Blog Post
Rolling Sculptures
by StoryLaura
Stop by the Ann Arbor District Library’s tent from 2-8 pm on Friday, July 10th on Liberty St. between Fourth and Fifth Ave. to make a Rolling Sculpture out of goodies from the Scrap Box and meet Hillary Will, the fastest woman top fuel dragster driver in the world, who will also be speaking at the Downtown Library earlier in the week. The library is joining Main Street Area's Rolling Sculpture Car Show for the first time this year just for the pure fun of it! Use all your creativity to design a wild vehicle and you just might win a prize!
Blog Post
Take a hike @ Lakewood Nature Area
by K.C.
Join us for a botanical walk at this lovely 7-acre park on the west side of town. Your guide will be one of Ann Arbor’s Natural Area Preservation staff members. Hike up and down the hills blanketed by oak-hickory woodlands; enjoy views of streams and ravines cutting through the park. Bring your camera and take a photo to submit in the Natural Area Preservation’s 4th Annual Photo Contest.
Meet in the parking lot of Lakewood School, 344 Gralake, rain or shine.
Thursday, June 18 | 7:00-8:30 PM | Lakewood Nature Area | All Ages
Blog Post
Glue & Go Costumes for Kids: Super-Duper Designs with Everyday Materials
by kidlit
Summer is a good time to get creative. How about getting a head start on your Halloween costume? Especially if that means you'll have the best costume ever!
Join us at the Library on June 24th when Holly Cleeland, author of Glue & Go Costumes for Kids, comes to Ann Arbor to show us how to make fantastic costumes from things you already have around the house. Do you want to be a black widow spider? How would you make a costume that transforms you into a plate of spaghetti? Maybe you'd like to be a cell phone? These are just three of the 28 costumes described in the book. The author will demonstrate how to make three different costumes.
Ms. Cleeland will be at the Downtown Library from 2:00 p.m to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24th. She'll repeat the program at 7:00 p.m that day at the Pittsfield Branch.
Blog Post
Summer Reading Kick-Off!
by StoryLaura
What a treat to celebrate summer reading with two of the most talented and well-read performers that A2 is proud to call our own! When San and Laz, the Gemini Brothers, are not browsing our library shelves, they are treating audiences all over the country to their delicious blend of traditional and original songs. Imagine a free Gemini concert at the awesome Ark on Tuesday, June 16 at 7:00 pm and you can sign up for the Summer Reading Program to boot!
Blog Post
Jumping Beans Wanted!
by StoryLaura
My friend Kris Groh, who has inspired little ones with her interactive movement classes at the Y, says that the Jumping Beans program Downtown on June 25 at 10:00 am will be a chance for parents to have fun moving with their kids. She will be joined by Noah Haiduc-Dale, who plays the banjo and says that his three kids have become discerning music critics. Their latest favorites? Jim Gill, Elizabeth Mitchell, Phil Rosenthal and, of course, their Dad, who leads a casual weekly music time at a neighborhood park. This program, for ages two through five, should be a boppin' blast!
Blog Post
Move Your Body Because.....
by StoryLaura
Move along with Wasentha Young, Health Educator for UMHS Multicultural Health Program, as she reads from the colorfully illustrated Move Your Body at the Pittsfield Branch on June 23 at 1:00 pm. Children will have a blast learning about their muscles and exercise while teachers and parents can scope how these books can be used.
Blog Post
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: Audiobook
by Cherie Lee
Want to brush up on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince before the long awaited movie comes out in July? Why not try the audiobook? Jim Dale gives his usual stellar performance of the Harry Potter cast. I will admit I feel the music at the beginning did not feel dark enough for the story. They used the same music up to the Deathly Hallows audiobook where they finally changed it to something darker. And I've never liked Dale's voices for Narcissa and Bellatrix. He makes them both sound vaguely French, and both of them are just supposed to be British. Otherwise, though, this audiobook is just as excellent as the rest of the series.
Blog Post
"Wimpy Kid" - the books, the BOCDs, the movie
by annevm
Recently a teacher asked about Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Well, these books are hugely popular, and clever, and seem to appeal to "reluctant readers." Millions have been sold, and for particularly reluctant readers, they're on BOCD. If you know someone who's into this series, maybe someone slight but brave on stage, The Washington Post reports there's an audition for kids age 10-13 to play main character Greg Heffley. Learn more here.
Blog Post
Ballet Shoes: Audiobook
by Cherie Lee
Adopted from birth, the Fossil sisters are determined to put their own name in the history books. Join Pauline as she strives to be an actress, Petrova as she learns her love of engines, and Polly as she discovers her potential to be a dazzling ballet dancer.
Listening to this story is a pleasure with the soothing but engaging voice of Elizabeth Sastre, who also reads the other books in this famous series: Dancing Shoes and Theater Shoes. Or you could watch this story in the latest BBC adaption starring Harry Potter star, Emma Watson, as Pauline Fossil.
Blog Post
Kids in Motion with Classical Music
by iralax
Once again, you and some very lucky young children have two chances this Friday morning, April 24, (9:30 & 10:30) to listen and step to wonderful classical music. Kathryn Goodson and Eric Amidon will play piano and cello as Gari Stein leads you in listening, dancing and swaying to the beautiful music and a story. The program is a partnership with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and is always a great way to have fun learning at the Library!