With Great Picture Books! Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month began in 1977 as a ten-day celebration of Asian Pacific American contributions to the United States. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed a law expanding the celebration to the entire month of May. The observance started by commemorating two events: The arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843 and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, largely built by Chinese immigrants, on May 10, 1869. The month-long celebration of Asians and Pacific
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Celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month
National Arab American Heritage Month takes place in April; and it celebrates Arab American heritage & culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans. In April 2021, President Biden and the U.S.Department of State recognized April as National Arab American Heritage Month. The President wrote in his letter commemorating the event, “The Arab American community exemplifies so much of what our country stands for: hard work, resilience, compassion, and generosity… Diversity is one of our greatest strengths, and it is essential that we continue celebrating, promoting, and educating others about the myriad ways that the
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Celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility
International Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event that occurs on March 31st. The day is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of transgender and gender nonconforming people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people in the United States and worldwide. Attacks on the rights of transgender individuals have risen alarmingly in 2023. According to Tim Walker in his article, “Bill aims to establish Minnesota as a ‘Trans Refuge’ state” for the Minnesota Legislature, “Nearly 250 bills in 32 states are under consideration that would single out trans people for discriminatory treatment of their privacy, their
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Native American Heritage Month
In November we honor the peoples who lived here before European colonization. Their presence continues to be felt and seen everywhere. From teaching the pilgrims how to survive those first bitter Northeastern winters, to the underappreciated part they played on the Underground Railroad, to the Code Talkers who helped us win World War II. There is much about them we still do not know. As we continue to learn their stories, to share their wisdom, and learn from each other, we can take a moment to enjoy the titles below. You can also visit the Smithsonian National Museum of the
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Announcing Kids Pick
The Trove has a new program called Kids Pick which is for all Trove patrons to participate in! What is Kids Pick? Well, you just read a book and give us your review! Did you just read a book you can't stop talking about? Do you have a favorite book you think everyone should read? Maybe you love the illustrations in a new graphic novel! It is as easy as 1, 2, 3… Read a book! Fill out the Kids Pick form available in the Trove. Give the form to a Librarian at the Compass desk. We will put your
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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. My last Peculiar Picks featured the title Yeti, Turn Out the Light! Here’s a big list featuring bigfoots (bigfeet?), sasquatch(es?), and yeti(s?). The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot by Scott Magoon Library Catalog / hoopla In this variation on the classic “Boy Who Cried Wolf” tale, young Ben regularly tells tall tales of seeing bigfoot, and when no one believes
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Back to School
It's time to start gearing up for the Back to School season. Here are some books to get kids excited for the new school year! Isabel and her Colores go to school, by Alexandra Alessandri. Library Catalog / Libby / hoopla Ollie’s school day: a yes-and-no book, by Stephanie Calmenson. Library Catalog / Libby Biscuit goes to school, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. Library Catalog / Libby / hoopla Bizcocho va a la escuela, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. (SPANISH) Library Catalog / Libby We want to go to school!: the fight for disability rights, by Maryann Cocca-Leffler & Janine Leffler. Library
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Women’s Equality Day
On August 26th, 1920, U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the 19th Amendment and that date became known as “Women’s Equality Day.” The National Constitution Center’s article, Why is August 26 Known As Women's Equality Day? writes, “In 1971, Representative Bella Abzug championed a bill in the U.S. Congress to designate August 26 as ‘Women’s Equality Day.’ The bill says that ‘the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation annually in commemoration of that day in 1920, on which the women of America were first given the right to vote.’” Unfortunately, women’s equality and voting rights are
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American Artist Appreciation Month
August is American Artist Appreciation Month. It is never too early to learn about art, creativity, and expression. Discover activities you can do with your family at home or visit a museum such as The Met. During the month of August you can also treat yourself to a biography of Mary Cassatt or Faith Ringold and learn about their passion, influences, and styles of expression. Readers can learn about the Harlem Renaissance which helped African American artists get recognition for their contributions in the art world. An Artist’s America by Michael Albert Library Collection: Print (Grades 4-6th) Michael Albert combined
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Appreciating Nature
Time spent outdoors is both physically and mentally healthy for all of us. Spending time in nature promotes creativity, relieves stress and is just plain fun – especially for kids. Best of all, most of us won’t need to travel far to enjoy the great outdoors – Westchester County has great places to visit and commune with nature. I found Westchester Magazine’s article, These Are the Top Outdoor Activities in Westchester to be particularly helpful in finding so many wonderful green spaces in our area. Pairing outdoor adventures with great books creates even better opportunities to enjoy the benefits of
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Summer Reading 2022
Summer Reading at the White Plains Public Library starts Monday, June 27 and will run through Friday, August 19. Logging reading over the summer will again be online this year via the READsquared platform through either the READsquared website or the READsquared app (available here: iOS and Android). Lectura de Verano 2022 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
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Delicious Summer Foods
Summer brings us images of picnics, watermelons, berries, ice cream, corn on the cob, hamburgers, and more. Take a moment to enjoy these stories of friends enjoying delicious food together. Good weather, good friends and good food; who could ask for more? Watermelon day, by Kathi Appelt. Library Catalog The burger and the hot dog, by Jim Aylesworth. Library Catalog Halal hot dogs, by Susannah Aziz. Library Catalog Cheers for a dozen ears : a summer crop of counting, by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky. Library Catalog / hoopla Ice cream, by Elisha Cooper. Library Catalog The little ice cream truck, by
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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. The characters in these stories just want to get a good night’s sleep. It’s Only Stanley by Jon Agee Library Catalog / hoopla The Wimbledon family is trying to sleep… Noises, smells, and more keep waking them up. It’s only their dog Stanley, doing increasingly strange things… but why is he doing them? Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli
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Traveling Through Picture Books
In Caitlin Morton’s article for Condé Nast, 29 Children's Books That Will Teach Your Kids About the World, she writes, “Aside from actually hopping on a plane, reading is the best way for children to learn about the world—and travel books for kids happen to be some of the most touching, open-minded works out there.” Travel picture books can teach us about new places, and they can also let us connect to our family’s heritage. Gathered here are picture books perfect for sharing that travel to many places and times – enjoy traveling through the pages of these notable titles!
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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. No real theme today, just a selection of funny Peculiar Picks! What Animals Really Like by Fiona Robins Library Catalog / hoopla This zany picture book features a cacophonous animal chorus that fails to live up to its conductor’s expectations when the animals refuse to perform the parts expected of them, instead demonstrating what they really like to do.
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