Archives for Observances and Celebrations

Celebrate Spooktober 2023!

We 🧡 Halloween in Youth Services at the Library and we have some great events coming up to celebrate the spookiest of months, October.  Also, be sure to check out some of our older Halloween blog posts for great ideas for Halloween activities and reads! K-2 STEAM: Zombie Edition Grades K-2 Thursday, 4:30 p.m. – October 19 Ticket required.  Please pick up tickets in the Trove starting 30 minutes before the program. Halloween Grab & Go Kit Grades K-3 Available while supplies last starting Tuesday, October 24. Family Storytime: Ghosts & Ghouls Ages 3+, Families Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. – October
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, and Library News.

Pick a Treat

The Trove put together a fun Halloween display: mystery books for kids to choose (there's a summary and intended age range on the package) and unwrap at home, for multiple ages and all decorated with cats, bats, spiders and/or mice. So stop by The Trove this month and pick out a treat!
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Celebrate Day of the Dead

Celebrate Day of the Dead/Celebra el Día de los Muertos Day of the Dead Workshop Series / Taller del Día de los Muertos For: Children in Grades 2-5 & Their Families / Para niños en grados 2-5 con sus familias Tuesdays, October 10th, 17th, & 24th at 4:30 pm / los martes 10, 17 y 24 de octubre a las 4:30 pm Location / Salón: Galaxy Hall Children in grades 2-5 with their families will create an altar honoring a very special person already departed. Sessions 1 & 2 will be devoted to creating your altars. At session 3, we
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Celebrate Grandparents Day Extravaganza!

Celebrate Grandparents Day Extravaganza! Sunday, September 10th at 2 p.m. For: Families & Children Location: Galaxy Hall Come join us at the Library to celebrate Grandparents Day with a storytime, a craft activity and a photo booth! We'll be joined by Grandpas United who will have a table with information and swag as well! History of Grandparents Day Jacob Reingold of the Hebrew Home at Riverdale who attended the 1961 White House Conference on Aging was inspired to recognize the role of millions of older Americans as grandparents. Due to his efforts that year, on September 16, 1961; the first
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Celebrate Disability Pride Month Storytime!

Celebrate Disability Pride Month Storytime! Families, Children July 8th, 2:00 p.m. Location: Galaxy Hall Please join us in the Trove for our Celebrate Disability Pride Month storytime for stories, a craft and a treat on Saturday, June 8th at 2 pm! Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July to honor the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. Disability Pride Month is celebrated in July, because the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed on July 26, 1990. The Act bars discrimination against people with disabilities – in employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and access to state and
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Afrobeats Dance Workshop

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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Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.

Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride

Join us this June in celebrating Pride Month! We’ve got a variety of events planned this month and some exciting book recommendations below for all ages. In addition to our events, we’ll be attending Westchester Pride on June 4th, so make sure to stop by our table for Grab & Go Kits and more at the corner of Main Street and Court Street! Events: Grab & Go Kits: Pride Month! Thursday, June 1st at 10:00 a.m. For grades K-3 Location: Lobby Pick up a new Grab & Go Kit at the Library, while supplies last, starting today. Kits will be
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Categories: Library News.

Books By Dads For, and About, Dads

Below please find lists curated by the Youth Services Librarians of White Plains Public Library of Nonfiction, Memoirs & Parenting Books; Picture Books, Juvenile Fiction; and Young Adult Fiction written by fathers that are for fathers and about fatherhood. Nonfiction, Memoirs, & Parenting Books Dad’s Book of Awesome Projects by Mike Adamich Library Catalog Dad’s Book of Awesome Science Projects by Mike Adamich Library Catalog Fatherhood by Papa B: a Game-changing Guide for Parents, Father Figures and Fathers-to-be by Bode Aboderin Library Catalog – Libby Made With Dad: From Wizards’ Wands to Japanese Dolls, Craft Projects to Build, Make and
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Categories: Authors & Books, Kids, and Library News.

And Then They Came For Us Screening

AAPI Month: And Then They Came For Us Documentary Screening & Discussion Thursday, May 18th, from 7:00–8:30 p.m. Location: Auditorium Register here. For Asian American Pacific Islander Month, we will show the documentary And Then They Came For Us, about the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. And as guest speaker we will have Takeshi “Tak” Furumoto (pictured left), who lived in a Japanese internment camp in California and after the war moved to Hiroshima, where he saw the effects of the atom bomb.
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Categories: Library News.

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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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Happy Earth Day

“I have learned you are never too small to make a difference.” — Greta Thunberg Earth Day Reads 2023: Be Water-Wise, Super Grover! Library Catalog Fight Pollution, Big Bird! Library Catalog It’s Earth Day, Cookie Monster! Library Catalog, ebook Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, Oscar! Library Catalog My friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan Library Catalog Tall, tall tree by Anthony D. Fredericks Library Catalog Thank you, Earth: a love letter to our planet by April Pulley Sayre Library Catalog We are water protectors by Carole Lindstrom Library Catalog ebook 101 ways to be an eco hero by Kait Eaton Library Catalog
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.

April is National Poetry Month

The Library will be celebrating National Poetry Month with a few programs that are educational and fun for the whole family. Events: Magnetic Poetry Daily during library hours in April The Trove All Ages One of the ways the Library will engage children with poetry is to give them the opportunity to write their own poetry with poetry magnets throughout the entire month in the Trove. There will be a magnet board on display so that children will be able to play and arrange words to make a magnetic poem. Poetry Month Grab & Go Kits Available beginning April 3
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

“The Gratitude Project” Exhibit

Artist: Hilda Green Demsky “The Gratitude Project” Painting and Poetry Exhibit Interpretive oil paintings inspired by responses of 36 United States Poets Laureate to The New York Times inquiry “What people in their State would be thankful for” during the Covid pandemic. Demsky's exhibit will be on display in the Library's Gallery from April 3rd through May 25th, with an opening reception on Saturday, April 15th, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. Demsky will also give an Artist's Talk on Sunday, April 23rd at 3:00 p.m. This exhibit is part of the Library's celebration of National Poetry month. When thirty-six United States poets
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Categories: Gallery and Library News.

National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day

On March 29th, please visit your local Mom and Pop Shops and give them your continued support. At the library, we are proud to support our local business community. One way we do that is by subscribing to Reference Solutions, the premier source of information for reference and research. If you are looking for sales leads, sizing up your competition, or looking at historical data for your industry, Reference Solutions can do that and much more! Access with your library card and sign on today through our library website!
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Categories: Library News.

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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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Women’s History Month Books & Films

Celebrate Women's History Month with one of our staff selected books and films. See our staff curated Libby list here. Books She Came to to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman by Erica Armstrong Dunbar Library Catalog: Print / CD Audiobook Libby: eBook / Audiobook National Book Award nominee Erica Armstrong Dunbar presents a fresh take on this American icon blending traditional biography, illustrations, photos, and engaging sidebars that illuminate the life of Tubman as never before. Not only did Tubman help liberate hundreds of slaves, she was the first woman to lead an armed expedition during the
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Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.