Did You Know Reading is a Physical Skill?

Paul SikorskiPaul SikorskiParents interested in learning about Interactive Metronome with Paul Sikorski from Michigan Peak Performance are invited to bring their Kindergarteners and older children for a program of learning and fun on Tuesday, June 25th at 11 am at the Downtown Library. Paul will discuss his concentration improving technique with the grown-ups while Steve Osburn of Oz Music fame will play rhythm games with the children in the same room. Get ready for a happy, noisy and stimulating experience!

Tonight: Grief 101: What To Expect When Grieving

Tuesday June 18, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Pittsfield Branch: Program Room

Presented by Arbor Hospice's Grief Support Services, this educational meeting will provide you with the resources and information you are looking for when coping with the loss of a loved one. The session will help examine what is normal during the grief process, strategies for coping, suggestions for self-care, and what support is available to you. There will be time for questions at the end.

Craft Stick Catapults


Join us for Craft Stick Catapults on Wednesday, June 19, 2013, at the Pittsfield Branch--2:00-3:00 PM. Using a few household items, we'll make small working catapults.

We'll have a launch zone where you can (safely) test out your new handmade toy with craft pom poms and mini marshmallows.

If this event has piqued your interest, you might also like these books:

Isaac Newton and Physics For Kids
Physics Projects for Young Scientists
Toy Lab

This program is for kids entering grades K-5.

Jump Roping Blast

The summer solstice is this Friday, June 21st. A great way to celebrate the beginning of summer is to join
us at the Malletts Creek branch for some jump roping from 7-8pm.

Bring your ropes and 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!

You can also sign up for summer reading, if you haven't already!

Happy Summer! It's time for the 8th Annual LEGO Contest!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 8, 2013! Preschoolers, Kids, Teens & Adults are all invited to enter this year's LEGO contest. The top winners receive custom made LEGO Trophies, medals and Target GIft Cards. Like in 2012 the contest will be at the Kensington Court Hotel (@ Briarwood Mall). Everyone is invited to come and view the entries between 6:00-8:00PM. For all the details and full guidelines for participants see the 2013 LEGO Contest Guidelines. If you're planning to enter and have your eyes on the prize here's a tip: look closely at the photos of projects that have won in past years - what did they do that caught the judge's eye? Good luck!

Calling Cosplayers!

6:30-8:30 PM | Saturday, June 22 | Neutral Zone

The Kids Read Comics event will sponsor a free teen Cosplay party and concert at the Neutral Zone featuring the best comics band on the planet, the O>Matics. Choose your character, transform yourself, and get ready to rock!

The Connector Workshop @ the AADL on June 18th

On June 18th the community of Ann Arbor is encouraged to join together at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library to discuss the lastest news about The Connector project.

The Connector project is "a developing plan for high-capacity transit in an arc from northeast to south Ann Arbor, connecting major destinations including downtown, University of Michigan campuses and medical center, and commercial areas."

Everyone is invited to attend the workshop and give insights, ask questions and provide feedback. The workshop will run from 4:30-8:00 pm will be broken into several portions:

4:30-5:30 pm Open House
5:30-6:00 pm Presentation
6:00-7:00 pm Breakout Groups—Connect The Connector
7:00-7:30 pm Presentation
7:30-8:00 pm Open House

"The open house portion of the workshop will feature displays on the various modes of travel under consideration and route options. Project staff and representatives from the organizations collaborating on the project will be available to further explain the displays, answer questions and record comments. The presentation will provide a brief overview of the project to date. The breakout groups will be an opportunity for the public to review segments of The Connector route and make specific comments and provide input on a variety of options."

For more information about the project please contact Chris White, TheRide/Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, 734-794-1850, cwhite@theride.org.

Kids Read Comics event June 22-23 at the Downtown Library

The free Kids Read Comics convention is just around the corner and promises tons of comics fun. Running both Saturday and Sunday, the convention will open with fun comics crafts at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Downtown Library. At 11 a.m. special guest Ben Hatke, creator of Zita the Spacegirl, will make a presentation. At Noon the Artists Alley along with fun programming and hilarious Quick Draws get under way! Program details and the guest cartoonist list available at Kids Read Comics.

One more thing - AADL Summer gamers who come to KRC can collect a bucketful of game codes!

Suggest a Title for AA/Ypsi Reads 2014

The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads program is a community initiative to promote reading and civic dialogue through the shared experience of reading and discussing a common book.

The 2014 Reads theme is A Very Good Read and will highlight a work of fiction. Suggest a title for a ‘Very Good Read’ to the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads planning committees (by June 30) and your suggestion just might be this year's title!

Winners of the 2013 AADL Short Story Wrting Contest for Grades 3-5!

Writers were recognized for their creativity and encouraged to keep writing at a packed house 'Awards Celebration',
with plenty of wit and enthusiasm from guest author, Shutta Crum.

99 submissions were received this year, our first year for Grades 3-5, with stories coming in from 20 different schools,
including home schooled writers.

Click here for writing resources for grades K-5.

Congratulations to the winners in each grade:
5th Grade: 1st Place - Pastel's Journey by Ashlee Freeman
2nd Place - The Boulder Block by Krishna Davis
3rd Place - Sallie Sweetwater and the Nebraska Disaster by Jenna Allman

4th Grade: 1st Place - A Weird Day at the Science Museum by Arjun Purohit
2nd Place - Winston and His Ears by Abby Dobson
3rd Place - Blueberry Girl by Anabellee Jones

3rd Grade: 1st Place - My Secret by Emma Crownover
2nd Place - The Story of the Talking Hamster by Alma Moga
3rd Place - Allians-A True Story by Mohammed Hamoud

We hope all of you continue to write many, many more stories!

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