Winter is really over now -- it's time to get going on your Commuter Challenge strategizing. Get your team going to by visiting GetDowntown, register and develop a plan to use every sustainable transportation method for getting to work in May. You may just win one of the fabulous prizes! But wait -- there's more -- plenty of Curb Your Car Month events for everyone including a Free Transit Day and a Downtown Main Street Walk.

Time to edit and polish that short story! Friday, March 21st is the LAST day to turn in your story for this year's "It's All Write!" short story writing contest for area teens. If you're in Grades 6-12 and you have a story that's a minimum of 4 pages and a maximum of 10, go to 'Events' and then to 'Contests' and click on the link for complete guidelines. Also feel free to call 327-8301 if you have questions. Good Luck! Check out Prize Winning Stories from last year.

It's All Write! officially begins today. Don't worry if you haven't thought of an idea for a short story, you have until the end of the day on March 21st to turn in your finished product. If you're looking for inspiration you might try, Black Juice, Firebirds Rising an anthology of original science fiction and fantasy, 145th Street, or Leaving Home stories about letting go of what's familiar.
You can submit finished stories (minimum of 4 pages/maximum of 10) to allwrite@aadl.org
Good Luck! Questions? please call 327-8301

1st Place $250
2nd Place $150
3rd Place $100
First, Second and Third Place prizes in the following categories:
Grades 6-8, Grades 9-10, and Grades 11-12
Winners will be announced at the Ann Arbor Book Festival Short Story Contest event, Saturday, May 17 featuring teen book author Deb Caletti
Entries accepted FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 through FRIDAY, MARCH 21
Prize winning short stories is a published booklet of previous years winners available for you to check out.

The guidelines are attached below.

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:

Our first annual Manga Drawing Contest Award Ceremony was last night @ 7:00 at the Downtown Library - I'm sorry you missed it! Over 70 kids and teens in grades K-12 entered the contest and ALL of their work is currently on display in the Downtown Youth Department and will be for the month of August - check it out! Our fabulous judges, Fred Gallagher and Jerzy Drozd had a daunting task - they spent HOURS last Saturday making their decisions and writing comments and feedback for each and every piece of artwork. Over 70 kids/teens/families/friends attended the award ceremony to hear WHO got Wizzywig gift certificates, the Olympic-worthy medals and more... Most importantly everyone got to meet and greet with Fred and Jerzy! And the winners are (click read more for the complete list):

Grades K-2:

Art Prints are on display from the 5th Annual Teen Graffiti Art Contest, held on July 20th at the downtown library. 50 artists turned out on a windy art fair day to paint a spontaneous piece of art.
1st Place - Andrea Herrero - "Untitled"
2nd Place - Tyler Vane - "The Shadow of the Sun"
3rd Place - Mina Hirzel & Nika Olzewski - "Bunny's Honey"
Titles overall ranged from "An Alaskan Wilderness" to "Hope is Green" to "Inspired"

Come check out these works of art at the downtown Library's 3rd floor gallery space and in the Multi-Purpose Room. The exhibit will last until August 31st.

Thanks to Jerzy Drozd a local published graphic artist, who judged this year's contest.

Don't forget to break out your best in anime, manga, videogame character finery to enter the Cosplay Contest this Thursday, August 2 @ 7:00 PM at the Downtown Library. Prizes will be given in 2 categories: Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12 - in the form of gift certificates to Wizzywig in the amounts of $35, $25 and $15 respectively. Play DDR in character or come and watch the contest and play DDR.

Mark your calendar for the final Animanga Club of the summer on Monday, August 13 | 2:00-4:00 PM @ the Downtown Library. Make an authentic Naruto headband eat food/drink and have a chance to win cool Naruto merch and a $10 Wizzywig gift certificate based on your Naruto knowledge...

The 5th Annual Teen Graffiti Art Contest will be held Friday, July 20, from 1:00 - 3:00 PM, at the Downtown Library's Staff Parking Lot.
We'll provide the paint, supplies, paint boards, and easels. The top three winners will receive gift certifcates for art supplies from Michigan Book & Supply.

Fred Gallagher, author and creator of the webcomic Megatokyo and Jerzy Drozd, of mlatcomics judging your manga drawing – how cool is that?! All entries will be displayed in the Downtown Youth Department in August. Deliver completed drawings to any library information desk by closing on Monday, July 30. The Awards Ceremony is on Monday, August 6 @ 7:00 p.m. at the Downtown Library. Prizes will be awarded in four categories: Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12. For complete rules and guidelines click here.

Thanks for sharing your expertise and giving each story your careful considerations.

Steve Gillis – Author of the novels, Walter Falls and The Weight of Nothing, both finalists for the Independent Publishers Book of the Year. Steve’s stories, articles and book reviews have appeared in over three dozen journals. Giraffes, a collection of stories, was published in February 2007 by Atomic Quill Press. A member of the Ann Arbor Book Festival Board of Directors, and a finalist for the 2007 Ann Arbor News Citizen of the Year, Steve teaches writing at Eastern Michigan University and is the founder of 826 Michigan.

Travis Holland – Travis Holland’s stories have appeared in Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, and Five Points. His first novel, The Archivist’s Story, is published by Dial Press. A graduate of the University of Michigan, where he received his M.F.A., he lives in Ann Arbor.

Jim Schaefer – Jim Schaefer is teaching part-time (English) at WCC and Wayne County Community College, has an M.A. (Teaching Writing) from Eastern Michigan University, is a teacher consultant with the Eastern Michigan Writing Project, and was co-founder and publisher of a small literary (poetry/fiction) magazine for 14 years.

Michael Shilling – Michael just received his MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Michigan. His stories have been published in The Sun, Fugue, and Other Voices. He is currently working on a novel.

Michael Spradlin – Born and raised in Michigan, Michael is the author of Spy Goddess: To Hawaii, With Love and Spy Goddess: Live and Let Shop, which the latter received a Mystery Writers of America Edgar Nomination for “Best Young Adult Mystery” 2006

Carolyn Stone – WCC English-Writing Instructor and Creative Writing Consultant

Shutta Crum - An award-winning poet and author of one novel, SPITTING IMAGE, and eight picture books including THE BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE which was an IRA/CBC Children’s Choices winner, and listed on the Chicago Public Library’s The Best of the Best. Many of her titles have appeared on the Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books of the Year lists, and have been short-listed for various state awards. A FAMILY FOR OLD MILL FARM, her newest book, is available this month. For more info on Shutta visit her web site.

Ami Walsh – Ami earned her MFA in creative writing from Warren Wilson College. She has received fellowships from The Ragdale Foundation (2005, 2006, and 2007) and the University of Michigan Bear River Writer’s Conference (2006).

Kristen Bledsoe – WCC English-Writing Instructor

During the Ann Arbor Book Festival, teen author, Ron Koertge spoke to finalists of the short story writing contest with humor and insightful advice. And the winners are. . .(click "read more" below)

Winners of the "It's All Write" contest will be announced and all Finalists honored at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 19th at the Modern Languages Building, Auditorium 3, corner of Washington and Thayer Streets, as part of the Ann Arbor Book Festival. Ron Koertge, a nationally known teen book author and poet, will be the featured speaker.
Students who participated in the 2nd Tuesday Writers Series and who read Stoner and Spaz and Margaux with an X can meet Ron and have him sign their books.

Now's the time to put the finishing touches on your short story entry. Deadline for entries is March 19th. Area teens (Grades 6-12) are submitting entries to a short story contest with generous prizes (1st Place $250, 2nd Place $150, 3rd Place $100) The Awards Program is held at the Ann Arbor Book Festival, May 19, featuring teen book author, Ron Koertge.
If you need suggestions for those last few changes, maybe Writing Magic-Creating Stories That Fly by Gail Carson Levine may be helpful.

Need guidelines? click here
Good Luck!