Archives for Observances and Celebrations

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

On St. Patrick’s Day…we all have a little Irish in us! Go raibh míle maith agat! An Irish blessing is used in its original Gaelic often in Ireland – one of the few expressions that almost everybody knows. The meaning is – ‘Many thanks' – literally ‘That you may have a thousand good things' and is pronounced  Guh rev mee-lah maw og-ut. St. Patrick’s Day Grab & Go Kit Available in the Library Lobby starting Friday, March 10th at 10:00 a.m. while supplies last. St. Patrick’s Day-themed Grab & Go kits for children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade. Stories &
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Celebrate Pi Day with Us!

Pi Day Family Storytime Wednesday, March 15th at 7 pm For: Children & Families Location: Galaxy Hall Don’t miss our Pi Day Family Storytime on March 15th at 7pm! Play some games, listen to a story and make a craft. It will be fun for the entire family! March 14 is Pi Day. It is a day to celebrate the mathematical constant pi (π), and to eat lots of pie! It is celebrated in countries that follow the month/day (m/dd) date format, because the digits in the date, March 14th or 3/14, are the first three digits of π (3.14).
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Author Storytime: Purim Goodies

Author Visit Storytime: Purim Goodies Ages 2-6, Families Thursday, 11:00 a.m. – March 2 Award-winning local author and illustrator Amalia Hoffman performs her delicious tale, seasoned with funny Yiddish words. Make music with an egg beater and pots and dance to Klezmer tunes and sing-along. A unique and fun-filled event for children and families that will whet your appetite!
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Celebrate Black History Month

From novels to genealogy workshops, dance performances to films, and storytimes to memoirs, we've got scores of ways to help you celebrate Black History Month. For a list of recommended reads for children, see Raquel's dazzling list of nonfiction picks here. Events Black History Month StoryWalk February is Black History Month. Come view the Library’s StoryWalk featuring Molly, By Golly!: The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Firefighter by Dianne Ochiltree, illustrated by Kathleen Kemly. In addition to the StoryWalk, there will be some photos related to the history of firefighting in White Plains on display. The StoryWalk will
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Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day can be a wonderful opportunity to teach kids about interpersonal relationships. Whether it is their relationship with their siblings & parents, classmates & teachers, or the children's librarian at your local public library! This can be a great learning experience for kids to understand and appreciate these different relationships. Please check out the books and videos listed below for suggestions. Valentine’s Day Grab & Go Kit Available in the Library Lobby starting Monday, February 6th at 10:00 a.m. while supplies last. Valentine’s Day-themed Grab & Go kits for children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade. Valentine’s Day Stories &
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Black History StoryWalk

Black History StoryWalk Molly, By Golly!: The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Firefighter Written by Dianne Ochiltree & Illustrated by Kathleen Kemly Begins Monday, January 23, 2023 and runs through Tuesday, February 28, 2023 For Families & Children Location: The Gallery Stroll through the Gallery on the second floor of the Library, and follow the story of Molly Williams, the slave who became America’s first female firefighter! The Black History StoryWalk is based on the book, Molly, By Golly!: The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Firefighter by Dianne Ochiltree and Kathleen Kemly. In the book, New
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Three Kings Day/El Día de Reyes Storytime

Three Kings Day/El Día de Reyes Storytime Saturday, January 7th, 2023 at 2:00 pm Age Group(s):  For Families & Children Location: Rotary Room Come join us for a bilingual storytime celebrating Three Kings Day/Día de Reyes and also create a craft – a kid-sized crown! There will be a visit from the Three Kings too! This program is presented in conjunction with the Puerto Rican Artist Poster Exhibit on view in the Library Gallery from November 7th, 2022 through January 7th, 2023 that is curated by the White Plains Puerto Rican Cultural Committee, Comite Noviembre and PRIDA. Some Fun Suggested
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Native American Heritage Month

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month this November by reading one of these selected titles written by Indigenous authors and about Indigenous people and history. Find our Libby list here. As Long as Grass Grows by Dina Gilio-Whitaker Library Collection: Print Libby: eBook The story of Native peoples resistance to environmental injustice and land incursions, and a call for environmentalists to learn from the Indigenous community's rich history of activism Through the unique lens of Indigenized environmental justice, Indigenous researcher and activist Dina Gilio-Whitaker explores the fraught history of treaty violations, struggles for food and water security, and protection of sacred
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Categories: Authors & Books.

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

November Book Bunch

Tuesday, November 15th at 4:30 p.m. Click here to register for our Book Bunch. Join Caroline and Donna for a book discussion and trivia game for 4th through 8th graders! We will be reading Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith. This is a perfect read to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Sisters of the Neversea is a retelling of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. Lily and Wendy were friends long before they became step-sisters. As summer approaches, Wendy, who is English, is going to stay with her father in New York City. Lily, who’s Muscogee Creek, is staying
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Categories: Library News.

Freedom to Read Storytime

Wednesday, November 9th at 7:00 p.m. Age group: Children 3+ with their families Location: Auditorium Come celebrate Native American Heritage Month with us with the award-winning title Fry Bread; a Native American Family Story, by Kevin Noble Maillard and The People Shall Continue, by the multi-award winner author Simon J. Ortiz. Have fun with a family game and make a craft to take with you. Freedom to Read Storytime is part of the Library’s #WPFreedomToRead initiative. While the books read may not all be challenged, they represent the topics, themes, and people being censored – themes and creators representing diverse
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

October Book Bunch

Tuesday, October 25, 4:30 p.m. Grades 4-8 Story Trove in the Trove Registration required. Click here to register. Join Caroline and Donna for a book discussion and trivia game for 4th through 8th graders! We will be reading Fake Blood, by Whitney Gardner. This is a perfect read for a Halloween treat! Fake Blood, by Whitney Gardner, is a coming-of-age story of a young man who wants to win the approval of his crush Nia. When AJ and Nia become partners for a project on Transylvania, AJ finally has a shot at proving he isn’t an ordinary kid. The Trove
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Categories: Library News.

Jump Into Halloween! with Jumpin’ Jamie

Saturday, 10/29: 2:00 p.m. Children, Families. Library Auditorium. Kindie rock musician Jumpin' Jamie returns with his puppet friends to celebrate “Spooky Season” with a high-energy show filled with music and magic including the hit song “Ghost In My House” which has been ranked by Yahoo, Time Out NY, and Good Housekeeping as a “Top Halloween Song”. Jumpin' Jamie has performed thousands of shows for audiences as varied as birthday parties for 12 people to stadiums for 12,000. Jumpin' Jamie's debut album “Kookie” was released in 2018 and features appearances from members of They Might Be Giants, the late Peter Tork,
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Have a Spooktacular October 2022

I love October: the weather, the foliage, the crunch of leaves underfoot, and, of course, Halloween and all it entails. From the spooky to the macabre; the decorations and the costumes; the tricks and treats – it’s my favorite time of the year. Here’s some great programs, reading lists and resources to help you have a spooktacular October filled with skele-tons of fun. On October 15th, at 11:00 a.m., Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk brings Spooky (But Not Too) Scary Stories to children and their families! Afterward, children 10+, teens, and adults can join Kruk for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, Library News, and Teens.

Native American Skills Demonstration

Wednesday, October 5th, 7:00 p.m. Grades 1+, Teens, Families, Adults Library Auditorium Please join us in celebrating Indigenous People’s Day (10/10) with Barry Keegan. Mr. Keegan will be demonstrating real Native American skills such as how to use and make stone tools, how to catch wood shavings, and how to create cord from local plants. This program is open to all and will be held in the auditorium. Families are encouraged to participate and no registration is required. About Barry Keegan Barry Keegan, who will be demonstrating Lenape technologies, has been creating historical replicas and teaching the skills of material
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Categories: Library News.

Talk Like a Pirate Day

AVAST ME HEARTIES! September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, celebrated annually since 1995. Stop by the Trove and grab a piratical read or check out our list of Swashbuckling Reads! Need some help with that scurvy pirate lingo or want some ideas for things to do to get into the scallywag spirit? Check out our blog post on Seafaring Activities!
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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

June is Audiobook Month

Have you heard? June is audiobook month, and we're highlighting a few noteworthy titles here, but you'll find thousands more to choose from on our free app, Libby. Can cookbooks make good audiobooks? Yes! Learn why brilliant chef and food writer J. Kenji Lopez-Alt reaches for his Wok more than any other pan in his kitchen. Listeners can access the book's recipes and photos by typing the codeword “Sauce” on the publisher's website. Want Lily Zabar's Chicken Soup recipe? Borrow Zabar's and hear how Louis Zabar fled antisemitic persecution in Russia and went on to found a foodie's paradise and
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Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.

Celebrate Pride in June

Now more than ever it is important to celebrate Pride and show support for LGBTQ+ families! The attack on LGBTQ+ rights this year and the psychological toll it has had on LGBTQ+ kids, teens and their families has been enormous. This wave of hate is being perpetrated by only a small (though powerful) minority of Americans. This hateful legislative push runs completely counter to the beliefs and values of most Americans. Matt Lavietes and Elliott Ramos write in their NBC article, “As the number of anti-LGBTQ bills hits record highs, research shows that so, too, has support for LGBTQ rights
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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