Thursday, June 13 | 7:00-8:30 PM | Mary Beth Doyle Park | All Ages

Join us on a walk on the unpaved trail that meanders along Malletts Creek and through woods and wetlands of this 81.4-acre park. A staff naturalist from Natural Area Preservation (City of Ann Arbor) will discuss native plants and trees, invasive plants, ecological restoration, volunteer activities in Ann Arbor Parks, and much more.

The walk will start at the park entrance off Packard Rd., just east of Cobblestone Farm (south side of the road). Parking at the entrance is limited; additional parking is available at the Malletts Creek Branch (3090 E. Eisenhower) with a half-mile walk east along Eisenhower and Packard to the park entrance.

Saturday, June 8 | 11am-1pm | Pittsfield Branch | Grade 6th- Adult

June 8 is International Yarn Bomb Day! We have two yarn bomb programs at Pittsfield to celebrate. First up:

Help us yarn bomb the exterior of the Pittsfield Branch Library! What is yarn bombing? It’s a form of knit graffiti and public art. We will be adding a coat of knitted color to the trees outside Pittsfield.

At the program you’ll learn how to knit simple pieces with our knit-cam and an instructor (the multi-talented Karen LePage of One Girl Circus) to help guide you. At the end of the program we'll use the pieces we created to yarn bomb the front of Pittsfield. We'd love your help with this art collaboration! The knitting instruction starts at 11am, and it’s not an easy program to arrive late to if you plan to knit for the first time.

We highly encourage experienced knitters and crocheters to also join us. Or if you have a piece already made, bring it to the program and we’ll direct you to the yarn bomb zone!

We have a ton of yarn on hand, but ask that you bring needles size 8 or 9 if you have them. For the younger patrons we have a yarn bomb program for grade K- Adult at Pittsfield from 3-5pm!

For more info on yarn bombing see this great website, and check out the book Yarn bombing: The art of crochet and knit graffiti. For better visuals, visit the Downtown library garden, which was yarn bombed in May!

Saturday, June 8 | 3pm-5pm | Pittsfield Branch | Grades K-Adult

June 8 is International Yarn Bomb Day! We have two yarn bomb programs at Pittsfield to celebrate.

Grades kindergarten through adult are invited to create fiber arts pieces to help complete the yarn bomb exhibit at Pittsfield. What is yarn bombing? It’s a form of knit graffiti and public art.

We’ll have a variety of yarn and supplies on hand for you to make unique fiber pieces, including pom poms! No experience required. After we make our pieces we’ll head outside and hang up our creation.

There will be NO knitting instruction at this event, but if you do knit or crochet, you’re welcome to bring needles and come stitch with us! Or if you have a piece already made, bring it to the program and we’ll direct you our yarn bomb zones!

For more info on yarn bombing see this great website, and check out the book Yarn bombing: The art of crochet and knit graffiti. For better visuals, visit the Downtown library garden, which was yarn bombed in May!

Circle K Logo

Circle K Tutoring will be available on Wednesday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 pm only. Due to a last minute conflict, no tutors will be available from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Regular weekday tutoring sessions from 4:00 to 8:00 pm will resume on Monday, June 3rd. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Iron Man 3 (PG-13) is a Walt Disney Studio adaptation of Marvel's Iron Man: Extremis by Warren Ellis and Adi Granov. It pits brash but brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

For limited release is What Maisie Knew (R). With newcomer Onata Aprile in the title role, Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård star this family drama, a contemporary re-imagining of the novel by Henry James. It's the story of a captivating little girl's struggle for grace in the midst of her parents' bitter custody battle, navigating the turmoil with a six-year-old's innocence, charm and generosity of spirit.

Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby (PG-13), would-be writer Nick Carraway leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922. In this era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby; across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan; and is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich.

Released just in time for summer vacation is the animated Epic (PG), based on The Leaf Man by William Joyce. It tells the story of an ongoing battle between the forces of good, who keep the natural world alive, and the forces of evil, who wish to destroy it. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she teams up with an elite band of warriors and a crew of comical, larger-than-life figures, to save their world…and ours.

If you like assisting library staff with fun programs, OR if you like working behind the scenes packaging Summer Game orders, then AADL has some work for you between June 17 and August 31.

How do you sign up? Starting Monday May 13 complete your application online. Fill in the information and submit. If you don’t have computer access, just stop by any branch, get on a computer, go to aadl.org/teenvolunteer, and submit the form. NOTE: you MUST be age 14-18 AND be able to attend an orientation at the Downtown Library 10:00-11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 17.

Applications for volunteering will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, June 7. Library staff will contact the adult references you list to be sure you are qualified to volunteer and let you know if you are part of the summer AADL volunteer crew.

Near the top of the online application click teen volunteer permission. This will give you the information AND permission that you must have your parents sign and bring to the Monday June 17th orientation.

The Summer Game is for all ages but only you, our teens, will get to help on the inside. The numbers of volunteer slots are limited so stop by today to get your information sheet!

learningexpress

Did you know that you can access dozens of practice tests and 150 e-books by going to the LearningExpress Library from our Research Pages? Just click on the Research Tab and then the click on the link that says "Test Prep". LearningExpress Library is the sole item with that heading. You will need an additional log in to access this database to take practice tests. Once you get there, you'll see all sorts of test preparation resources from the GMAT, the LSAT, the PCAT and the GRE. There's even some basic math skill building, which can be useful for everyone, every day!

Get ready for some rootin’ tootin’ fun with Reed Gunther: The Bear Riding Cowboy, a “wild” west tale about a goofy bear-riding cowboy Reed Gunther who usually means well but manages to make things worse. Lucky for him he is helped by his stalwart bear companion, Sterling, and by Starla, a no-nonsense fearless rancher. In this first installment Reed, Sterling, and Starla must prevent the onslaught of a whistle-stop tour of monsters from California all the way to New York City. To compound their trouble, a malicious circus owner tries to stop Reed so he can collect the monsters for his freak show.

The story is fun and energetic, propelling readers from one thrilling episode to the next. The art is expressive, giving everyone personality and sparkle. Though in some ways this is like watching old 50’s cowboy shows, you’ll not get bored. If this first volume appeals, don’t miss lassoing Reed Gunther: Monsters and Mustaches: Vol. 2.

From the gregarious Glee kids to the harmonious horde of High School Musical, kids these days love their theater! And it’s not just on TV or in music. Check out one of these great books and read about awful auditions, big solos that bring the house down, backstage drama and pursuing your dreams! There’s no business like show business!

Better Nate Than Ever – Unbeknownst to his parents, Nate skips school and runs off to the Big Apple to audition for a fabulous role in E.T. The Musical. Will Nate be the next big Broadway star, or will his parents catch him and drag him back to his mundane small town life?

Starring Jules (as herself) – Jules can’t wait to be on TV! She has an audition for a mouthwash commercial, but everything keeps going wrong! Can Jules land the part, and also befriend the new girl?

Drama – Callie is the stage manager for this year’s big musical, and she is committed to making it the best one the school has ever produced. Enter, the twins, stage right. Justin and Jesse both have amazing voices, as well as a knack for getting Callie into confusing romantic entanglements. What’s a young theater professional to do?!?

This program, part of the Dawn Farm Education Series, will explore the differences in neurochemistry between the addicted brain and the normal brain, the progression of physiological changes that occur in chemically dependent individuals, the mechanisms of physiologic tolerance and withdrawal, and the effects of treatment on the addicted brain. Presented by Dr. Carl Christensen, MD, this program will be held at the SJMH Education Center on Tuesday, May 21st from 7:30-9:00 PM. For another interesting take on the topic, this book may be of interest to you titled, simply, Clean.