The littlest ones will love this celebration of the most well known instrument in the orchestra, the violin. Join Barbara Sturgis-Everett, Principal Second Violinist in the A2SO, pianist Kathryn Goodson, and child movement specialist Gari Stein to dance, sing, listen and learn this Friday, January 25 at 9:30 and 10:30 am!

Louise Erdrich's Chickadee has received the 2013 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, announced on January 16. This award was established in 1982 by Scott O'Dell to encourage writers to focus on historical fiction, and it is awarded annually to an author for a "meritorious book published in the previous year for children or young adults," according to the award website. To be eligible for the award, the book must be published by a U.S. publisher and set in the Americas.

Chickadee is the fourth installment in Erdrich's Birchbark House Series and takes place in the nineteenth century, chronicling the kidnapping of Chickadee, an eight-year-old Anishinabe (known today as Ojibwe) boy, and the adventures that follow as Chickadee tries to return home and his family leaves home to look for him.

Some previous Scott O'Dell Award winners in the library's collection:

Dead End in Norvelt

In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.

One Crazy Summer

In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.

The Storm in the Barn (Graphic Novel)

In Kansas in the year 1937, eleven-year-old Jack Clark faces his share of ordinary challenges: local bullies, his father's failed expectations, a little sister with an eye for trouble. But he also has to deal with the effects of the Dust Bowl, including rising tensions in his small town and the spread of a shadowy illness. Certainly a case of "dust dementia" would explain who (or what) Jack has glimpsed in the Talbot's abandoned barn - a sinister figure with a face like rain. In a land where it never rains, it's hard to trust what you see with your own eyes, and harder still to take heart and be a hero when the time comes.

Click here for a complete list of previous O'Dell Award winners.

Join us on Sunday, January 20, 2013 at the Pittfield Branch at 2:00 p.m. for a cozy winter celebration. We'll have winter stories, songs by musician Sara Keller, a faux fireplace, hot chocolate and a fun craft.

We'll warm you up with this enjoyable family event. For children preschool through Grade 5 along with their grown-ups.

For some winter stories, click here.

Thursday, January 17 | 7:00-8:00 PM | Traverwood Branch | Grades 9-12

In March, 2013 you get just one shot at the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). One of the MME components is the ACT Plus Writing Test. During the test you have 30 minutes to read a question, think, and then organize and write a short essay. Intimidating? Yes, but Kaplan instructors will provide you a road map for getting ready to write a dynamic response.

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett is one beautiful picture book. It has the potential of winning a Caldecott Medal, thanks to Jon Klassen's beautiful illustrations. The story features young Annabelle who comes across a box containing some yarn. But a magical thing happens! She knits and knits and knits and the yarn never seems to run out. So she knits sweaters for dogs, and people, and trees, and cars, and soon the entire monochromatic town is awash in color thanks to her handiwork. The greedy archduke decides to steal her magic box, which leaves Annabelle in a bit of stitchuation. Will she knit her way out of it?

The Downtown library has a shelf in the Youth Department known as the Parent Shelf. On this shelf you’ll find a variety of parent-child related books on a multitude of topics- including everything from language to tantrums to potty training to homework. These books are available for checkout, and can be found in the catalog when searching “parent shelf,” if you’d like to have one sent to a branch of your choice.

The parent shelf features a few helpful books with information on raising a bilingual child. Check out 7 steps to raising a bilingual child, and The bilingual book of rhymes, songs, stories, and fingerplays. We also have a plethora of books on this topic in the regular collection, with titles such as Growing up with two languages : a practical guide for the bilingual family, and Raising a bilingual child : A step-by-step guide for parents.

To go along with this, AADL also has a wonderful collection of books in world languages, including materials on learning other languages. Check out this handy list of languages!

Wednesday January 16, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Raising a toddler is hard work! Learn how to build a positive relationship with your toddler through knowledge, preparation and participation.

In this session, Early Childhood Educator Shannon Coon will discuss how to create functional and manageable routines to make days go smoother. She will also address why problems behaviors sometimes come about, how to avoid them and how to work towards solutions. Area resources for toddler needs and play will also be mentioned.

Let’s celebrate with my dear friends, the awesome Gemini, on Sunday, January 13 at 2 pm at the Downtown Library with music and stories galore! I knew the first time I met these talented twin boys, when we were just young punks, that they would bring harmony to A2 on so many levels. Even when I moved far away to Boston, my family danced to the Deli song before we had ever tasted a Zingerman’s Gemini sandwich and my daughter convinced us to get a dog by singing the Puppy Love song until we had to give in! See you there this Sunday!

Saturday January 12, 2013: 10:00 am to 11:00 am -- Pittsfield Branch: Program Room

What makes us different? What makes us the same?

Families will learn about the biological reasons behind skin color, hair texture and explore other inherited genetic traits like the ability to taste certain compounds. Families will also get to perform a DNA extraction.

This event is for grades K-5 with an adult.

Thursday, January 10 | 7:00-8:00 PM | Traverwood Branch | Grades 9-12

Approach the ACT or SAT test day with confidence! Kaplan instructors will present strategies for preparing for the tests and guide you through some questions, demonstrating how to arrive at the correct answer.