Archives for children’s books

Celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility

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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March 13, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for kids, children's books, International Transgender Day of Visibility, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, staff recommendations, Transgender Day of Visibility, and transgender rights.

Native American Heritage Month

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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November 9, 2022 3:07 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, National Native American Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, November, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, and The Trove.

Announcing Kids Pick

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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October 31, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book review, children's books, juvenile fiction, juvenile nonfiction, Kids Pick, 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. 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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September 26, 2022 9:27 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bigfoot, children's books, children's literature, Peculiar Picks, picture books, Sasquatch, staff picks, staff recommendations, and Yeti.

Back to School

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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August 19, 2022 1:06 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: back to school, children's books, pictures books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Women’s Equality Day

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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August 16, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: 19th Amendment, children's books, Dive into Diversity, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, staff recommendations, Women's Equality, and Women's Equality Day.

American Artist Appreciation Month

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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August 9, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: American Artist Month, art, artists, books for children, children's books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Appreciating Nature

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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July 26, 2022 1:32 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Dive into Diversity, nature books, nature books for kids, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Summer Reading 2022

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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July 17, 2022 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: activities for children in White Plains, books, children, children's books, children's events, children's programs, families, library programs, Library programs for teens, programs for kids, Read Squared, reading, storytime, summer 2022, summer programs, summer reading, summer reading game, teen events, teens, The Edge, and The Trove.

Delicious Summer Foods

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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July 14, 2022 11:57 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, children's books, reading list, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

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. 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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July 14, 2022 11:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Peculiar Picks, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Traveling Through Picture Books

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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June 22, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, books on travel, children's books, Dive into Diversity, staff picks, staff recommendations, and travel.

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. 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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June 9, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, dragons, Peculiar Picks, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Great Outdoors Month

Great Outdoors Month

On June 5th, 2019, the US Senate designated June as Great Outdoors Month. Great Outdoors Month is a wonderful opportunity to spend time exploring nature. Spending time outdoors is refreshing, fun, and has great health benefits. According to The American Hiking Society, being in nature is great for both mental and physical health. You can spend time outdoors in a park, garden, at the beach, or hiking. There are many fun activities that you can do with your family and friends. Try using one of the suggested activities such as creating a nature bracelet, identifying different trees, camping, and stargazing.
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June 7, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, children's books, Great Outdoors Month, Hiking, nature, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

P is for PLANET

P is for PLANET

Climate change is a direct threat to a child’s ability to survive, grow, and thrive. As extreme weather events such as cyclones and heat waves increase in frequency and ferocity, they threaten children’s lives and destroy infrastructure critical to their well-being. Floods compromise water and sanitation facilities, leading to diseases such as cholera, to which children are particularly vulnerable. This is the first time a global generation of children will grow up in a world made far more dangerous and uncertain as a result of a changing climate and degraded environment. Addressing climate change and mitigating its impact is imperative
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June 3, 2022 1:46 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, climate change, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

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. I loved The Addams Family as a kid, the original TV show and the 90s movies (ok, I admit, I still love them now). Just the mention of The Addams Family also immediately brings to mind the original show’s infectious theme song: “dada duh dum snap snap dada duh dum snap snap they’re creepy and they’re kooky, The Addams
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May 12, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Addams family, children's books, children's literature, Peculiar Picks, picture books, staff picks, staff recommendations, and the addams family.

Happy Spring Birthdays!

Happy Spring Birthdays!

There are so many talented and diverse children’s authors and illustrators to recommend! To highlight them, I am ending my series of celebrating their birthdays on a seasonal basis with Spring birthdays. I started with summer, I covered Autumn birthdays and Winter birthdays and now it’s Springtime! Another wonderful resource for excellent diverse book recommendations is Social Justice Books: A Teaching for Change Project. I hope you enjoy the range of great titles below for preschoolers to sixth-graders! Author and Illustrator Diane Dillon, Birthday: March 12th I Can Be Anything (Preschool – 2nd grade) Libby / Library Catalog “A young
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April 20, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, spring, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Earth Day 2022 Reads

Earth Day 2022 Reads

Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd. Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 and it is now celebrated annually in over 193 countries as a way to show support for environmental protection. Below find an assortment of recently published books with stories, activities and information to celebrate and support our planet. You can find even more activities, books and resources for celebrating Earth Day from the Library here and pick up an Earth Day coloring sheet in the Trove at the Library starting April 22nd! Also, check out Lauren’s recent post on parenting titles for outdoor learning and
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April 20, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, books for children, children's books, Earth Day, Earth Day Books, nature books, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

El Día/Children’s Day

El Día/Children’s Day

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a celebration every day of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30th. Día is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages and cultures. The Trove will have available Grab & Go Kits celebrating this day, available beginning April 25th, while supplies last. Daniel’s pet = Daniel y su mascota, by Alma Flor Ada. (Library Catalog) The
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April 20, 2022 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's day, el día, El día de los niños, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

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. While there are many books about dragons in the Library, can you imagine an actual dragon in the Library? So big. Stomping around. Eating things. Not to mention breathing fire around all the flammable books!  Here are two of my favorite books about dragons in libraries. Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Library by Julie Gassman, illustrated by
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April 14, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, dragons, Peculiar Picks, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.