Come take a stab at hand sewing and jazz up your iPod or MP3 player at the same time. Using colorful felt, embellishment items, and embroidery thread, you’ll create a one-of-a-kind cozy to keep your iPod or MP3 player protected with a handmade case for it. All supplies are provided, and we’ll have patterns and samples to get you going. Feel free to bring your MP3 player if you want to test out your design. Don't have an iPod? No worries, you can make a small case to hold whatever needs holding.

To keep the crafty crafting, check out some books on hand sewing or felt fun.

This DIY event is for Grades 6- Adult, and takes place at Pittsfield on Tuesday, July 12, from 7-8:30pm. See you there!

beaded macrame bracelets

Make a cool bracelet using simple knots and colorful beads. All supplies will be provided, just stop by the Traverwood branch on Wednesday, July 6, from 2:00 - 3:30 PM. Grade 6 - Adult
Web sites can give you ideas for crafting the perfect bracelet, or necklace, or really anything with beads.

Checkered Man

Saturday, July 9 | 1:00-3:00 PM | Pittsfield | Grades 6-Adult

Join Ann Arbor cartoonist Denver Brubaker and creator of Tales of a Checkered Man. He’ll share techniques for creating cartoony characters - how to brainstorm, design, and polish your ideas in a fun, hands-on workshop.

We’ll have all the drawing supplies you need so just come and see what kind of cartoony characters you can conjure up.

Jerzy Drozd

Wednesdays, July 6 thru August 10 | 6:00-8:00 PM | Pittsfield | Grades 9-Adult

Join cartoonist Jerzy Drozd as he helps you explore illustration and storytelling strategies used by professional cartoonists to create graphic novels, manga, and comic books. Learn how to choose the right moments in your story, how comics take advantage of the rules of art and literature and how the illustration style you choose contributes to the tone of your work.

Basic supplies (pencils, erasers, paper, etc.) are provided along with a weekly gamecode to add to your summer game totals. No registration required.

Miss the first session? No problem. Jerzy has designed each session so you can quickly catch on.

Front

Tuesdays July 5 thru August 9 | 1:00-3:00 PM | Malletts Creek | Grades 6-12

Hey teens! Enjoy doodling and have a story to tell? Join the six-week Comic Book Academy at Malletts Creek this summer. Cartoonist Jerzy Drozd will guide you through the steps to creating a complete comic book. You’ll learn about character design, writing the story, penciling the first draft, refining and completing the penciled pages, and inking (finishing) the pages.

All the supplies (pencils, erasers, paper, etc.) will be provided along with a weekly gamecode to add to your summer game totals. No registration required.

And if a six-week course isn't enough to satisfy the budding artist in you or you can't make it to all of the sessions, check out all of the comics events AADL has going on all summer long, including sessions with artists Denver Brubaker and Jannie Ho.

jump rope

Jump roping and summertime go hand in hand, don't you think? Well, here's your official welcome to summer, Join us in the parking lot at the Malletts Creek branch on June 28, Tuesday, from 6:30 to 8 pm. We've got Chinese, double-dutch and standard jump ropes to share. If you haven't yet signed up for the Summer Reading you can, and if you already are playing along we'll be sure to pass along the 'code' for 'Jump Roping Blast'
Rhymes, styles, and general know-how can be found here Jump Rope

During this hands-on workshop you'll view a presentation on how screen printing works, and will then get a chance to screen print onto paper or cloth. You’ll have a choice between printing an original Summer Game design onto a tote we supply (or a cloth item that you bring in), OR you can print a different Summer Game design onto paper to create a print. That’s right, we’ll have two of Jannie Ho’s AADL Summer Game designs and two screen printing stations set up, ready for you to DIY.

To keep up with screen printing, check out these books as a resource.

This DIY event is for Grades 6- Adult, and takes place at Pittsfield on Wednesday, June 29, 7-8:30pm. See you there!

SRGelephantJannieHo

chess

Come to this strategy session, led by chess expert, Jennifer Skidmore! Learn key tips to master the chess board, and then, play some chess!

This event compliments the Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World exhibit (which will be on display at the Downtown Library until July 8. According to Ben Franklin, "The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it."

Thursday, June 23 | 7 - 8:30 PM | Downtown-Multi-Purpose Room | Grades 4-Adult

KRC

The Kids Read Comics Celebration kicks off this Friday, June 17, at 6pm at the Downtown AADL branch with a live comics reading by Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy, X-Men: Misfits) and Raina Telgemeier (SMILE, Baby-Sitters Club). Then at 8pm, Kevin Coppa will join Dave for a live performance of Dave Roman Presents: Avatar: The Last Puppetbender live!

The fun doesn't stop there! Saturday and Sunday (June 18-19), Kids Read Comics will take over downtown Chelsea with free events for comics lovers of all ages! Festivities begin at the Chelsea District Library at 10am, the event will also expand down Main Street to the Clocktower Commons, where shops and restaurants throughout the downtown business district will host artists and special activities from 10am to 8pm Saturday and noon to 6pm Sunday.

Events include:
Artists’ alleys where you can meet comics and animation professionals
Hands-on comics workshops
Art demos and discussions
Portfolio reviews for youth and teen artists
Opening reception for the Comics Jam! art exhibition at the River Gallery (Saturday at 6pm)
For preschoolers through preteens:
Costume parade
Superhero crafts
For teens:
Giant drawing wall and interactive art events
Cosplay classes and marketplace, plus Saturday evening costume contest and masquerade party
For teachers and librarians:
Professional development workshops on Sunday

See a complete list of events on the Kids Read Comics Programming page!

Pond at Black Pond Woods

Thursday, June 16 | 7:00-8:30 p.m. | 1831 Traver Road | All Ages

Meet at the Project Grow Garden of the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road and join a naturalist from Natural Area Preservation (City of Ann Arbor) on a nature walk. Learn about native plants and trees, ecological restoration, and responsible use of public lands, as well as volunteer activities in Ann Arbor Parks.

Black Pond Woods is named for a small, vernal pond whose basin was carved by receding glaciers. Tannins and humic acids from leaf litter cause the water color to be dark brown, thus giving rise to the name “Black Pond.” This pond provides favorable conditions for frogs and salamanders. The land around the pond includes an oak-hickory forest, a savanna, and a wet meadow.