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Henry Aaron’s Dream by Matt Tavares

by Tahira

Henry Aaron wanted nothing more than to be a major league baseball player. He was told not to get his hopes up since there were no negro ball players at that time. Not having a bat, a ball or racism were going to stop him from achieving his dream. When Jackie Robinson became the first ball player in the big leagues, Henry Aaron knew he would one day play for them too. Matt Tavares tells the story of Henry “Hank” Aaron in clear concise language. Tavares's illustrations capture the triumph of Henry Aaran’s achievements.

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George Washington Carver by Tonya Bolden

by Tahira

Gerorge Wasington Carver is known for his versatile use of peanuts. Few people know that he was an agricultural genius and a conservationist whose motto was “waste not, want not.” He was hired by Booker T. Washington to run the agricultural department at Tuskegee Institute teaching courses and doing research. Tonya Bolden tells the story of George Washington Carver from his humble beginnings as a slave to fame and prosperity as an adult. Photographs of Carver and key events in his life add intimacy to the book.

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Make it and Shake It!

by StoryLaura

We will be dancing in the aisles this Sunday at 2 pm at the Downtown Library with Betsy Beckerman, Sara Melton Keller and David Stearns. First we will make musical shakers out of cardboard tubes, baby jars, beads, beans, streamers and more! Then the whole family can form a percussion parade and dance to wonderful music!

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Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Movie @ The Michigan Theater

by manz

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Movie will be showing at the Michigan Theater on Sunday, April 25 at 1:30. Part of the Benard L. Maas Family Friendly Film Series, and sponsored by The Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, this event is FREE for kids 12 and under! See it on the big screen with a bucket of popcorn for a Sunday out on the town.

In this Depression-era drama based on the beloved American Girls book series, Kitt tries to solve a home robbery. The all-star cast also includes Abigail Breslin as Kitt, as well as Chris O'Donnell, Joan Cusack, Stanley Tucci, and Jane Krakowski.

If you choose to instead stay home in your PJs on Sunday, it's also available at AADL on DVD and Blu-ray.

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The Hallelujah Flight by Phil Bildner

by Tahira

James Banning is a little know figure in history. He was the first African American to complete a transcontinental flight and the first black aviator to obtain a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Read about his amazing adventure in The Hallelujah Flight.

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Stories Unfolding with the Origami Swami

by StoryLaura

I’m delighted that my friend, Megan Hicks, is coming through town and will be folding stories on Tuesday, April 27th at 7 pm at the Downtown Library. Megan is an award-winning storyteller and an awesome Origami Swami. Stick around and she will have you folding too!

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Carlo and the Really Nice Librarian

by darla

I MUST share this fabulous picture book find with you! Carlo, a young giraffe, visits the new library with his father. The crocodile librarian, Mrs. Chinca, seems a little scary. Carlo soon realizes, however, that Mrs. Chinca is not only very friendly but also extremely knowledgeable about books. Carlo and the Really Nice Librarian is illustrated with cheerful watercolor, ink and collage. With sweet little details like a card catalog, a library card application, and the circulation desk, this would be a perfect story to share with a child who is about to visit a library for the first time.

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A Negro League Scrapbook by Carole Boston Weatherford

by Tahira

From the inception of the Negro Leagues there were outstanding players that wowed their fans with fast balls that soared through the air at 90mph and batters that hit record breaking home runs. Carole Boston Weatherford chronicles the achievements of those talented ball players in A Negro League Scrapbook.

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1st Annual PEEPS® Photo Contest Winners!

by erin

It was a dirty, marshmallowy job but someone had to do it! We took over where the Ann Arbor News left off and debuted the 1st Annual PEEPS® photo contest. Participants from preschool age to adults of all ages created dioramas using PEEPS®, took photos and submitted them. Judging was conducted by myself, Lara Zielin, author of Donut Days and editor of the Literature, Science & Arts magazine at the University of Michigan, and Amy Sumerton, Program Director for 826Michigan. We laughed, we cried and we came up with the winners! Sometime soon the winners' photos and ALL of the entries will be linked here and permanently stored in our gallery, but in the meantime check them out at annarbor.com. Read more and take off your hats for our winners in six age categories:

Preschool winners
* 1st Place: Rosie Flynn
* 2nd Place: Serafina Sabatini
* 3rd Place: Nicholas Wade

Grades K-2 winners
* 1st Place: Elliot Varnum
* 2nd Place: Gram Brownlee
* 3rd Place: Erin Hill

Grades 3-5 winners
* 1st Place: Loey & Walden Jones-Perpich
* 2nd Place: Joseph Weber
* 3rd Place: Elise Brod

Grades 6-8 winners
* 1st Place: Sofi St. John
* 2nd Place: Micayla Roe
* 3rd Place: Cecilia Roe

Grades 9-12 winners
* 1st Place: Kathrin Larson
* 2nd Place: Julia Markey
* 3rd Place: Annabel Weiner

Adult winners
* 1st Place: Henry James
* 2nd Place: Ben Dzialo, Robin Zdrodowski, Tim Zdrodowski
* 3rd Place: Christine Tupper

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Get out your hammocks

by SarahRose

It may be a bit rainy this week, but last week's weather reminded me that summer is near at hand, and accordingly I started thinking about what books I want to read out in the backyard under the warm sunshine. As a kid, I loved to read books about magic during summer vacation. One of my favorite authors was Edward Eager, whose Magic series can still make me feel like magic may just be waiting for me around the next corner I turn. I was also a fan of Susan Cooper, whose book, The Dark is Rising, inspired the movie The Seeker. Cooper's books are full of British folklore as well as magic of her own imagining. I read Joan Aiken's The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase over and over in elementary school and I just recently discovered that it is the first in a wonderful series of books set in alternative history, in which wolves rule England's wilderness and the King of England is constantly threatened by revolutionary plots.