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.

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).

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.

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!

Tuesday July 30, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room AB

Local crafter Beth Battey demonstrates the basics of the art of Japanese paper folding and how to make animals and geometric shapes. Experienced paper folders are encouraged to join us to share your skills too!

This event is for Grade 4 - adult.