Teen News
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas!
Mother’s Day is coming up! Do you still need
a gift for your mom? If so, check out our
jewelry and craft sale, located across from the
Circulation Desk! Available any time we’re open.
Join Our Battle of the Books Teams!
We’re looking for book-savvy tweens and teens entering grades 4 through 12 in Fall 2025! We’re fielding a kids’ team and a teen team in the annual Westchester-wide Battle of the Books Tournament. Learn more about the tournament here, and email childrens@dobbsferrylibrary.org to get the link to the virtual interest meeting on Wednesday, May 14th, at 7:15pm.
Upcoming Programs
Print of the Month: Random Springtime Assortment
Sunday, May 18
All Day
Alex ran out of ideas for May so you can choose between any of these unrelated and sort-of springy keychains made using the library’s 3D printer! Options are happy cloud, rainbow & clouds, caterpillar, butterfly, bee, or bird.
Email teens@dobbsferrylibrary.
Diplomacy Decoded: Interpersonal Diplomacy Workshop for High School Students via ZOOM (Registration)
Monday, May 19
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Learn diplomacy skills to prepare for applying for internships, jobs, and networking opportunities.
TONIGHT’S TOPIC: Instructions on following up, leaving a good impression and professional skills
Register here, or email teens@dobbsferrylibrary.org or diplomacydecoded@gmail.com
Chalk the Walk Kickoff
Tuesday, May 20
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
All Ages
Join our teen volunteers to kick off Dobbs Ferry Chalk the Walk, a local edition of a Westchester-wide creative initiative in support of mental health awareness. We will be decorating the plaza outside the library with chalk and handing out related resources for participants. The chalk will remain outside for everyone to use in the week following the event!
Visit westchestercountysuicideprevention.org to learn more about “Chalk the Walk Westchester” and the Westchester County Suicide Prevention Coalition.
Dungeons & Dragons (Waitlist)
Wednesday, May 21
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Ages 8-18
Create a character! Fight monsters! Make your own luck! Develop your skills in this fantasy role-playing system with other kids just like you.
Each player will only attend once a week on either Wednesday or Thursday; your slot will be assigned by the library based on your availability, experience, and other factors. The club is spread across two days to accommodate as many members as possible and follows the Dobbs Ferry Schools calendar for vacations and days off. Please only sign up if you think you can attend most of the meetings.
Registration is required via this Google form. You are not registered until a librarian contacts you with confirmation and scheduling details. This program is full but you can still sign up for the waitlist.
PROGRAM FULL to be placed on the waitlist or ask a question email children’s librarian Gina at childrens@dobbsferrylibrary.org, and participants aged 13-18 can email teen librarian Alex at teens@dobbsferrylibrary.org.
Virtual Program: Creating a Compelling College Application
Wednesday, May 21
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
We are offering this Zoom presentation to help high school juniors and their parents understand how to use the upcoming summer productively to create a compelling college application.
We will cover the college application process including current admissions trends, writing the personal statement essay and supplemental essays, teacher recommendations and how students can position themselves to increase their chances for admission.
We’ll discuss how a student’s ability to express their insights, experiences and personal growth through their application essays are more important than ever before.
We will discuss application strategies including the advantages and disadvantages of early decision, early action and regular decision. We’ll review what factors students should consider in deciding whether or not to submit their standardized test scores (SAT or ACT) for test-optional colleges and universities. We’ll also discuss the different ways that students can be admitted to a particular school.
We’ll examine the holistic admissions review process, what admissions officers consider important when they review applicants, and how students can position themselves to develop a compelling narrative to increase their chances for admission.
We will also discuss the importance of community service, how it can provide an opportunity for personal growth and an opportunity to showcase a student’s character. Admissions officers place great emphasis on a student’s character and how the student has been able to give back and help others.
This program is a detailed and strategic overview of what students should focus on to make their college applications compelling.
Registration is required; register here.
The presentation will be led by Ron Feuchs and Jackie Tepper, partners at Stand Out For College, LLC.
Online Resources
| Comics Plus is provided by Westchester Library System. Access graphic novels for all ages from 80 publishers for free with your library card!
Click here to get started |
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Indigenous peoples are often overlooked by the dominant forces in contemporary American society. They’re a vital part of our past, but also of our present and future. Springhurst librarian Lauren Rodriguez, Middle/High School media specialist Ellen Elsen, and K-8 literacy coordinator Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek have teamed up with Dobbs Ferry Public Library children’s librarian Gina Elbert and teen librarian Allee Manning to create the below resource list to help you dive deeper into indigenous literature for kindergarten through 12th grade. While it focuses on the indigenous peoples of the United States, it also contains a short section acknowledging native peoples of other countries in the Americas. These stories span contemporary life as well as historical fact and are part of a growing movement in publishing to better represent marginalized voices. Many are about Native Americans of the continental United States, but Native Hawaiians and Alaskans appear too. This is a sampling of available resources and not an exhaustive list. If you would like help finding more, please contact your librarian(s).
Every year, from mid-September to mid-October, Americans recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month by honoring the culture, histories, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came to the country from Spanish-speaking countries in Europe and the Americas. The first celebration took place during one week in mid-September of 1968, with the timeframe chosen to honor independence day celebrations in many Spanish-speaking countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (all on September 15), Mexico (September 16), and Chile (September 18). In 1988, the celebration was expanded to last a month, from September 15-October 15 each year.
Springhurst Library Media Specialist Lauren Rodriguez, Middle/High School Library Media Specialist Ellen Elsen, and K-8 Literacy Coordinator Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek have teamed up with Dobbs Ferry Public Library Children’s Librarian Gina Elbert and Young Adult Librarian Allee Manning to create this resource list to help your families dive deeper into the contributions and culture of Latinx and Hispanic Americans.
AAPI Heritage Month recognizes the contributions and influences that Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans have made to the history, culture and achievements of the United States. This year, it is especially important to support, celebrate and advocate for the AAPI community who have been experiencing an increase in anti-Asian bias and violence. So this year’s theme is “Stop AAPI Hate: Solidarity, Community, and Celebration”. The month of May was chosen as a way to commemorate the first wave of Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843 and to also mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants. It is important to remember that members of the AAPI community come from East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Asia, and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Each Asian country and Pacific Island nation has its own unique culture, language and traditions.
To celebrate this important community, Children’s Librarian Gina Elbert has collaborated with Springhurst Library Media Specialist Lauren Rodriguez, Dobbs Ferry Middle/High School Library Media Specialist Ellen Elsen, and Dobbs Ferry K-8 Literacy Coordinator Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek to make a resource list of books, social media accounts, and websites. Our hope is that these resources will help you to amplify, respect and make space for AAPI every single day, not just in May.