Ben Franklin's Amazing Alphabet

Sat, 05/28/2011 - 9:49am by hamiltonb

Ever wonder why spelling in English is so difficult? Ben Franklin sure did, and he attempted to do something about it! Did you know that in 1768, Ben Franklin invented a new English alphabet that could make spelling easier? It did so because each letter in Ben’s alphabet represented exactly one sound! Widely known today as “Benjamin Franklin’s Phonetic Alphabet,” Franklin’s proposal did away with the consonants c, j, q, w, x, and y, which he thought were redundant. It also introduced six new letters to differentiate sounds he felt were not well represented by the alphabet we know today, like the difference between the "long o" in “own” and the "short o" in “pond”. Ben’s reasoning was that if letters more closely represented a single sound, spelling would be a lot easier! His alphabet never really caught on, but if it had, we might all find spelling a lot easier today!

For more information on Franklin’s alphabet and a sample of text written in it, click here! For AADL books on spelling for kids and the history of English spelling, click here!

Milk Mommas Group

Fri, 05/13/2011 - 1:05pm by Beth Manuel

Join the La Leche League of Ann Arbor for both kid & breast-feeding friendly social time with other moms. There's now a group that meets at 300 North Huron in Ypsilanti every 4th Saturday of the month from 3:00-5:00 PM. For a list of other local La Leche League group meetings in the area click here. AADL has materials on the topic as well as a wide range of items about parenting.

Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow Project

Wed, 05/11/2011 - 3:17pm by Stewart

The Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow Project supports meadow ecosystems in Buhr Park. Meadows are an educational natural habitat and storm water filter. On Sunday, May 15, from 10 am to 4 pm, folks from the community will gather to plant over 1,000 plants. The new meadow will connect via a grass path to the original meadow that was planted in September of 1997. The project invites you to join in on the planting fun. Park in the main lot by the pool and ice rink. If you are interested in planting your own meadow, check out these books available at the Ann Arbor District Library:
Urban & Suburban Meadows: Bringing Meadowscaping To Big And Small Spaces
The American Meadow Garden: Creating A Natural Alternative To The Traditional Lawn

Attention Sookie Stackhouse Fans!

Mon, 05/09/2011 - 12:00pm by darla

Bestselling author Charlaine Harris is making the final stop on her book tour here in Ann Arbor! Presented by the Michigan Theater and Nicola's Books, fans can see her on Monday, May 16th, 7:30 pm at the Michigan Theater. Harris will be discussing Dead Reckoning, her latest novel in the wildly popular Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries series. (The top-rated HBO television series True Blood is based off of these books.) A question and answer session with the audience will follow.

For information on tickets and event details , visit the Michigan Theater's website.

Teen Stuff: It’s time for Breakin’ Curfew!

Mon, 05/09/2011 - 11:17am by manz

The Neutral Zone and UMS present the 8th annual Breakin' Curfew. The event is created, produced, marketed, and performed by local teens. The performances at Breakin' Curfew feature everything from dance, spoken word, jazz, classical music, rock, to hip hop, and much more. The electricity of a teen-centric audience watching a show of teens, produced by teens, is amazing. It is quite the unique showcase of talent. All this fun takes place at the Power Center on Saturday, May 14 at 8pm. See here for ticket info and more. Yes, adults are of course welcome to attend and support these great minds!

May 14, 8pm -- Power Center -- See UMS site for ticket info

Comics!

Fri, 05/06/2011 - 6:24pm by articia

Comics and comic book characters have always been popular with many but have more recently broken into the mainstream in a huge way. Because of the recent rise in popularity, many kids (and "kids at heart") are taking up an interest in comic books.

The Ann Arbor District Library has fantastic Graphic Novel collections in youth, teen, and the adult sections of all 5 library branches and also offer lots of neat programming involving comics, how to create them, and info about those who do.

Tomorrow, May 7th, 2001, is Free Comic Book Day. Free Comic Book Day - the first Saturday in May each year - when participating comic book shops around the world give away comic books to anyone who comes into their stores. Check out local comic book store, Vault of Midnight, and see what you can find!

And for those busy tomorrow that can't get out to Free Comic Book Day, check out this event in June: Kids Read Comics hosted at the The Chelsea District Library and throughout the downtown business district in June.

"Kids Read Comics Convention is a totally free event that unites kids, teens, parents, teachers and librarians with professional artists and writers from the comics and animation fields. Our goal is to introduce kids to worlds of imagination while unlocking their creative impulses, and to serve that goal, the convention features:

* hands-on workshops
* panels and presentations for kids, families, and educators
* a chance for kids to meet and chat with comics and animation professionals
* the opportunity for kids to have their own art portfolios reviewed"

Ann Arbor Area Earth Day Festival 2011

Tue, 04/26/2011 - 4:01pm by Stewart

Sponsored by Whole Foods Market, Washtenaw Community College, and the City of Ann Arbor, the Ann Arbor Area Earth Day Festival takes place this Sunday, May 1, at the Washtenaw Community College Community Park. The celebration begins at noon and ends at 4 p.m..

The Ann Arbor District Library will join exhibitors from local environmental, non-profit and government organizations at the event. Keep an eye on the entertainment stage to see Joe Reilly, and wear a costume to represent your favorite plant or animal and dance in the All Species Dance. Attend a workshop on weatherization, get your face painted, make a craft, and enjoy food by Silvio's, Pilar's and more.

Did you know that May is Commuter Challenge month in Ann Arbor? Use the Border to Border Trail map and make your way to the event on your bike!

See you there!

Award Winning Journalist Eugene Robinson to Speak at U of M

Fri, 04/22/2011 - 3:11pm by hamiltonb

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Eugene Robinson will be speaking Friday, April 29th from 1:00 to 2:30pm at the Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery Room. A former U of M student, Robinson was the first African American co-editor-in-chief of the Michigan Daily. He has since written for the San Francisco Chronicle and later the Washington Post as both foreign correspondent and foreign editor. Robinson was honored with a Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for Commentary for his work and insight on political and social movement. He currently appears on MSNBC as a Political Analyst. Sponsored by the University of Michigan's Center for Afroamerican & African Studies and The Michigan Daily, the event is free and open to the public. For the University's listing of the event, click here. For books by Eugene Robinson held by the AADL, click here.

Musical Explosion on May 1st!

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 10:06am by StoryLaura

I love this town! What could be better than a brand new neighborhood music festival and then a blast of spectacular local talent at the Ark that same night, to support the Wild Swan Theater. Talk about community and the arts, this is what it’s all about!

Water Hill Music Festival

Mon, 04/18/2011 - 11:57am by evelyn

A brand new music festival is coming to Ann Arbor and it's sure to be like no other! The Water Hill Music Festival will take place on Sunday, May 1st from 2pm to 6pm on the northwest side of Ann Arbor. The festival has defined Water Hill as the neighborhood bounded by "Miller, Brooks, Sunset, and the railroad tracks". The festival's rain date is May 8th.

During the festival, musicians of all ages and genres will play music on their porches for the public to enjoy. Everyone is welcome to stroll past the houses and enjoy the entertainment. The festival will feature many local unknowns as well as more established musicians Dick Siegel, Lake Folk, Los Gatos and Charlie Slick.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the festival and are a resident of Water Hill, you can sign up to play music on your own porch. If you do not live in Water Hill, you can still get involved by volunteering.