When J. Patrick Lewis learned that he had been named Children’s Poet Laureate, he said, “I felt as giddy as a pig in the sunshine. I felt like an otter in a waterfall. It was thrilling!”

Lewis’ two-year term began in May. He will help raise awareness that kids are naturally receptive and appreciate poetry, especially if it is written for them.

The Chicago-based Poetry Foundation has awarded the Laureateship twice before, to Jack Prelutsky and Mary Ann Hoberman.

You can dip into some of our new Children's Poet Laureate's recent collections:
Spot the Plot: a Riddle Book of Book Riddles
The World’s Greatest: Poems
Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses
Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science
A World of Wonders: Geographic Travels in Verse and Rhyme
A Burst of Firsts: Doers, Shakers, and Record Breakers

Here is his poem,
Necessary Gardens:

Libraries
Are
Necessary
Gardens,
Unsurpassed
At
Growing
Excitement.

Picking exactly the right BOCD for a long family car trip can be very important. For a steady stream of witty, engaging stories, try The Wayside School Collection, by Louis Sachar. For newbies, Wayside School was supposed to be 30 classrooms on one level, but accidentally it was built 30 stories high with one classroom on each level. Characters -- both kids and adults -- are engaging, hilarious, and entirely believable (at least to me). The BOCD collection has 7 discs each lasting 77 minutes -- for a total of almost 9 hours of listening. Hit the road, pop in Disc 1, and prepare for happy listening!

Do you have creative children in your life? Or are you a creative youth in the community? Then the EWMA Children's Art Fair wants you!

This art fair will take place in the Eastern Washtenaw Multicultural Academy gymnasium on Saturday, July 23rd (the last day of the Ann Arbor Art Fair), from 12pm-4pm. There will be art workshops for children as young as 3 and as old as 8th grade. There will also be informational workshops for the entire family. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Artists aged 10-25 are invited to submit art to display and sell at the art fair. If you are interested in this opportunity, you may contact pyenor.ewma@gmail.com.

For more information, check out the EWMA's website. And if you want help starting on some summer art projects, we have a great selection of How to Draw books.

Happy Campers Alert: More fun than a backpack of S'mores on Saturday, August 6, at the Family Campout at Rolling Hills Park. Activities will include:
• Fishing •
• Stargazing •
• Campfire Stories with Debra Christian •
(Award-winning Storyteller)
• S'mores •
• Nature Walks •
• Crafts •
• Free Dinner for Campers •

You can start setting up your tent at 2 p.m. and activities will begin at 5 p.m. Complete information is on the Registration Form.

If your child loves Winnie the Pooh, they'll love this Essential Guide to the new movie - an old-school style adventure weaving together 5 stories from the original A.A. Milne books. They'll discover fascinating facts about Pooh Bear and the movie's key characters, including his well-loved friends Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga and Roo. It's also full of details on the enchanting Hundred Acre Wood where they all live.

This guide is packed with beautiful stills and watercolor art from the long-awaited Disney movie. You can watch a trailer for the movie here

And while you're waiting for the movie, why not check out A. A. Milne's original stories and poems, Winnie-the-Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, When We Were Very Young, and Now We Are Six.

Join us at the Malletts Creek Branch every Saturday morning at 10:00. A friendly AADL storyteller will read several stories that kids of all ages will enjoy. Bring the whole family for an entertaining start to the weekend.

Ben Franklin was a legendary inventor whose imagination and hard work led him to conduct famous scientific experiments and invent many new devices.

Inspire the young scientist in your family with stories of Franklin's experiments and inventions with Gene Barretta's Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions Of Benjamin Franklin, Rosalyn Schanzer's How Ben Franklin Stole The Lightning, and Pamela Nettleton's Benjamin Franklin: Writer, Inventor, Statesman.

Then dig into some experimenting yourself! This website from the Franklin Institute has instructions for experiments with electricity, air, heat, and the glass armonica. If electricity sparks your imagination, there are plenty more experiments on this topic, including how to build your own Leyden jar!

Did you know that Ben Franklin was the first scientist to study the Gulf Stream, a powerful, warm current in the Atlantic Ocean. Take your own voyage on the Gulf Stream with these science and math activities!

If you're a teacher or parent seeking to incorporate educational lessons and experiments inspired by Ben Franklin's life, refer to the PBS Benjamin Franklin Teacher's Guide, a series of eight lesson plans aligned to National Standards.

BenFranklinScience

Don your spy mask and join us for Revolutionary War Spycraft: Codes and Deciphering! Learn how to create and decipher cryptic messages (like spies in the American Revolution) and compete to crack a secret code! Cheney Schopieray, manuscript expert from the University of Michigan Clements Library, will also shed light on the history of American and British spies at work during the lifetime of Ben Franklin. This program is geared toward participants grade 6 to adult. No registration required; all supplies provided.

When: Thursday, June 30th, 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Where: Malletts Creek Branch: Program RoomSecretCode

swimming baby by tomeppy, Flickr.com
If our scorching 90-degree weather is any indication, summer is finally here! Before packing up to hit the beach, make sure to check out some of our awesome youth magazines.

For Parents:
American Baby -- Stroller reviews, tips for new dads and a guide for teaching your tot to swim.

For Kids:
Nintendo Power -- Check out Sonic Generations for the 3DS, plus an advance look at Mega Man Legends 3!

Sports Illustrated Kids -- Learn more about the Cincinnati Reds' Joey Votto and the Brazilian world cup star Marta. Also in this issue, a profile of the US women's world cup team, and "10 Ways to Make Sports More Awesome."

For Teens:
Justine -- College advice, a great list of books for summer reading, and a look at actor Grey Damon - leading man of new series "The Nine Lives of Chloe King" (based on these books).

Lucky -- A talk with actress and teen book author Lauren Conrad, and style advice from actress Rose Byrne.

Thrasher -- It's "The Interview Issue," and you will not believe how many interviews they managed to cram into this magazine: Aaron Homoki, Cody McEntire, Ben Hatchell and Daniel Lutheran are only the merest sampling of what Thrasher has to offer.

WWE Magazine -- An interview with John Cena, and 50 things to do this summer.

Join us at the Malletts Creek Branch every Saturday morning at 10:00. A friendly AADL storyteller will read several stories that kids of all ages will enjoy. Bring the whole family for an entertaining start to the weekend.