Pitching in for Eubie by Jerdine Nolen

Thu, 12/06/2007 - 10:00am by Tahira

Lily’s sister Eubie just got a scholarship to college. The family has to raise $3000 for room and board. Everyone pitches in to help. Mama takes in sewing, Eubie baby-sits, Papa and Jacob will take on extra work. What can Lily do? Jerdine Nolan tells a heartwarming story of a family working hard to make a dream come true.

Fairy Bits - New Stuff

Wed, 12/05/2007 - 2:35pm by ryanikoglu

If your passion is pixies, check these out. In the Realm Of The Never Fairies: The Secret World Of Pixie Hollow packs fairy lore and pictures of fantasy worlds. Gail Carson Levine's Fairy Haven And The Quest For The Wand is one more fairy quest novel. Both are especially fun for upper elementary grades. And then there is the Disney Fairy site where kids can create their own fairies and share with others.

Get into the Holiday Spirit at the State Theater

Sat, 12/01/2007 - 10:26am by lola

Take a break from holiday shopping and take advantage of the Twisted Christmas series at the State Theater. Every Sunday in December at 3:30 PM, starting December 2, relax with popcorn while watching Christmas classics and not-so Christmas classics.
The twisted line-up includes:
December 2 How the Grinch Stole Christmas
December 9 Die Hard
December 16 Bad Santa
December 23 Scrooged

For more traditional Christmas cheer, visit the Michigan Theater on December 9 and take part in the Christmas Sing-Along and watch A Muppet Christmas Carol.

Stop by the library on your way downtown and pick up good reading material. We've got a great holiday collection in the Downtown Youth Department that will get you in the mood for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

Celebrate!

Thu, 11/29/2007 - 3:44pm by StoryLaura

Laith Alattar kicks off a delightful afternoon on Sunday, December 2nd at 2:00 pm at the Downtown Library with his fabulous instrument, the Oud, for our Arab Family Cultural Celebration. Music, treats donated from Masri Sweets, and a geometric paper rug craft will entertain the whole family.

Mitt and Minn series is geographical and fun

Thu, 11/29/2007 - 12:43am by annevm

Kathy-Jo Wargin has done it again, with the Mitt and Minn series about a pair of friendly traveling Midwestern mice. The series came out just as my husband begged for “no more talking mice books.” Ha. Not since Judy Blume’s Fudge books has a series been such a hit with our son. The first book is Mitt the Michigan Mouse followed by , and . The publisher is Mitten Press, an imprint of Ann Arbor Media Group. The series is represented in the Michigan Children's Book Authors, Illustrators & Publishers Exhibit presented by the UM Special Collections Library, on display in the lower level of the downtown AADL through Nov. 29.

Billy and Belle by Sarah Garland

Wed, 11/28/2007 - 9:41am by Tahira

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Billy and Belle are brother and sister. Their Mum is expecting a baby. When Belle goes to school with Billy while Mum is in the hospital, Belle causes a little mishap with the pets on Pet Day. This is a warm story of love and caring in an interracial family.

Kid Bits - Fantasy

Tue, 11/27/2007 - 11:56am by ryanikoglu

A Library Patron recommended this title for family fun, and I agree. Emmy And The Incredible Shrinking Rat. It reminds me a bit of Roald Dahl's Matilda because of the bad nanny and the smart kid; a bit of Indian In The Cupboard because of the shrinking characters; and a bit Charlotte's Web because of the wise animals. You might like it too.

The Midwife's Apprentice

Sat, 11/17/2007 - 12:13am by Cherie Lee

I read Catherine, Called Birdy when I was a freshman in high school and very much enjoyed it, so this was a natural choice to look at now. I found the story of The Midwife’s Apprentice to be more melancholy than that of Catherine but still good.

Brat’s journey and her many names of Brat, Beetle, and finally Alice show her development over time from homeless urchin to a girl who knows what she wants and will do anything to be the Midwife’s Apprentice.

Perhaps one small quibble I have is that this book does not seem to acknowledge the high infant mortality of the middle ages, but otherwise it seems an accurate enough representation. It also has a somewhat repetitive, lyrical style with description which would be good for younger children (perhaps slightly younger than the ones who read Catherine). This book also shows a very different (and more prevalent) side of Medieval society than the literate Catherine since it shows the peasants who can neither read nor write. No diary for Brat but rather a dream of wanting to read. This book won the Newbery Medal for 1996. Although I think I might have liked Catherine’s story better merely because it made me smile more, I can still see where this story with its gritty look at a difficult life in the middle-ages could be very meaningful to child and adult alike.

Outrageous Adventures on Ocracoke Island

Thu, 11/15/2007 - 4:43pm by StoryLaura

If you are intrigued by the history of the magnificent Ocracoke Island or just a fan of fast-paced pirate adventures, curl up with Mystery at Blackbeard’s Cove by Audrey Penn and meet four feisty kids who face dark hidden tunnels, rattling skeletons and Blackbeard’s ghost head-on!

Keep Climbing Girls by Beah E. Richards

Wed, 11/14/2007 - 4:54pm by Tahira

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This picture book is based on a poem written by actor and playwright Beulah E. Richards, has a positive message for girls who want to reach for the stars.