10th Annual National Stepfamily Day

Fri, 08/31/2007 - 12:54pm by lola

Celebrate National Stepfamily Day on Sunday, September 16, with a family picnic. Have a private backyard picnic or join in on a city park picnic. Visit the National Stepfamily Day website for more information on this annual event. A local picnic is being held at Kensington Park in Milford, Michigan. Find out more about this event before checking out some good books and movies at the library. Like Yours, Mine and Ours, Maxx Comedy, Stepsister from the Planet Weird, and Boundless Grace.

Corn Mazes Galore!

Mon, 08/27/2007 - 4:26pm by jaegerla

Fall is nearly here, and you know what that means- the corn mazes are open for business! Nothing else will get you as into the mood for Halloween or Fall itself as a trip through a corn maze once the weather has cooled down. Stop and imagine it: hot apple cider, the leaves changing color, piles of pumpkins, and racing to beat your friends or family through a maze. Try out these local thrills:

Plymouth Orchard and Cider Mill
Obstbaum Orchards
Talladay Farms Three Cedars Farm
Wiards Orchard
After you have braved a maze or two, wind down with a spooky book or a fun movie from the library! A reading choice that would be sure to please would be The Selected Stories and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe, or for a lighter route give a classic movie a try with It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

The Renaissance Festival is in Full Swing!

Mon, 08/27/2007 - 10:21am by jaegerla

Hear ye, hear ye! Be sure to check out the Michigan Renaissance Festival! It runs in Holly this year every weekend from August 18- September 30th and provides a day of entertainment for just about everyone! There are plenty of events, activities, and unique shopping experiences to draw in all sorts of people. This upcoming weekend features the Buccaneer Beer Fest. Argh! If you would like to attend the festivities in costume, feel free to check out one of the library's books on Renaissance clothing, such as Vecellio's Renaissance Costume Book by Cesare Vecellio.

DDR, Super Smash, Mario Party and more; now with PODCASTING!

Fri, 08/17/2007 - 10:03pm by eli

OK, guys, it's time for the start of the 4th Annual AADL-GT Super Smash Double Dash championship season! Round 1 is just days away, but first, we've got something new that you may be interested in: the AADL-GT Podcast studio. We're producing a short podcast about the next season, and this Tuesday, August 21, from 3-5 PM, you can come to the downtown library and find out how to produce your own AADL-GT Podcast! Maybe you want to make your predictions for the season; maybe you want to do a monthly podcast about your clan and its prowess. Maybe you want to take your trash talk to the next level... or maybe you'd like to discuss the subtleties of smash attacks. You tell us! Come to get familiar with the tools on Tuesday, and then make a studio appointment to record your podcast. We'll then publish your podcasts here on aadl.org where anyone can subscribe to your show. See you there!

But, that's not all. We'll warm up for the start of the season in the Downtown Library Multipurpose Room with an All-Ages Dance Dance Revolution Tournament, Friday Night, 8/24 from 6-8:45 PM. We'll then have Super Smash Double Dash Round 1 for grades 6-12, Saturday, 8/25, from Noon - 5 PM, and then something new: an All-ages Mario Party tournament, Sunday, 8/26, from 1-4 PM. So, get registered, get your clan together for the start of the clan season, and we'll see you at the events!

EXPLODapalooza!!

Tue, 08/14/2007 - 7:14pm by lola

Get in on the action and try out some fun chemistry at EXPLODapalooza on Wednesday, August 15 at 2PM at the Malletts Creek Branch. Make your own Alka-Seltzer rocket and bask in the joy of a mentos fountain. It will be a glorious, exploding hour. Hope to see you there!

Program is for children in 4th grade and up. Please note that the program was incorrectly published as starting at 7 PM in a local publication.

Let's Get Digital!

Mon, 08/13/2007 - 5:14pm by Sancho Panza

This Saturday, Michael Nagara, a local artist and Sunday Artisan Market regular, will present the process by which he designs his hand-altered digital prints. Nagara creates his work using software similar to that used by animation studios like Pixar and Dreamworks, and he never borrows imagery or manipulates photographs. Besides gleaning some of Michael’s technique, attendees will all get to take home a print signed by the artist.

Thinking about getting digital yourself? The Library owns a number of books on creating digital art, as well as guides to software like Adobe Photoshop. Get inspired on Saturday, and then get started!

Naruto @ Animanga Club, Monday, August 13

Fri, 08/10/2007 - 6:01pm by joy k

Join us this Monday @ the Downtown Library’s Multi-Purpose Room from 2:00 to 4:00 for the last meeting of the Animanga Club. Gear up for this fall’s Naruto Nation by watching episodes of the anime and making your own ninja headband. Can you name all the members of Team 8, or match the signature move to the character? You won’t want to miss our trivia quiz—there are cool prizes from Wizzywig for those with high scores. We’ll also have updates on our fall anime/manga events. Snacks and drinks will be provided. See you there!

2nd Annual LEGO Contest Winners!

Thu, 08/09/2007 - 7:09pm by erin

The 2nd Annual LEGO contest was yet again a blast! We had 110 entries in five categories: Preschool, Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12. Entries ranged from a "Lego Cafe" where you can get ice cream sandwiches, to two fire breathing dragons, to sunken treasure ships and Star Wars episodes with a fan-fiction story to go along... Families and friends packed the room and waited with baited breath for the winners to be announced! And the winners are:

Duct Tape Re-Mix on Tuesday, August 7

Mon, 08/06/2007 - 1:13pm by K.C.

We'll provide the tape-in a bunch of colors from camouflage to pink-and you do the rest. Make what you want and meet other tapeheads. There will be duct tape books like Got Tape?: Roll out the fun with duct tape on hand for inspiration. You'll also view some great duct tape websites.

Drop in 1:00-3:00 p.m. at Pittsfield.

Highly Contagious Science

Sat, 08/04/2007 - 1:47pm by StoryLaura

All children age 5 and up are invited to join us on August 7th at the Pittsfield Branch at 10:00 am or the Malletts Creek Branch at 1:00 pm to explore the science of sound with water balloons, slinkies, space phones and whoopee cushions. Marcey Walsh will have the kids learning about vibration, air molecules and pitch while laughing all the way!