Archives for children’s books

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, Spooktober, 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.

Books to Celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility

Books to 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. Sadly, injustices continue – Texas families are now fighting against recent efforts to harm transgender children and tear apart their families by Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. For further information, you can read NPR’s website article, A Texas Judge Blocks the State from Investigating Parents of Transgender Youth. In support of those
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March 18, 2022 10:04 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Dive into Diversity, International Transgender Day of Visibility, LGBTQIA+, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, staff recommendations, and transgender rights.

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. Who doesn’t love penguins? Here’s four Peculiar Penguin Picks. Vampenguin by Lucy Ruth Cummins Library Catalog I’d heard the term “penguin suit” for a tuxedo or black dinner jacket before, but had never once thought of a vampire, such as Dracula, as wearing a penguin suit, but once you do, as Lucy Ruth Cummins must have, the potential for
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March 11, 2022 11:56 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.

Children’s Titles to Celebrate Black History Part 2

Children’s Titles to Celebrate Black History Part 2

Veronica Chambers writes in her New York Times article, How Negro History Week Became Black History Month and Why It Matters Now, ”Why does Black History Month in particular, and the study of Black history overall, still matter so much? ‘There’s no question that history is and continues to be a battleground. The origin stories that we tell matter a great deal for where we set the bar and how we set the bar going forward,’ noted Professor Jones, of Johns Hopkins. ‘So when you talk about people like Carter G. Woodson, these are men who knew that if you
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February 16, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Black History, black history month, children's books, Dive into Diversity, 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. I’ve mentioned my enjoyment of the works of Dan Santat on several previous occasions. So here are four more works either illustrated by or written and illustrated by Dan Santat. These books were all huge hits with my six-year-old daughter, especially Little Fox and the Wild Imagination (which became a great read together as she read Little Fox’s parts
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February 10, 2022 10:00 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.

African American Children’s Authors

African American Children’s Authors

Enjoy these wonderful tales of triumph, challenges, hope and above all, love. Stacey’s extraordinary words, by Stacey Abrams Library Catalog / Libby How to read a book, by Kwame Alexander Library Catalog I am every good thing, by Derrick D. Barnes Library Catalog / eBook / Audiobook The king of Kindergarten, by Derrick Barnes Library Catalog / Libby Zuri Ray tries ballet, by Tami Charles Library Catalog When we say Black Lives Matter, by Maxine Beneba Clarke Library Catalog / Libby We shall overcome, by Bryan Collier Library Catalog / Libby Parker looks up: an extraordinary moment, by Parker Curry
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February 7, 2022 10:01 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: African American atuhors, Black Authors, black history month, children's books, and Observances and Celebrations.

The Year of the Tiger: Craft & Books

The Year of the Tiger: Craft & Books

Tigers are the third of the Chinese zodiacs. According to legend, Tiger was confident that no one could compete with its speed and vigor for the celestial race that would decide the order of the zodiacs. However, when Tiger climbed out of the river, thinking it was first, it was informed that Rat placed first for its cunning and Ox placed second for its diligence. This left the king of the jungle having to settle for third place. Tigers are courageous and active people who love a good challenge and adventure in life. Like their eponymous zodiac animal, people born
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January 24, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Chinese New Year, lunar new year, and Observances and Celebrations.

Announcing the Winter 2021 Project LIT Titles

Announcing the Winter 2021 Project LIT Titles

Since becoming a Project LIT chapter, we’ve enjoyed reading and discussing Project LIT books with kids and teens. Last month, we were thrilled to see the announcements of new titles in the Winter 2021 Project LIT book list. We’re excited to share the list with you, and to highlight a couple titles that are of particular interest to our librarians. You can find the full Project LIT book lists for Middle Grade and Young Adult on the Reading Lists page of our website. Middle Grade: Ashley’s Picks Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim Libby Library Catalog This book has
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January 20, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: children's books, Dive into Diversity, diverse reads, new books, Project Lit, Project Lit Community, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA books.

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 looking for dragon books for the October 14, 2021 Peculiar Picks, I discovered there are so many awesome dragon books, so, there will be more draconic Peculiar Picks, including this one, to come, some around certain recurring themes. This month, we look at dragons and their eating habits. What do you think dragons like to eat? The Yin
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January 13, 2022 10:00 am | by | 1 Comment
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.

Feliz Navidad y Feliz Día de Reyes

Feliz Navidad y Feliz Día de Reyes

Se acerca la temporada navideña, y con ella, las reuniones con amigos y familiares. Entre bromas, recuerdos, nuestros platillos preferidos y varias generaciones alrededor de la mesa, recordamos lo mejor que la vida nos ofrece. Esperamos que disfruten de esta muestra de recursos en español y/o bilingües de la Biblioteca para ayudarles a festejar esta temporada tan especial. ¡Feliz Navidad, Feliz Año Nuevo, Feliz Día de Reyes! Celebra la Navidad y el Día de los Reyes Magos con Pablo y Carlitos, por Alma Flor Ada. La Biblioteca / eBook Las Navidades: popular Christmas songs from Latin America, por Lulu Delacre.
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December 14, 2021 3:04 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Christmas, dia de reyes, and Navidad.

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. As 2021 wraps up, I thought I’d focus on some of my favorite peculiar picture books of the year that haven’t been featured in other Peculiar Picks posts. The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld Library Catalog / eBook Selected as a New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Book of the Year, I
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December 14, 2021 1:15 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Peculiar Picks, picture books, Spooktober, 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 the monarchs in these three books each may have outlawed certain activities, by royal decree I do hereby declare “You should read these books!” The Hair Scare by Jeffrey Fisher Library Catalog Much like Al the gnome in Go Big or Go Gnome (featured in Peculiar Picks for NoShave November last year), Radbert is blessed with the ability
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November 17, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, No Shave November, Observances and Celebrations, Peculiar Picks, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Dive Into Diversity: Let’s Laugh

Dive Into Diversity: Let’s Laugh

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. National Comedy Day is held on November 7th. To celebrate, here are some humorous diverse book selections that may make you laugh! Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez For children in grades 4-8. Library Collection: Print Hoopla: eBook
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November 16, 2021 2:55 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, humor, staff picks, and staff recommendations.