All ages are invited to make pine cone and star ornaments, dance to lively tunes played by Luther Schaible on accordion, and eat soft pretzels to celebrate traditions of German, Swiss and Austrian families. To get yourself in the mood, check out some Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales and then party at the Downtown Ann Arbor District Library on Sunday, December 3 at 2:00 pm!

Looking for something to do today, Friday, November 24? Sit back with some popcorn and watch the classic To Kill A Mockingbird at the Michigan Theater at 1:30 PM, part of the Pfizer Family-Friendly Film Series. The movie is FREE for children 12 and under! Afterwards check out the book from the library and spend the weekend curled up with a good book.

Missed out on this year’s earlier-than-usual Children’s Holiday parade? Not to worry--there are plenty of holiday traditions left to enjoy. Though a certain someone shudders every time I play another Christmas CD, there’s only so much time to enjoy the festive mood before January sets in (blah), so why not enjoy? First up, Kerrytown’s own Tree Lighting Ceremony, Sunday, November 26 at 5p.m. Followed by the 60th Annual Greens Market at the Women’s City Club on Thursday the 30th. Finally, head downtown on December 1st for the biannual tradition, Midnight Madness—stores open late, legendary Le Dog soup at night, and sales galore—what could be better?

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Looking for something to do on a Friday night? Go to the first year of the Washtenaw County Teen Arts Festival on November 17th from 5-11 pm at Washtenaw Community College’s Morris Lawrence Building.

Over two hundred pieces of artwork, including visual and digital arts, from high school students in Washtenaw County will be on display, and some will be for sale. Hands-on workshops and seminars with Admissions faculty from the U of M School of Art & Design will go from 5-7 pm. Performances from local artists like Davy and Peter Rothbart, the Ann Arbor National Poetry Slam Team, and other teen performers will take place from 7-11 pm. This FREE event will also include refreshments.

What's new with Google? What are their plans for the Ann Arbor area? Find out on Thursday, November 30 when Grady Burnett, head of Online Sales and Operations for Google's Ann Arbor office, discusses Google's plans for growth and their decision to open this local office. What will this mean for Ann Arbor? For Google? Join us from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the Downtown Library and find out!

CupStacking

Maybe you’ve been practicing at school or maybe you are a cup stacking fanatic at home. Either way, come to the library to practice your cup stacking skills and work on besting your greatest time at the 3-6-3 stack.

Meet at the Pittsfield branch on November 22 at 2 PM. We will start with some drills and move on to the tournament, ending by 4 PM. Prizes will be awarded to the top three fastest stackers. This tournament is for ages 8 and older.

Join us during Children’s Book Week to make many different kinds of tea bags, outrageous hats and funny place mats for our tea party in true Alice in Wonderland fashion. Six year olds and up are invited to bring their imaginations along to the Mad Hatter Tea Party at the Pittsfield Branch on Thursday, November 16th at 4:00 pm.

David Small and Sarah Stewart are coming to the Downtown library this weekend—are you prepared? Brush up on their charming blend of timeless watercolor illustrations and heartwarming tales of books, plants and… antlers? My personal favorite of the bunch, Imogene’s Antlers follows the resilient main character through her daily routine with a spontaneously acquired pair of antlers. Both written and illustrated by David Small, the delightfully matter-of-fact text juxtaposes hysterically with the images of Imogene’s unusual predicament. If you don’t happen to get a copy in time, never fear—Nicola’s Books will be on-hand at the event.

Michigan Stadium is one of Ann Arbor's significant landmarks and much in the news these days. But what's the story behind how it was originally built? Find out on Sunday, November 12 at 2:00 p.m. at the Malletts Creek Branch library when Robert Soderstrom talks about his fascinating book The Big House: Fielding H. Yost and the building of Michigan Stadium. A U-M graduate and lifelong fan of the Wolverines, the author will talk about the early history of the stadium and present early photographs illustrating its development. The program is part of the library's 'Sunday Edition' monthly book talk series.

Treat yourself to wonderful tales told by a variety of tellers at our annual Tellebration in the Youth Story Corner this Sunday, November 12 at 2:00 pm. All over the country eager listeners and tellers are celebrating the art this weekend. We are especially delighted to welcome nationally renown storyteller Elizabeth Ellis in this program for ages six and up. If you really get inspired Elizabeth will be leading a special program for adults on Saturday, November 18 entitled "Developing Personal Stories" at the Pittsfield Branch from 1:00-4:00 pm.