
Big Conversations with Little People: Parenting in Challenging Times Recording
On Thursday, January 14th, the DFPL partnered with Springhurst Elementary School to host a talk from local clinical psychologist, parenting coach, speaker, and author Dr. Rebecca Hershberg. She is the founder of Little House Calls, which helps parents and caregivers create calmer homes and more connected families. A former Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Hershberg has been published widely on the topic of early childhood mental health. Her first book, The Tantrum Survival Guide, was published in October, 2018.”
In “Big Conversations with Little People,” we discussed a range of topics, including how best to package information for children of different ages, how to include children in conversations around difficult and complicated topics, how to offer reassurance and comfort to children who are anxious, and how to manage both our own and our children’s big feelings during this time.
If you weren’t able to attend this program, worry not! The recording is now available. Please click here to access it. The password is bk40D=Xb and the program starts 6 minutes, 50 seconds into the video. Please let us know if you need a translation or transcribed summary of the events by emailing dobchildref@wlsmail.org.

Reacting to January 6, 2021: Resources for Parents
It’s been an eventful week. January 6, 2021, might be in the past but its consequences reach far into the future. Many kids right now are scared, anxious, or simply curious. So how can you help? Below is a selection of books that you can check out through the Dobbs Ferry Public Library and resources that you can find online. They touch upon activism, race, mental health, and civics. This list was compiled by Gina Elbert (Dobbs Ferry Children’s Librarian), Lauren Rodriguez (Springhurst Elementary Librarian), and Ellen Elsen (Dobbs Ferry Middle/High School Librarian).

Phone Update
We’re continuing to work on our new phone system, so there may be interruptions. If you can’t reach us by phone, please email dobref@wlsmail.org.
Thank you for your patience.

Curbside Service ONLY Continues
Due to the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in our area, Dobbs Ferry Public Library has returned to Curbside Service only. We will resume in-library service as soon as numbers indicate it is safe to do so. Reference services will continue to be available during our regular hours and pick-ups will be scheduled so as to remain socially distanced. All previously scheduled Zoom programs will remain as currently scheduled. Please wear your masks, wash your hands and stay safe this Holiday Season.
To schedule a pickup, call the library at (914)693-6614 or use the app to schedule a pickup at this link.

DFPL Wrapped: Our Most Checked-Out Children’s Books of 2020
Have you ever wondered how many items we check out to kids in a year? Well, wonder no more! 2020’s almost over (whew!) so we’ve put together the stats on our circulation since January 1st.
Across the whole library, we’ve checked out our items a whopping 19,178 times this year. Each item was checked out an average of 2.991 times. We checked out 3,578 of our children’s materials 6,238 times.
What were our top most-checked-out items, you ask? Well…
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway by Jeff Kinney
- Minecraft Redstone Handbook by Scholastic Publications
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
- Dog Man: Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey
- Minecraft Combat Handbook by Scholastic Publications
- Dog Man: Dog Man Unleashed by Dav Pilkey
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down by Jeff Kinney
- The Pokémon Visual Companion
- The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
- A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems
- Babymouse: Bad Babysitter by Jennifer L. Holm
- Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
- The Cool Bean by Jory John
- The Itchy Book! by Mo Willems
- Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild by Dav Pilkey
- Click, Clack, Quack to School! by Dorothy Cronin
- The Baby-Sitter’s Club: Dawn and the Impossible Three (Graphic Novel) by Gale Galligan and Ann M. Martin

Meet the New Children’s Librarian!
Hi everyone, my name is Gina and I’m your new children’s librarian! I’m new to Dobbs Ferry, but I’ve lived in Westchester for most of my life and I’m very excited to become a member of this community. A little about me: I love cats, crosswords, and Star Wars. Everyone in my family loves to read, so I grew up reading books like Winnie the Pooh, Mary Poppins, and Mr. Putter and Tabby. I’m big on arts and crafts, so look for new decorations in the children’s room when the library reopens to the public!
If you’d like to reach out with comments, questions, suggestions, or just an introduction of your own, you can reach me at dobchildref@wlsmail.org.

Watch Turtle Dance Music!
We had so much fun with Mr. Matt at his virtual Summer Reading performance! If you missed it (or would like to watch again), you can view the video by clicking here.

Bilingual Childrens Books
Click here to see some of our bilingual children books!