Blog Post
Fifth Avenue Fun!
by StoryLaura
If ladybug had her way, she would never raise a wing to fly, she is just that lazy! One sneeze from enormous elephant changes all that. Everything is upside down and topsy turvy at next week’s storytimes on Tuesday 10 am and Wednesday 11 am at the Downtown Library.
Blog Post
Fifth Avenue Fun!
by StoryLaura
A sweet, patient doggie and a tough, enormous Vingananee are the furry figures that star at the Tuesday 10 am and Wednesday 11 am storytimes at the Downtown Library next week.
Blog Post
Favorite children’s author to visit Ann Arbor
by manz
Michigan native Jon Scieszka will be reading and signing copies of his brand new book Robot Zot, on Tuesday, September 22 at 6pm, at the Borders located at 3140 Lohr Road in Ann Arbor. See here for Borders’ event description.
Robot Zot, illustrated by David Shannon, is in short, “a tale of a quixotic robot determined to conquer the earth.” Tiny Robot Zot battles kitchen appliances galore as he and his sidekick adventure off. Their course takes a shift when they spot the princess (a cell phone) and Robot Zot must prove himself a hero to win her love. Sounds zany!
Blog Post
Fifth Avenue Fun!
by StoryLaura
Ready to get silly at the Tuesday 10 am and Wednesday 11 am storytimes at the Downtown Library next week? Get into goofiness galore with Sandra Boynton and farm animals with wacky ideas.
Blog Post
Take a Fall Hike @Bird Hills Nature Area
by K.C.
If you’ve never trekked through the Bird Hills Nature Area, you are in for a treat. Located on a moraine, this land of steep slopes was logged in the 1800s and then grazed by cattle. In the 1920s under new owners reforestation began. With its varied topography and soils Bird Hills is one the most floristically diverse areas in Ann Arbor.
City of Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation staff will lead the hike. View a wide variety of trees, discover the ways to identify them, and learn about ecological restoration and responsible use of public lands. Come join us!
Saturday, October 3 | 2:00-3:30 PM | Bird Hills parking lot off Newport Road, just north of M-14
Blog Post
Fifth Avenue Fun!
by StoryLaura
Shouldn’t bear be home by now? Could he be out in the storm? We are bearly hanging in there at the Tuesday 10 am and Wednesday 11 am storytimes at the Downtown Library next week as big bumbling bears get into all kinds of trouble.
Blog Post
Fifth Avenue Fun!
by StoryLaura
We are going bananas next week at the Tuesday 10 am and Wednesday 11 am storytimes at the Downtown Library. A journey to Grandpa’s with a single banana turns into quite an adventure. So does the fall down the hole into mouse country in the Roly Poly Rice Ball!
Blog Post
In Their Own Voices: Youth Titles
by DavidQ
I have been listening to more audiobooks lately, and I came up on the audiobook of A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle at the Michigan Digital Library. I was intrigued that L'Engle did the recording for the book herself. I downloaded it, and it was a pleasure to listen to this iconic children's book read by the woman who wrote it... to hear her own inflections and interpretations of the characters. Earlier in the summer, I also downloaded Coraline by the popular science fiction writer Neil Gaiman which lead me to also download his collection of short stories Fragile Things . Again, I was pleased to listen to these stories read by Gaiman himself, particularly since he has a lovely English accent.
All of this made me curious. I've been reading all my life, but most of us don't know how our favorite authors sound when they read their own stories. With audiobooks, we have that opportunity. So I did some investigating, and here are some of the other youth titles available read in the authors own voices:
-L'Engle reads the entire Time Quartet. These are also all available online,
-many of Judy Blume's books, particularly the Fudge series ( some online versions),
-Mary Pope Osborne reads The Magic Tree House series ( online copies),
-Phillip Pullman narrates a cast recording of the great His Dark Materials series and by himself reads Lyra's Oxford and Once Upon a Time in the North (all available online),
-Lynne Reid Banks reads the Indian in the Cupboard series ( online)
-and again, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, scary and wonderful ( downloadable version),
-and finally, a rare gem for teen listeners: Lord of the Flies read by Nobel laureate William Golding ( online version)
That's enough for now. Next time, I'll list some adult titles, and I'd love to hear your suggestions in the meantime. Happy listening!
Blog Post
AAPS English Language Learners!
by Beth Manuel
If you are planning to enroll in Ann Arbor Public Schools and use English as a Second Language, you may want to head over to the ESL Fair at Skyline High School this afternoon, August 20, from 1-4. There will be interpreters & many resources for families to learn about. English language proficiency tests will take place, no registration required.
Blog Post
Take a hike@ Furstenberg Nature Area
by K.C.
Join us for a nature walk with the City of Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation staff. View native plants and trees, and learn about the ecological restoration going on at this site. Meet in the parking lot off Fuller Road, across from Huron High School.
Thursday, August 13 | 7:00-8:30 PM | All Ages