Ages 5-11
Blog Post
Is chess a game or a science?
by K.C.
That very question is posed in Searching for Bobby Fischer when a chess teacher talks with the father of a 7-year-old boy, Josh, who shows an amazing gift for playing chess. The teacher goes on to say that, "Bobby Fischer got underneath it like no one before and found at its center, art." And what's Josh's answer? When talking on the phone with a buddy, Josh explains, "Chess. It's a game, like Monopoly."
If you've never seen this flick, check it out. And, if you enjoy playing chess, come this Sunday, April 6 (1-4 p.m.), to Pittsfield Branch for Chesstastic. It's a chance to play a whole variety of opponents from the youngest age to senior citizens.
Blog Post
PreK Bits - Doggies
by ryanikoglu
We'll do "Doggies" in Preschool Storytime this week @ Malletts Creek and Pittsfield Branches. Doggies is one of my favorite Board Books by Sandra Boynton. The Cake That Mack Ate is out of print, and is still fun to tell. The Great Gracie Chase is Cynthia Rylant's story of the day the dog got out. If you have a dog, you know ALL about this story!
Blog Post
Lift Every Voice and Sing illustrated by Byan Collier written by James Weldon Johnson
by Tahira
The African American National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing is brought to life with illustrations of children drinking from water fountains and looking at a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The illustrator, Bryan Collier notes that he was inspired by the events that followed Hurricane Katrina to use water symbolically throughout the book.
Blog Post
The Tiffany Aching Series: Audiobooks
by Cherie Lee
In Terry Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, and Wintersmith we meet Tiffany Aching, a young girl learning to be a witch and helped along the way by the formidable Granny Weatherwax, the Discworld’s most renowned witch and an entire colony of tiny little blue men….
Stephen Briggs, does a hilarious rendition of the tiny Scots men known as the Wee Free men in the audio versions of the Tiffany Aching series, the story of a young girl learning to be a witch. Briggs also does an amazing Tiffany as well as all the other voices. Briggs has been in many Discworld plays and reads many of the other audiobooks in the Discworld series.
Blog Post
PreK Bits - Trolls and Wishes
by ryanikoglu
"Trolls and wishes" are in Storytime this week. You can find these tales again. "The Big White Cat" story, and the "Snow Child" can be found in The Fox And The Rooster collection of folk tales. You can find other versions of these two tales, both illustrated by Tomi DePaola in The Little Snowgirl: An Old Russian Tale and Cat On The Dovrefell.
Blog Post
Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman
by Tahira
Grace is back in a new adventure. This time she is going to be a princess. For as long as Grace can remember she dreamed of becoming a fairytale princess. Grace finds out that real princesses do more than wear frilly clothes and often lead adventurous lives. Mary Hoffman dispels the myth that princesses are just beautiful figureheads in this entertaining book starring one of my favorite characters Grace.
Blog Post
Family Time at the Film Festival
by iottJen
Looking for some family fun at the upcoming Ann Arbor Film Festival? The Ann Arbor District Library will co-present a program for all ages during the Film Festival on Saturday, March 29 at 3 pm at the Michigan Theater. Present your Ann Arbor District Library card at the box office prior to the screening and get $2 off the regular ticket price of $8. Or, order advance tickets on the Festival website by entering the discount code AADL2008. Click here to check out the films for Kids of All Ages.
Blog Post
Melting Away: Protecting the Poles
by lola
UM Exhibit Museum of Natural History presents the last Polar Science Adventures in the series! Explore the effects of the melting of land ice and sea ice. How will it affect polar animals or people? What can we do to help right now?
Join this workshop for children ages 6-11 and an adult to learn about the Artic and Antarctica. Activities are designed to be accomplished with collaboration between adults and kids. Register at any public services desk or call the library at 327-4200 and choose a session. Walk-ins are also welcome!
Pittsfield Wednesday, March 26th, 4:30-5:30 PM
Malletts Creek Saturday, March 29th, 10-11 AM
Northeast Saturday, March 29th, 2-3 PM
Blog Post
DIY kidBITS - Basics
by ryanikoglu
Basic skills for Kids (and life) can be found on the NEW BOOK shelves. See if these books inspire a weekend project or school break activity. See And Sew: A Sewing Book For Children provides information and projects for beginners. The Kids' Building Workshop does the same for woodworking projects. "Pass the hammer [and the scissors] to a new generation".
Blog Post
Cradling, Clamping and Scooping
by jimmyg
These words have their own meaning in the world of lacrosse and if you would like to learn more about a sport where players don helmets, pads, gloves, wield a stick and use a rubber ball that feels like a hockey puck, pick up a copy of Inside Lacrosse at the Downtown library.
If you're already a big fan, but unfamiliar with this title, it's oversize format is loaded with news about pro, college and high-school teams, player profiles, interviews, fitness instruction, strategy, technique instruction, "stringing and dyeing" your stick, and fantastic photos and illustrations.
Oh yeah, you can also check out their website.