Archives for staff picks

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

Middle Grade Pick of the Month

Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Ashley will recommend great books for children in this age group! Making Friends by Kristen Gudsnuk Libby Library Catalog I can’t remember exactly when I discovered the first book in Kristen Gudsnuk’s Making Friends series. What I can recall is being immediately drawn to its bright cover as well as how loud I cackled while reading it. A few of the other youth services librarians at the White Plains Public Library can attest to this as many of
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

New in the Edge: May 2022

One of the best parts of my job is ordering new books for the Edge–reading the reviews, seeing what popular authors come up with next, or finding out about an upcoming sequel to an old favorite. Read on to find out about some of the new YA fiction titles coming to our shelves this month. Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer Grades 9 and up Library Catalog “After a year away, Ellis returns home to confront her past. Graduating from high school far from everything familiar was not part of Ellis Truman’s original plans, but she nevertheless ended up
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.

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

May 2022 LibraryReads

Here are the books published this month that librarians across the country love. Book of Night by Holly Black Library Collection: Print Libby: eBook / Audiobook “Charlie is a hot mess. The more she tries to get on the straight and narrow, the more things fall apart. Due to childhood trauma, she trusts only herself, and maybe her shadow. But in a world where shadows can be altered, stolen, and weaponized, she has to be wary. Lots of atmospheric world building and stage setting, and perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Neil Gaiman, and V.E. Schwab.—Emily Plagens, Allen Public Library,
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, and Library News.

New in the Edge: April 2022

One of the best parts of my job is ordering new books for the Edge–reading the reviews, seeing what popular authors come up with next, or finding out about an upcoming sequel to an old favorite. Read on to find out about some of the new YA fiction titles coming to our shelves this month. Gallant by V. E. Schwab Grades 8 and up Library Catalog / Libby “The Merilance School for Girls isn't the worst of places to grow up, but for orphaned Olivia Prior, who has always felt like an outsider, it is an isolating one. For Olivia,
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.

New Middle Grade Books in the Trove

Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. Up in the Trove, we’ve just received a lot of great new middle grade books and Ashley is showcasing a few in this column! Almost Flying by Jake Maia Arlow Grades 5 & Up Libby / Library Catalog “A 13-year-old Long Island girl thinks she has her summer plans figured out—until her life turns upside down. With the end of summer looming, Dalia has one goal: to finally ride an actual roller coaster instead of living vicariously through point-of-view videos. Then
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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

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

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

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

Math & More

These funny stories show us there is a lot more to math than boring numbers and equations. Whether you’re sharing “Spaghetti & Meatballs” with friends or teaching someone a lesson with just “One Grain of Rice,” having fun with a “Counting Horse,” or living by your wits with “Seven Golden Rings,” math is everywhere. We might as well have fun with it! I’m trying to love math, by Bethany Barton. Library Catalog Spaghetti and meatballs for all!: a mathematical story, by Marilyn Burns. Library Catalog One grain of rice: a mathematical folktale, by Demi. Library Catalog Crash! Boom!: a math
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

National Poetry Month

To celebrate National Poetry Month, I will highlight some wonderful poetry books that are colorful, educational, and delightful. Among them, you’ll discover sijo poems, read haikus, and learn about Langston’s dream. Poetry is a wonderful way to learn about stanzas, form, imagery, and word play. These books are a magnificent treat if you love to read! Life Doesn’t Frighten Me by Maya Angelou, paintings by Jean-Michael Basquiat For children in grades 1-3 Library Catalog This book is a wonderful introduction to poetry. Maya Angelou uses a playful tone that shows readers that a fear can be an illusion: “Don’t show
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

April 2022 LibraryReads

Here are the books published this month that librarians across the country love. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Library Collection: Print Libby: eBook “In the 50s and early 60s when women were viewed as little more than chattel for men’s convenience, Elizabeth Zott had the temerity to become a chemist. With complex and wonderful characters, her story is funny, sad, enraging, hopeful, and will have readers cheering for every character and all women everywhere. For fans of Where'd You Go Bernadette?, The Rosie Project, and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.”—Judy G. Sebastian, Eastham Public Library, Eastham, MA The Good
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Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.

Harriet Tubman Reading & Resources

From April 1st through June 30th, the Harriet Tubman – Journey to Freedom sculpture by Wesley Wofford will be on display in Renaissance Plaza in downtown White Plains. In conjunction with the historic visit by the sculpture, the Library and many other community partners are organizing events related to Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and more. You can find all of the Library’s related programs and events here, with a full listing of the community-wide programs and events here. To learn more about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, check out some of the materials below from the Library! To
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.

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

Middle Grade Pick of the Month

Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Ashley will recommend great books for children in this age group! Katie the Catsitter by Colleen A.F. Venable and illustrated by Stephanie Yue Libby Library Catalog I’m a big fan of graphic novels but I’d never heard of this delightful tale until it was selected as one of the books that the 4th-7th grade team will be reading for the Westchester Library System Battle of the Books Summer League! Battle of the Books is a book-based trivia tournament
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

New in the Edge: March 2022

One of the best parts of my job is ordering new books for the Edge–reading the reviews, seeing what popular authors come up with next, or finding out about an upcoming sequel to an old favorite. Read on to find out about some of the new YA fiction titles coming to our shelves this month. Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon Grades 9 and up Library Catalog / Libby “Dhillon’s debut centers on high-schooler and Sikh Sunny G, who is determined to make the most of his life after his brother, who battled alcoholism, passes away.
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.

Outdoors with Kids

As spring approaches, we are all getting ready to reemerge into the great outdoors and hopefully get our children excited to be away from those screens we tend to rely on in colder weather. Below, find some great reads to help you in that endeavor. First and foremost, for those of us that are hesitant to let our children explore outside, check out Dirt Is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child’s Developing Immune System, by Jack Gilbert and Rob Knight (Library Catalog). These scientists explain in a surprisingly straightforward and accessible way the advantages of exposing children to
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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