Cinco de Mayo marks the unlikely defeat of a large, well-trained French invading force by an undermanned Mexican army in the Battle of Puébla on May 5,1862. The victory against the French forces prevented Emperor Napoleon III from helping the Confederacy win the American Civil War. Dave Roos, on the History Channel’s webpage, “How Cinco de Mayo Helped Prevent a Confederate Victory in the Civil War,” writes,“Napoleon figured if he could get his hands on Mexico, it could become the first colony in a new French stronghold in North America. Abraham Lincoln was busy fighting the Civil War, so the
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Archives for Observances and Celebrations
May the Fourth Be with You!
Happy Star Wars Day! For additional reads and activities to celebrate, check out our previous May the Fourth Be With You blog posts! Below find some newer Star Wars books, along with some fun activities. Stars Wars Books for Younger Readers Star Wars Galactic Storybook by Calliope Glass, illustrated by Katie Cook eBook / Library Catalog A fun retelling of Skywalker Saga for younger readers with exceedingly cute illustrations. A Jedi You Will Be by Preeti Chhibber, illustrated by Mike Deas eBook / Library Catalog Experience training with Luke Skywalker on Dagobah and receive Jedi wisdom from Master Yoda in
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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. While putting together last week’s Peculiar Picks for Earth Day, I noticed I had several tree-centric books. It only made sense, then, with Arbor Day on April 30, to compile an Arbor Day list. On the last Friday each April, National Arbor Day celebrates planting trees and what that tree will provide into the future: “clean air and water,
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Celebrate Moms & Grandmas Around the World!
This year, Mother’s Day is celebrated on Sunday, May 9th. Moms and grandmas are special the world-over! Scholastic has put together a nice article on Mother’s Day traditions around the world which I thought would be worthwhile sharing here: “Mother's Day Traditions Around the World”. I also recommend taking a look at Charnaie’s diverse and inclusive booklist on her Here Wee Read blog, “I'll Always Love My Mama – 25 Picture Books to Celebrate Mom on Mother's Day or Any Day”. Celebrating the moms and grandmas in your life this year may be challenging, but hopefully this booklist of picture
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Asian Pacific American Stories for Children
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The Library of Congress offers more context about this celebration here. Below, Trove Librarian Tata has curated a list of books that honor the experiences and contributions of Asian/Pacific Islander Americans. These stories highlight Asian/Pacific Islander American cultures, traditions, experiences and more–allowing us to share in our common humanity. The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf Library Catalog OverDrive Lizard’s Tale by Weng Wei Chan Library Catalog OverDrive The Ocean Calls: A Haenyo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho Library Catalog OverDrive
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On-Demand TaleWise April Show
Did you miss the STEAM-azing show, Earth Day: Revenge of the Toxic Robot, presented by TaleWise on April 22, or perhaps you want to watch it again? You can view the show, for free, on-demand, through August 31, 2021! In addition to the stream of the show, you will have access to educational resources, experiments and STEAM activities related to the program! Here’s how to access the on-demand show: Visit Earth Day: Revenge of the Toxic Robot. Create a new, free, TaleWise account or sign in with Google, Facebook or an existing TaleWise account. TaleWise respects your privacy and will
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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. Earth Day is celebrated annually in April. Here are some Peculiar Picks to celebrate, as well as to reflect on the importance of our planet and to perhaps begin making a difference for the betterment of the Earth. We truly live in a wonderful world, let’s keep it that way. Click here for more Earth Day recommended reading and
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TaleWise: Revenge of the Toxic Robot
Talewise presents: Earth Day: Revenge of the Toxic Robot Thursday, April 22, 3:30 p.m. Grades K-8 Access the program here. Note: a free registered Zoom account is required to access the Library’s youth programs. Get a Zoom account here. When the town’s park is suddenly gated and locked, a group of friends decides to investigate. Their adventure leads them deep into the woods, where they are chased away by an eccentric robot powered by toxic sludge! Join the gang on their quest to clean up the act of a despicable polluter and save their park from being destroyed. Along the
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Grab & Go Craft Kits: Earth Day
As part of our Earth Day celebration, we’ve put together a special kit to help you grow a few seeds. Kits are first come, first served, and will become available on Monday, April 19th. When you arrive at the Library to pick up a kit, just call 914-422-1490 and ask for the Grab & Go Earth Day kit. The kits include newspaper, potting soil, and a few each of basil and purple coneflower seeds. You’ll need to provide scissors, tape, a shallow plastic container, and a cylinder (an empty toilet paper tube or small can will work.) Both plants are
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World Art Day Storytime & Author Visit
World Art Day Storytime & Author Visit Ages 2-6, families Thursday, April 15, 11:00 a.m. (access the program here) Note: a free registered Zoom account is required to access the Library’s youth programs. Get a Zoom account here. Celebrate World Art Day with award-winning author Amalia Hoffman’s storytime featuring her art-filled book, My Monsterpiece: “A humorous celebration of imagination and creativity that invites kids to create their own monster masterpieces with everyday materials.” You can find some of Ms. Hoffman’s fantastic books in the Library Catalog and as eBooks. Learn more about author Amalia Hoffman and her works on her
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Earth Day
Celebrated each year on April 22, Earth Day is a time to think more mindfully about caring for our planet. Earth Day brings awareness to the environmental issues that can be hazardous to the planet as well as our livelihood and health. Learning about Earth Day and caring about our environment allows us to take small actions. Recycling, reusing shopping bags, composting, and carpooling are small ways that we can protect our planet and ourselves. By raising awareness we can begin to see the interconnectedness of all living things and work together within our own communities, and globally. To celebrate
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Autism Acceptance Month
April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, and the month of April has been deemed Autism Acceptance Month. Let’s Light it Up Blue and support acceptance and inclusion of people with autism! Unfortunately, despite its prevalence in today’s society, many people still don’t understand this spectrum disorder. So what is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? It is a range of conditions typically characterized by challenges with social skills and communication difficulties. It affects 1 in 54 children in the United States today. Since it is a spectrum, people with autism can range anywhere from needing significant support in everyday life to
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National Poetry Month
To celebrate National Poetry Month, I will highlight some wonderful poetry books that are colorful, educational, and delightful. These books portray poetry as a fun way to play with words. Among them, you’ll find a little boy who notices that poetry is in nature and everyone, a poem about a bug show, and a celebration of the joy and imagination of childhood. These books are a magnificent treat if you love to read! Poetry is also a wonderful way to learn about stanzas, form, imagery, and word play. If your child is interested in exploring creative writing, join librarians Kat
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Dive into Diversity: Environmental Activism in Children’s Picture Books
The protection of our planet and its resources is a global concern, and activists worldwide have been and continue to work on saving the planet from environmental destruction – including our younger generations. An interesting site for kids and educators about kid environmental activists and activism that is worth exploring is Young Voices For the Planet, founded by author and illustrator Lynne Cherry who is well-known for her rain forest classic, The Great Kapok Tree. Gathered here are noteworthy picture books (both stories and nonfiction) that are about environmental activists who have helped and are helping to save our world.
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Dive into Diversity: YA Books in Verse
In 2021, my Dive into Diversity posts about young adult books will focus on a different genre each month. I’ll highlight books with characters that represent a range of experiences and identities. I’ll also feature #ownvoices authors, or authors who share an aspect of their characters’ identity, as much as possible. This month, in preparation for Poetry Month, I’m highlighting novels (and one memoir) in verse. I love reading books written in this format. In addition to being quick reads, they’re often beautifully written and convey emotion in a unique way. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo Grades 10
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Celebrate National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month and we're celebrating with the return of Zork's Open Mic and with a feature performance by Bobby Sanchez! Poetry Open Mic Wednesday, April 7th 7:00–9:00 p.m. Celebrate National Poetry Month with the return of Zork's Open Mic! In lieu of the First Wednesday Poetry Slam, we'll be hosting an open mic with pre-registration this month to try and accommodate as many poets as possible. To register to perform, send your name (how you'd like to be introduced), email address, and a short 60-word bio to kthornton@whiteplainslibrary.org. If you know the title of the poem you'll
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Transgender Day of Visibility Event
The Power of Visibility: Contributions to History by Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Women Wednesday, March 31st 7:00–8:30 p.m. Click here to register. In honor of both Women's History Month and March 31st being International Transgender Day of Visibility, The LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center invites you to an informative and interactive event highlighting the contributions made to history by women of trans and GNC experience. From the Zuni leader We'wha to Biden nominee Dr. Rachel Levine, utilizing archival multimedia footage we will present both about the individual themselves and the context of history which made their journey notable. Join us for
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International Transgender Day of Visibility
Each year, March 31st is celebrated as the International Transgender Day of Visibility. This is a day to honor the experiences and contributions of transgender and gender nonconforming people, and to recognize the discrimination they face. We’ve collected a bunch of children’s and YA books that reflect and celebrate a variety of transgender and gender nonconforming people. Find a collection of related titles on OverDrive here. The Human Rights Campaign Organization’s Welcoming Schools Project has a wealth of curriculum resources for teachers and parents. For further reading, I highly recommend their booklist: Great Diverse Children's Books with Transgender, Non-Binary and
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STEAM Children’s Books: Math
In this new monthly STEAM series, I will highlight some wonderful picture books that fall under a STEAM category: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. In celebrating Women’s History Month we will review some wonderful math books, including biographies of mathematicians, picture and board books. These books can be found in our print collection at The Trove and on OverDrive. At the end of the post, you'll also find some fun and educational websites for kids. Nothing Stopped Sophie by Cheryl Bardoe and Barbara McClintock Library Catalog Sophie Germaine was unstoppable. During the French Revolution, when nothing seemed to be
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Long Live Pi
Pi Day is on March 14th, and any day that combines fun, education, and pie is a day worth celebrating! Pi, also known by the Greek letter “π,” is a constant value used in math that represents the ratio of a circumference of a circle to its diameter, which is just about 3.14….15…9265359… (and so on). Not only that, but the fourteenth of March is also Albert Einstein’s birthday, so all together it’s nothing short of a mathematician’s delight. Celebrate Pi Day with some of the titles below, and with our Grab & Go Kit for K-3 that is available
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