Archives for staff picks

Great Podcasts for Kids: Part 1

Great Podcasts for Kids: Part 1

With the long Memorial Day Weekend coming up, and summer vacation on the horizon, perhaps you’re going to be taking a long car trip. Podcasts are great for that time, or any time! Here’s a selection of excellent podcasts for kids and families selected by Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. All of these should be available on any service you use to listen to podcasts, such as Apple Podcasts, Apple Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, etc. If you have some additional great podcast recommendations, leave them in the comments below! Podcast Potpourri Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl Forget the annoying,
Read More

May 26, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Great Podcasts, Great Podcasts for Kids, podcasts, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Celebrate Pride 2021 with Children’s & YA Books!

Celebrate Pride 2021 with Children’s & YA Books!

LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and all of the other sexualities, sexes, and genders that aren't included in these few letters) Pride Month is celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, which took place in New York City. The Stonewall riots marked the beginning of a movement to abolish discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQIA+ persons in the United States, which continues to our present day. Pride celebrates the achievements of LGBTQIA+ Americans, and it highlights the work that continues in order to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for those in the LGBTQIA+
Read More

May 25, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: LGBTQIA+, Observances and Celebrations, Pride Month, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

The Fight for Voting Rights

The Fight for Voting Rights

The fight for the right to vote has been an ongoing struggle in the United States since this country's founding, and continues to this day. Right now, we are living in the midst of an important historical moment in our country’s fight for democracy, and I hope this blog can offer parents and students resources for understanding the past and our present history. I found The Georgia Public Broadcasting’s “Things Explained: The History of U.S. Voting Rights” video to be a helpful, condensed kid-friendly video that explains this country’s voting rights struggles (especially the struggles of our country’s Black citizens).
Read More

May 25, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: staff picks, staff recommendations, voting, and voting 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. Robots may be machines, but these stories about robots teach us a lot about being human. Here are some robot books filled with humor, joy, kindness, empathy, and heart. Ultrabot’s First Playdate by Josh Schneider Library Catalog A young girl and the giant robot next door is the basic premise of this awesomely illustrated book. Ultrabot is worried and
Read More

May 20, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Peculiar Picks, robots, science, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

New Movies Streaming in May

New Movies Streaming in May

Maybe you're already familiar with our streaming services Hoopla and Kanopy, but did you know that they add new content each month? Find a list below of some exciting new titles available on each platform this month. Hoopla Another Round (2020 Danish drama/comedy) Directed by Thomas Vinterberg. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Milland. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Four friends, all teachers at various stages of middle age, are stuck in a rut. Unable to share their passions either at school or at home, they embark on an audacious experiment from an obscure
Read More

May 12, 2021 10:14 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured and Library News.
Tags: film recommendations, films, hoopla, Kanopy, movies, staff picks, staff recommendations, and streaming.

Twilight Zone Day

Twilight Zone Day

Celebrated each year on May 11, Twilight Zone Day is a fun way to enter a dimension where dolls protect those they love, aliens can be deceiving, and a man who loves to read never has any time to do so. The Twilight Zone was created, written, and narrated by Rod Sterling. The show premiered on October 1, 1959, and ended its run in 1964. Watching a marathon of The Twilight Zone has become a New Year’s Eve tradition for many fans; however, this wacky, and wonderful show can be viewed and enjoyed at any time of the year. The
Read More

May 11, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, staff recommendations, STEAM at home, STEAM projects, STEM, and The Twilight Zone.

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. Reading these fun pictures books about Vikings lead to my daughter becoming interested in learning more about Vikings and Norse Mythology. The Three Vikings by Adam Auerbach Library Catalog A red Viking, a blue Viking, and a wee green Viking set off on adventures seeking entry to the fabled Valhalla. Red is super strong, Blue is very brave, but
Read More

May 6, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, norse mythology, Peculiar Picks, staff picks, staff recommendations, and vikings.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexican-American Heritage!

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexican-American Heritage!

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
Read More

May 5, 2021 10:10 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: Cinco de Mayo, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Goodbye AcornTV

Goodbye AcornTV

I hope you got plenty of use out of AcornTV, because effective May 14 we will no longer offer it. The decision wasn't ours; apparently Acorn decided they no longer wanted to be in the library market. This is one of the downsides of the digital world. Unlike a print book, or a DVD, libraries don't own the eBooks and streaming content they offer. Typically, we can only lease them. Which makes us vulnerable to whatever decision a vendor might make. If you were a fan of AcornTV, this is a good time to get to know another streaming service,
Read More

May 4, 2021 10:00 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: AcornTV, hoopla, staff picks, staff recommendations, television, and tv.

May the Fourth Be with You!

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
Read More

May 4, 2021 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: eBooks, May the 4th Be With You, May the Fourth Be With You, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, staff recommendations, Star Wars, and STEAM.

Hoopla Bonus Borrows for May

Hoopla Bonus Borrows for May

Hoopla Bonus Borrows are back from May 1 – 31! Choose from hundreds of titles in Hoopla's Bonus Borrows collection. Find some staff highlights below or see the full list here. Adult Materials Books Heiress for Hire (Part 1 of the Duke's Heiress series) by Madeline Hunter eBook Minerva Hepplewhite has learned the hard way how to take care of herself. When an intruder breaks into her home, she doesn't swoon or simper. Instead she wallops the rogue over the head and ties him up-only to realize he is Chase Radnor, the man who nearly got her convicted of her
Read More

May 3, 2021 10:14 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: books, children's books, hoopla, hoopla Bonus Borrows, 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 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,
Read More

April 29, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Arbor Day, children's books, music, Observances and Celebrations, Peculiar Picks, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Celebrate Moms & Grandmas Around the World!

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
Read More

April 27, 2021 12:18 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Dive into Diversity, Mother's Day, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Dive Into Diversity: Classic Reimaginings

Dive Into Diversity: Classic Reimaginings

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. Classic literature can be great but their protagonists are more often than not usually white. I’m really impressed with the writers of the following diverse classic reimagining books and excited to read the ones I haven’t yet since they all sound
Read More

April 27, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Dive into Diversity: YA Graphic Novels

Dive into Diversity: YA Graphic Novels

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. In honor of Free Comic Book Day on May 1, this month’s column is all graphic novels. If you love graphic novels, stay tuned for more information about our upcoming summer graphic novel book club for grades 4-8. This month, I read a new Project LIT pick, Flamer by
Read More

April 27, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, Free Comic Book Day, graphic novels, staff picks, staff recommendations, YA Fiction, and YA literature.

Asian Pacific American Stories for Children

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
Read More

April 26, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, children's books, Observances and Celebrations, 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. 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
Read More

April 22, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Earth Day, music, Observances and Celebrations, Peculiar Picks, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Reads Revisited: The Princess and the Pea

Reads Revisited: The Princess and the Pea

One of the clearest memories I have of my childhood is being in bed while my mother read to me. My mother read about the lives of saints and martyrs, about Greek & Roman mythology. She even read poems from Federico García Lorca. Nevertheless, the story I loved the most was The Princess and the Pea, by Hans Christian Andersen (Library Collection: 1, 2, 3, 4 / OverDrive & Libby: eBook 1, eBook 2, eBook 3, eBook 4). I loved all Andersen’s stories, and reacted to them very honestly as my mother went through the entire collection. I laughed at
Read More

April 20, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, fairy tales, Reads Revisited, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

World Art Day

World Art Day

World Art Day is an international celebration of fine arts held by the International Association of Art. The first World Art Day was held on April 15, 2012, a date chosen to honor Leonardo Da Vinci’s birthday. To learn more about World Art Day, check out this page from the International Association of Art. To celebrate World Art Day, I will highlight some wonderful art books that are biographical, educational, and delightful. Among these books young readers will learn about different art movements, such as impressionism, visit museums, and read about creative children and creative crayons! Art is a wonderful
Read More

April 9, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Observations and Celebrations, picture books, staff picks, staff recommendations, and World Art Day.

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. My daughter and I love music. Jazzy mornings playing; sing-alongs in the car; country, classic rock, reggae, 80s and 90s cookouts and backyard fun; headbanging rock and punk after dinner dance parties; a 70s soul-funk-R&B soundtrack for baking and cooking… Music is a constant in our lives. Here are some picture books filled with positivity based on classic songs
Read More

April 8, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, music, Peculiar Picks, staff picks, and staff recommendations.