Take a Winter Hike this Saturday

Tue, 02/16/2010 - 8:14am by K.C.

Grab your boots along with warm clothing and join Natural Area Preservation (City of Ann Arbor) staff outside the entrance of the Traverwood Branch for a winter walk through Stapp Nature Area. A staff naturalist will discuss native plants and trees, ecological restoration, and responsible use of public lands. After the hike, we'll warm up with hot drinks inside Traverwood's program room.

Take a Hike @ Stapp Nature Area | Saturday, February 20 | 2-3:30 PM | Traverwood Branch | All Ages

Fifth Avenue Fun!

Fri, 02/12/2010 - 8:28am by StoryLaura

The cool cats, and those who love them, will be gathering at the Tuesday 10 am and Wednesday 11 am storytimes at the Downtown Library next week. These fun-loving kitties just have to experience life at it’s fullest!

Celebrate the Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief Movie Party!

Mon, 02/08/2010 - 12:08pm by erin

Hopefully you have read the books by Rick Riordan and are ready to see the movie based on the first book in the series, The lightning thief, that hits theaters on Friday, February 12. Come dressed as your favorite Olympian, and be ready to play some games, test your knowledge of Greek Mythology and the books. We'll have prizes and CUPCAKES from the Cupcake Station for snacks! If you haven't already be sure to read the rest of the books in the series The sea of monsters, The titan's curse, The battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian.

Kids and Teens in GRADES 4-8 are invited on Thursday, February 11, 7:00-8:30 PM at the Traverwood Branch. This event is FREE, and does not require registration.

Oscar-worthy Movies for Kids (or Kids at Heart)

Tue, 02/02/2010 - 4:39pm by SarahRose

The Animated Film category is always filled with children's movie nominations, but the really special kids' movies can hold their own against adult movies in the other categories. This year Up has been nominated for five Oscars, including best picture. It's a computer animation about an old man who rigs thousands of helium balloons to his house and floats away on an adventure.

If you like clay-mation you might be interested to know that the newest Wallace & Gromit film, the mysterious A Matter of Loaf and Death is nominated for best Animated Short Film. The Wallace and Gromit films are always big hits at the Academy Awards. The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, and the feature-length Curse of the Were-Rabbit (featuring the voices of Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter) all received Academy Awards in previous years, and A Grand Day Out was nominated in 1990, but it lost to Creature Comforts, which is another clay-mation movie by the same filmmaker, Nick Park.

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince is nominated for best cinematography. The Harry Potter films have not yet won any Oscars despite their wild popularity and six past nominations. Neil Gaiman's Coraline, featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher is nominated for best animated feature film. Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Princess and the Frog both earned Oscar nominations too, but they won't hit library shelves until March, so don't forget to place your holds on them after they're ordered because they are sure to be popular.

Fifth Avenue Fun!

Thu, 01/28/2010 - 3:26pm by StoryLaura

We’ll be honkin’ and hootin’ at the Tuesday 10 am and Wednesday 11 am storytimes at the Downtown Library next week, with funny feathered friends like Owl and Suzy Goose, who sets off to find peace and quiet but is totally unaware of the trouble that lurks behind.

Wild Swan Theater Presents - Drum Me a Story

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 4:17pm by Tahira

Celebrate Black History Month with the Wild Swan Theater’s performance of Drum Me a Story. A delightful, humorous collection of well-known African tales including, Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock and How the Turtle Got Its Shell. The stories are performed through storytelling, acting, and drumming on Saturday, February 6 at 2:00 in the Downtown Multi-Purpose Room. The performance will be simulcast in the fourth floor meeting room.

Learn to Speak Arabic

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 1:16pm by Beth Manuel

Interested in learning Arabic ? The Arab American Cultural Center in Ypsilanti will be holding beginner level classes in Arabic on Thursdays from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM beginning January 21st. Classes are for ages 6 and up. Call 734-434-8114 to register! AADL also has an extensive array of Arabic learning materials and books in Arabic for teens and children too!

KinderConcert : Music and Motion

Thu, 01/21/2010 - 5:18pm by StoryLaura

We always have happy crowds of tots for our KinderConcert events, when we partner with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra to teach the very young about classical music. We’ll sway to the piano music of Kathryn Goodson, we’ll dance with Gari Stein and we’ll learn about the trumpet with Jason Bergman on February 5th at 9:30 and 10:30 am at the Downtown Library.

The AADL Kid-i-cotts

Wed, 01/20/2010 - 1:27pm by MariaK

Join us this Friday in the Downtown Multipurpose Room from 6-8:30 pm to celebrate the Caldecott medal winner. The Caldecott Medal has been awarded since 1938 to recognize excellence in illustration. This year the award has gone to Jerry Pinkney's excellent rendition of The Lion and the Mouse, which tells Aesop's classic fable entirely in pictures.

This Friday, after a brief presentation of the Caldecott winner and other historical Caldecotts, you will have the chance to tell stories in pictures yourself. Your imagination is the only limit, so bring all your creativity, enthusiasm and love of art!

Madcat Mania!

Tue, 01/19/2010 - 1:38pm by StoryLaura

What a fun-filled, Madcat fiesta we have planned for you at the Downtown Library on Saturday, January 30th! Ann Arbor's own Peter Madcat Ruth, the well-loved and award-winning harmonica player will perform American folk music on many instruments for kids ages five and up. Of course all Madcat maniacs and kids at heart are invited too!

Saturday, January 30 - 10:00 - 10:45 am - Downtown Multi-Purpose Room