Ages 5-11
Blog Post
"V" is for Varmints
by ryanikoglu
Varmints are animals that cause mischief or nuisance.
Ms. Rachel thinks varmints are cute and silly . So … varmints were in Storytime.
SO COZY used all varmints to create the drama and conclusion.
Ms. Betsy accompanied and Ms. Rachel led “Gray Squirrel” for action/music fun.
You can participate more with the song on the CD SING IT! SAY IT! STAMP IT! SWAY IT!
”Skunk’s Party” is an “oral tradition story”.
Skunk “only lifts her tail when she’s scared or mad.”
For more fun varmint stories, try these favorites:
POSSUM COME A-KNOCKIN’ AT The DOOR … with Appalachian rhythm and action.
THOSE DARN SQUIRRELS
OL’ MAMA SQUIRREL will protect her babies!
MUNCHA! MUNCHA! MUNCHA! is what the rabbits do.
The RABBIT PROBLEM
BRAVEST Of The BRAVE
WEASELS
Blog Post
"U" is for "Up" and "Under"
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel told stories for concepts of up and under.
Mr. Rabbit tricks Mr. Bear with choices of TOPS and BOTTOMS … "Which part of the vegetable would you choose … uppers or unders?"
Banjo Betsy accompanied Bell Horses” and "Grand Old Duke Of York" … with ups and downs ... for our action songs!
These songs (and more) can be heard on the CDs SONGS & GAMES For TODDLERS and WHERE IS THUMBKIN?.
Mr. OWL at HOME … has problems with “Strange Bumps” … under the covers!
For more stories that have something underneath try the following titles:
UP In The GARDEN And DOWN In The DIRT
GOOSE GOES TO SCHOOL … but stays under Sophie’s desk.
OVER And UNDER The SNOW
THERE’S An ALLIGATOR UNDER MY BED
ALPHABET UNDER CONSTRUCTION
UNDER A PIG TREE ... a confusion of words.
UNDER My HOOD I HAVE A HAT
Blog Post
PreK - "S" is for Shoes
by ryanikoglu
Storytime was all about shoes this week.
SHOE TOWN … begins with Ms. Mouse in her empty shoe ... now that the children have moved on.
Banjo Betsy played her banjo and Ms. Rachel led the action song “Walk Walk Walk" around the block … which can be found on the CD RISE And SHINE by Raffi.
We learned the shoe song from Pete The Cat who loves his new shoes ... I LOVE MY WHITE SHOES.
It’s all GOOD!
Here are more shoe stories you might like:
SHOE BABY… rhyme and fantasy for the youngest kids.
A BOY Had A MOTHER WHO BOUGHT HIM A HAT … and shoes, and boots, and skis … and he always had them with him.
TAKING A BATH WITH The DOG And OTHER THINGS
LOUISE The BIG CHEESE And The LA-DI-DA SHOES
SHOEBOX SAM … shoes and dignity.
SAM BENNETT’S NEW SHOES … a growing story …
Don't forget ... Music on CD leads SHOES to dance!
PUT ON YOUR DANCING SHOES with Joanie Bartels
I GOT SHOES with Sweet Honey In The Rock
RHYTHM IN MY SHOES with Jessica Harper
JIM GILL SINGS MOVING RHYMES FOR MODERN TIMES
TRAIN SONGS And Other TRACKS.
Now go ahead and … put on your choo-choo shoes!
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "R" is for Russian stories
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel brought Russian stories to Storytime this week.
“Naughty Rozalina” is an oral tradition story told with nesting matryoshka dolls.
Ms Sara played guitar and sang “May There Always Be Sunshine”. She even sang the first verse in Russian language!!
The song can be found on the CD GLOBALullabies and the CD SONGS Of Our WORLD.
The TURNIP: An Old Russian Folktale is a classic tale with Dedoushka, Babushka, Mashenka and the animals all pulling together.
Pierr Morgan's version is a favorite of mine for the illustrations and the simple telling.
Unfortunately it can no longer be replaced so we keep the last copy for story programs.
Fortunately there are more versions to borrow in this list.
For more favorite Russian folklore try the following titles:
BABUSHKA’S MOTHER GOOSE … nursery rhymes with Russian themes
AT The WISH Of The FISH … be careful what you wish for …
LUBA And The WREN … a version of the fisherman story illustrated and told by Patrica Polacco
GRANDMA CHICKENLEGS ... a traditonal Baba Yaga story.
The LITTLE SNOWGIRL … Pavel makes a snowgirl for his wife.
The LITTLEST MATRYOSHKA … teamwork saves the day.
MAY THERE ALWAYS SUNSHINE ... a poetically perfect song to grow with.
Blog Post
New Cuddly Picture Books
by krayla
No matter what the weather outside, it's always fun to get warm and cozy with our loved ones and a brand new picture book! Check out some of these new titles for cuddly evenings and naptime.
Sun and Moon by Lindsey Yankey treats readers to a dreamy story with soothing illustrations. Moon wants to trade places with the Sun, more than anything, for just one day. Moon imagines all the wonderful things that surely must happen during the day... but then begins to notice just how incredible nighttime is as well. This book will segue well into bedtime, especially for those who find the darkness frightening.
Sweet Dreams, Wild Animals! A Story of Sleep, by Eileen R. Meyer and Laurie Caple, features a rhyming lullaby that wishes each brightly-illustrated animal sweet dreams. Additionally, each page offers interesting facts about each animal for growing biologists. Glossy paintings are sure to bring a sense of calmness before sleep.
So Cozy, by Lerryn Korda manages to combine both humor and comfort. Just as Dog begins to fall asleep in his ample bed, well-intentioned animals arrive one by one to get cozy, much to Dog's increasing annoyance! The quiet illustrations in soft, muted colors convey tranquility with just a touch of silliness. This sweet story will likely become a well-loved bedtime routine.
If these titles interest you, check out AADL's other Good Night, Sleep Tight picture books!
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "P" is for Pie Please!
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel performed "pie" stories for Preschool Storytime this week at Malletts Creek Branch and Traverwood Branch.
Mr. Bingle makes an APPLE PIE every day when the apples are ripe. The book can be borrowed through MelCat with your AADL Library Card.
Ms. Rachel led the action rhythm “A Pumpkin Pie" to the beat of "A-Tooty-Ta" to keep the "p" sound going....
The BEST MUD PIE … is a story from the Easy Reader collection. Ms. Rachel demonstrated exactly how to make one. It is very important to remember HOW you serve it.
If you like pies, and you like stories, try these favorites:
PIE IN The SKY … waiting for cherry pie.
The BLUEBERRY PIE ELF … if no one can hear you and no one can see you … how do you let them know you like blueberry pie?
MORE PIES! … a pie story by a favorite author Robert Munsch.
THELONIUS MONSTER’S SKY-HIGH FLY PIE … fine enough for friends?
The GOOD PIE PARTY … especially for someone moving away.
ALL FOR PIE PIE FOR ALL ... where the pie is shared and enjoyed by many more than you think!
UGLY PIE includes a recipe for how to make it.
Blog Post
The Day the Crayons Came Home!
by evelyn
If your kid loved The Day the Crayons Quit, and it seems like almost every kid on the planet did, check out the new companion book, The Day the Crayons Came Home, by collaborators Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers!
Oliver Jeffers’ amazing illustrations drew me to The Day the Crayons Quit, but the text in this new book really shines. The illustrations are still wonderful, and Drew Daywalts’ story is sharper and funnier than the first book. In The Day the Crayons Came Home, each crayon has written their owner Duncan a postcard telling the sad story of where they have been and what they are doing. I won't ruin any surprises, but each crayon's story is sillier than the last. Particularly funny is Neon Red Crayon’s journey through the world. He’s a little confused on geography (he reports riding a camel through the deserts of New Jersey), but he has a great trip. And of course, all of the crayons get their happy ending.
Blog Post
Summer Game 2015 GAME OVER Gala!
by erin
Monday August 31, 2015: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm -- Downtown Library Lobby
Let's take the Summer Game out with a bang with a building-wide scavenger hunt, badge coloring, a free photo-booth and light refreshments to commemorate the 2015 summer game! Check out the new digs at the Downtown library and get a chance to meet other summer game players!
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "N" is for Noisy
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel did noisy stories in storytime.
There are so many ways to make noise!
The NOISY COUNTING BOOK … has lots of pond noises. Let's count with them.
WHOSE NOSE? is a guessing game book.
We played “Whoops! I dropped my nose!” to get some body action going.
We heard the noisy story “The Princess, The Frog, and the Little Bird”. This story has been passed from storyteller to storyteller, and uses sound effects to tell the story. Did you see the princess?
If you like to make noises and you want more noisy tales, try these favorites:
WHERE The WILD THINGS ARE … the night Max wears his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another…
TICK-TOCK DRIP DROP: a bedtime story
HAROLD FINDS A VOICE.
NOISES ... the STORIES To GO set of books and activities for fun with preschool concepts.
The LOUD BOOK ... poetic descriptions of "what is loud?"
TIPTOE JOE … shhhh …. On tippytoes ….
For older preschool kids who enjoy a bigger story, try The CABOOSE WHO GOT LOOSE a Bill Peet classic. My boys loved poring over the book and talking about it when they were in preschool. We couldn’t have grown up without Bill Peet in our bedtime stories.
Blog Post
Congratulations to all of the WINNERS at the 10th Annual LEGO Contest! 2015 is the summer of LEGO Awesome!
by erin
Summer 2015 has been the summer of LEGO in all of its interlocking awesomeness and the highlight of EVERY summer, the annual LEGO contest, has come and gone and now it’s time to celebrate! This year we had 200 entries in 6 age categories:
Preschool, Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12 and Adults!
We gave out 24 LEGO trophies, 72 medals and over $500 in gift cards to the winners! As always the house was packed and about 600 people attended to vote of their favorites, see all the projects and experience the Award Ceremony!
Congratulations to the winners in our 10th Annual LEGO Contest!
Preschool Category:
1st Place = Hotel by Emmet Forbes
Runner-Up = Outer Space by Nate Kubiak
Honorable Mention = Tootie Ta Train Tower by Clara Balazer
PEOPLE’S CHOICE (voted on by attendees of the contest) = Hotel by Emmet Forbes
Best Motorized = Its’s a Camp by Eleanor Coffman
Best Architectural/Engineering = Rainbow Pyramid by Sam Mickey
Coolest Robot = Rock Mech Robot by Gabriel Nazario
Best Vehicle = Drone Galaxy Cruiser by Jackson Erickson
Most Creative = Indian Street Food by Amit V.
Most Sophisticated = Knights of Fires all Fighting All Day by Liam Anderson
AADL LEGO Master Builder = Lava, Frank the Dog, Alligator, Ninjago Volcano by Isaac Semrau
Best Use of the #10/Visual/Conceptual = Waterfall by Theo Tsai
Grades K - 2:
1st Place = Edmund Fitzgerald & Andersen by Alexander Burrow
Runner-Up = SS Collage by Dominic Nazario
Honorable Mention = M City by Emma Khan
PEOPLE’S CHOICE (voted on by attendees of the contest) = Farmer’s Market by Ivy & Ethan Miller
Best Motorized = Top in 10 Years by Mave Coffman
Best Architectural/Engineering = Gems & Marble Run by Desmond Beckerleg
Coolest Robot = The Best Workers by Lincoln Bolazer
Best Vehicle = Spy Tracker by Connor Geoghegan
Most Creative = Banana Boat by Sorin Bleed
Most Sophisticated = Spy Central by Evan Lowrie-Miuccio
AADL LEGO Master Builder = Pacmania by Ruby Brabbs
Best Use of the #10/Visual/Conceptual = I Spy 10 by Will and Sean Beaupre
Best RV = Every kind of person animal Tubobus by Micah Jule Rijke-Epstein
Best Planes, Trains and Tower Cranes = Busy Day at the Harbor by Jacob Rice
Grades 3-5 Category:
1st Place = iPhone Characters Come to Life by Ennis Poskovic
Runner-Up = Castle Under Attack by Nathan Gillick
Honorable Mention = Under the Water by Avalon McNew
PEOPLE’S CHOICE (voted on by attendees of the contest) = Brenda Khuu
Best Motorized = Baja by Jeffrey Wang
Best Architectural/Engineering = Top Notch Security Robot Lab by Joe Bonenberger
Coolest Robot = B-29 Robot Dog by Beck Nordstrom
Best Vehicle = Ann Arbor Airport 2110 by Kevin Hudson
Most Creative = Dog Walker by Noah Forbes
Most Sophisticated = LEGO Jewelry Part 2 by Hiba Khan
AADL LEGO Master Builder = Frank the Pub by Gabriel Senrau
Best Use of the #10/Visual/Conceptual = Tenth Anniversary of Ten by Caitlin Trievel
Wettest Infrastructure Fail = Ann Arbor After it Rains by Brendan Khuu
Best Municipal Amenity = Skate Park by Levi Berg
Fastest Spaceship = New Horizons by Alexa Daniels
Toxoplasmosis Award = 3 Kittens by Daniel Lee
Grades 6-8:
1st Place = LEGO Bridge by Deniz Kirza
Runner-Up = 21 Balloons by Ethan Mascato
Honorable Mention = PLAY by Elliot and Milo Varnum
PEOPLE’S CHOICE (voted on by attendees of the contest) = LEGO Bridge by Deniz Kirza
Best Motorized = LEGO Car Wash by Brian Khuu
Best Architectural/Engineering = City of the Future by Bach Nguyen
Coolest Robot = The Robot that Shoots Bot by Aakarsh Verma
Best Vehicle = Main St. USA
Most Creative = Pizza Horse’s Food Temple by Connor & Charlie Wilcox
Most Sophisticated = Good vs Evil by Katrina Walbridge
AADL LEGO Master Builder = Snoopy & Woodstock by Nishant Domala
Best Use of the #10/Visual/Conceptual = LEGO Chopped by Conor Pyle
Most Relaxing = Bernice’s 24 Hour Spa by Jennifer Shim
Bits to Bricks by Sam Fleming
Grades 9-12 Category:
1st Place = My Ride, Our Ride, The Ride by Casimir Mankowski
Runner-Up = A Day On Set by Hamza Khan
Honorable Mention = Winter Treehouse by Saskia & Tara Van Nieuwstadt
PEOPLE’S CHOICE (voted on by attendees of the contest) = My Ride, Our Ride, The Ride by Casimir Mankowski
Most Sophisticated = Desolation by Isaac Ferguson
AADL LEGO Master Builder = Art in the Park by Ethan Jansen
Adult Category:
1st Place = Spinning the Cube by David Lorch
Runner-Up = Elves vs. Orcs by Gabriele, Matter and Valentina Carcassi
Honorable Mention = Save the Monarchs by Nieka Appell
PEOPLE’S CHOICE (voted on by attendees of the contest) = Elves vs. Orcs by Gabriele, Matter and Valentina Carcassi
Best Architectural/Engineering = I’m not saying it was aliens, but… by Denise Kratz
Best Vehicle = 201 Fiat Aburt by John Huber
Most Creative = LEGO Foosball by Michael Bleed
Most Sophisticated =
AADL LEGO Master Builder = Viking Ship by Paul Bierdz
Best Use of the #10/Visual/Conceptual = Port-a-John by John Bayles
Master Minecrafter = Skeleton From Minecraft by Milo Hofer