Wednesday June 12, 2013: 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm -- Downtown Library: Youth Story Corner

Need help with homework? Students in grades K-12 can get homework help at AADL, provided by volunteers for the University of Michigan chapter of Circle K. No appointment necessary - just drop by!

This event is for grades K - 12.

Thursday June 13, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Hike along Malletts Creek, through woods and wetlands of this 81.4-acre park.

A staff naturalist from Natural Area Preservation (City of Ann Arbor) will discuss native plants and trees, ecological restoration, and more. Meet at the park entrance at Packard Rd., just east of Cobblestone Farm (south side of the road).

Parking at the entrance is limited; hikers may alos park at the Malletts Creek Branch (3090 E. Eisenhower) with a half-mile walk east along Eisenhower and Packard to the park entrance.

This event is for all ages.

Saturday June 15, 2013: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

The Ann Arbor Hacker-Makers of All Hands Active will show us how to use basic circuitry to create a musical instrument, the Atari Punk Circuit. The Circuit uses basic electronics and two knobs to allow people to create basic two-tone electronic sounds, kind of like the soundtracks of the first video games on the Atari video game console.

No need to know electronics to come to this event, that's why we're having it! Learn a bit about electricity, circuits, and have some fun trying out making different sounds. While you're at the Library, take a look at the Music Tools collection, too!

This event is for adults and teens (grade 6 and up).

Friday June 21, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm -- Malletts Creek Branch: Parking Lot

Bring your ropes, your rhymes for a jumpin' good time! We've got Chinese, Double-Dutch and standard jump ropes to share. Special guests, the St. Francis Heartbeats, will demo their skills. If it rains, we'll jump inside!

This event is for teens and pre-teens (grades 4-12).

Saturday June 22, 2013: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm -- Downtown Library: Lobby

AADL hosts the 2013 Kids Read Comics Celebration on Saturday June 22 & Sunday June 23, bringing more than forty cartoonists and writers to the Downtown Library for the entire weekend. This is the fifth annual KRCC, an event that promotes comics as a part of lifelong reading and as a means of creative expression for kids and teens.

Among the guests are Ben Hatke of "Zita the Spacegirl;" Raina Telgemeier, creator of the award-winning "Smile and Drama;" Dave Roman of "Jax Epoch And The Quicken Forbidden" and "Astronaut Academy;" and Rafael Rosado, who has been a writer, director, producer and storyboard artist for shows as diverse as Animaniacs, Men In Black The Animated Series, Curious George, and The Venture Brothers. His all-ages graphic novel, "Giants Beware!" was published by First Second Books earlier this year.

Stressing active engagement over passive consumption, the weekend will include hands-on workshops covering such topics as learning to draw funny people from wacky shapes, writing and drawing minicomics, and much more. Artists will demonstrate how they do what they do while answering audience questions, and the always popular Quick Draw competitions will pit artists head to head as they improvise drawings based on suggestions from spectators. Other programs will be geared to educators and librarians to help them learn how to use comics most effectively in their settings.

At tables in Artists' Alley, kids, teens and parents will have a chance to talk one-on-one with comics creators -- who have been known to toss off free sketches along with offering their comics and books for sale. Free giveaways will also include comic books donated by publishers big and small, including DC Comics, Archie Comics, Top Shelf Productions and Oni Press.

The Kids Reads Comics Celebration offers something for just about everyone, using the magic of comics to open up the imaginations of kids of all ages. And all activities, as well as every artist's and writer's table in Artists' Alley, will offer a code as part of AADL's Summer Game.

Kids Reads Comics is co-sponsored by the Ann Arbor Book Festival. Information about Kids Read Comics guests and programming is available at www.kidsreadcomics.org.

This event is for grade 4 - adult.

Sunday June 23, 2013: 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm -- Downtown Library: Lobby

AADL hosts the 2013 Kids Read Comics Celebration on Saturday June 22 & Sunday June 23, bringing more than forty cartoonists and writers to the Downtown Library for the entire weekend. This is the fifth annual KRCC, an event that promotes comics as a part of lifelong reading and as a means of creative expression for kids and teens.

Among the guests are Ben Hatke of "Zita the Spacegirl;" Raina Telgemeier, creator of the award-winning "Smile and Drama;" Dave Roman of "Jax Epoch And The Quicken Forbidden" and "Astronaut Academy;" and Rafael Rosado, who has been a writer, director, producer and storyboard artist for shows as diverse as Animaniacs, Men In Black The Animated Series, Curious George, and The Venture Brothers. His all-ages graphic novel, "Giants Beware!" was published by First Second Books earlier this year.

Stressing active engagement over passive consumption, the weekend will include hands-on workshops covering such topics as learning to draw funny people from wacky shapes, writing and drawing minicomics, and much more. Artists will demonstrate how they do what they do while answering audience questions, and the always popular Quick Draw competitions will pit artists head to head as they improvise drawings based on suggestions from spectators. Other programs will be geared to educators and librarians to help them learn how to use comics most effectively in their settings.

At tables in Artists' Alley, kids, teens and parents will have a chance to talk one-on-one with comics creators -- who have been known to toss off free sketches along with offering their comics and books for sale. Free giveaways will also include comic books donated by publishers big and small, including DC Comics, Archie Comics, Top Shelf Productions and Oni Press.

The Kids Reads Comics Celebration offers something for just about everyone, using the magic of comics to open up the imaginations of kids of all ages. And all activities, as well as every artist's and writer's table in Artists' Alley, will offer a code as part of AADL's Summer Game.

Kids Reads Comics is co-sponsored by the Ann Arbor Book Festival. Information about Kids Read Comics guests and programming is available at www.kidsreadcomics.org.

This event is for grade 4 - adult.

Monday June 24, 2013: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm -- Downtown Library: Training Center

Design and fly spacecraft that are capable of trans-continental or even interplanetary travel!

Kerbal Space Program is a multi-genre game where players create their own space program. It's a Slapdash Spaceflight Sandbox, and you're in control of your nation's space program.

Participation in "Race to Space" events includes codes for Summer Game space badges and requires your attendance for the entire scheduled time.

This event is for teens (grades 6-12).

Monday June 24, 2013: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm -- Downtown Library: Training Center

This session ratchets up the difficulty level with the goal of leaving Kerbal's orbit and landing on the Mun!

Kerbal Space Program is a multi-genre game where the players create their own space program. Participation in "Race to Space" events includes codes for Summer Game space badges and requires your attendance for the entire scheduled time.

This event is for teens (grades 6-12).

Monday June 24, 2013: 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Washi tape is a decorative Japanese tape used in craft projects.

We have lots of colors and patterns of tape available for you to make greeting card images and other inspired crafts. Bring an item from home to decorate, if you'd like!

This event is for youth (grade 3 and up), teens and adults.

Tuesday June 25, 2013: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Explore the fundamentals of logic, programming and robotics design with LEGO NXT! You will build, test, and tweak your robot, then COMPETE.

Participation in "Race to Space" events includes codes for Summer Game space badges and requires your attendance for the entire scheduled time.

This event is for teens (grades 6-12).

Tuesday June 25, 2013: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm -- Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room AB

Make jewelry, key chains, pet tags, pins, clothing buttons - the sky's the limit!

Shrinky dinks shrink to approximately 1/3rd their original size and actually become 9 times thicker! In two magic minutes your creation gets smaller and smaller.

This event is for adults, teens and pre-teens (grade 4 and up).

Thursday June 27, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Traverwood Branch: Program Room

Jennifer will share some tips to improve your game, then you can try your skill against other players!

This event is for adults, teens and pre-teens (grade 4 and up).

Friday June 28, 2013: 9:45 pm to 11:45 pm -- Top of the Park
 (map)

Become a Superhero!

Created by Spanish arts collective Wildbytes, Superhero is an interactive projection mapping experience in which participants are transformed into superheroes using Kinect cameras and customized software.

A digital art exhibition at Top of the Park over multiple nights (Friday June 28 - Sunday, June 30 - 9:45 - 11:45 pm), festival-goers will be able to fly over the historic facade of the Burton Memorial Tower while enjoying a number of super powers, which they can control with natural gestures. These powers included throwing light balls, becoming gigantic or tiny, and, of course, flying.

Wildbytes is an art and technology studio based in Madrid and New York. Their work is focused on creating engaging, interactive experiences that are often displayed as large-scale projections in public events. Producing new technology in the process, the main goal of Wildbytes' projects is to create immersive experiences that trigger emotion through participation. Wildbytes' interdisciplinary work has been exhibited in institutions around the world including Ars Electronica (Austria), FILE (International Festival of Electronic Language).

This event is for all ages.

Saturday June 29, 2013: 9:45 pm to 11:45 pm -- Top of the Park
 (map)

Become a Superhero!

Created by Spanish arts collective Wildbytes, Superhero is an interactive projection mapping experience in which participants are transformed into superheroes using Kinect cameras and customized software.

A digital art exhibition at Top of the Park over multiple nights (Friday June 28 - Sunday, June 30 - 9:45 - 11:45 pm), festival-goers will be able to fly over the historic facade of the Burton Memorial Tower while enjoying a number of super powers, which they can control with natural gestures. These powers included throwing light balls, becoming gigantic or tiny, and, of course, flying.

Wildbytes is an art and technology studio based in Madrid and New York. Their work is focused on creating engaging, interactive experiences that are often displayed as large-scale projections in public events. Producing new technology in the process, the main goal of Wildbytes' projects is to create immersive experiences that trigger emotion through participation. Wildbytes' interdisciplinary work has been exhibited in institutions around the world including Ars Electronica (Austria), FILE (International Festival of Electronic Language).

This event is for all ages.

Sunday June 30, 2013: 9:45 pm to 11:45 pm -- Top of the Park
 (map)

Become a Superhero!

Created by Spanish arts collective Wildbytes, Superhero is an interactive projection mapping experience in which participants are transformed into superheroes using Kinect cameras and customized software.

A digital art exhibition at Top of the Park over multiple nights (Friday June 28 - Sunday, June 30 - 9:45 - 11:45 pm), festival-goers will be able to fly over the historic facade of the Burton Memorial Tower while enjoying a number of super powers, which they can control with natural gestures. These powers included throwing light balls, becoming gigantic or tiny, and, of course, flying.

Wildbytes is an art and technology studio based in Madrid and New York. Their work is focused on creating engaging, interactive experiences that are often displayed as large-scale projections in public events. Producing new technology in the process, the main goal of Wildbytes' projects is to create immersive experiences that trigger emotion through participation. Wildbytes' interdisciplinary work has been exhibited in institutions around the world including Ars Electronica (Austria), FILE (International Festival of Electronic Language).

This event is for all ages.

Saturday July 6, 2013: 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Engineer a device to keep your egg safe from a big drop. Hope it doesn't break!

This event is for Grades 4-8.

Monday July 15, 2013: 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm -- Traverwood Branch: Program Room

Make a solar s'more oven using a cardboard pizza box, aluminum foil, and a few other basic materials (no campfire required)!

This event is for Grades K-5.

Thursday July 18, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Looking to improve your game? Michigan's Junior chess champ Atulya Shetty will share some tips, then you can try your skill against other players!

Monday July 22, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Pittsfield Branch: Program Room

Local crafter Beth Battey will show you how to use your hands, wool, soapy water and some patience to create your own felt ball! It can be a gift, a pet toy, a fun baby ball or ... you decide!

This event is for Grade K - adult.

Tuesday July 23, 2013: 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Training Center

Learn how to use online forms, job applications, and job sites like Pure Michigan Talent Connect. Basic computer and mouse experience is required. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Classrooms will open 15 minutes before the class start times. class handouts