It's Tellebration time again! This is one of my favorite programs for the family. On Sunday, November 16 at 2:00 pm at the Pittsfield Branch, join Tricia Travis, Jeff Doyle, Laura Lee Hayes and Judy Schmidt for stories about pirates, runaway tortillas, the circus and gigantic frogs!

Biting

Do you have a pint-size biter on your hands? Whether it is out of frustration, exploration, or plain ol' swollen gums, toddlers are expressing something when they bite. Join Early Childhood Consultant Kathy Sims on Saturday, October 18 at 10:00am at the Pittsfield Branch to learn how to effectively deal with biting and other behaviors in young children. Young children are welcome. Toys will be available in the room.

Closing Doors

How is a graphic novel different than a comic book? Is it the length of the story, the format in which the story's printed, the genre or subject matter, or is there something more going on? Find out Sunday, September 28, 2008 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm in the Pittsfield Branch Program Room .

Join cartoonist and teaching artist Mark Rudolph, author of the graphic novel Closing Doors (recently featured in a documentary aired on Detroit Public Television), in an interactive discussion and hands-on workshop that explores the unique affordances granted to a cartoonist when making a graphic novel. Learn some of the fundamental techniques used by professional cartoonists as you create some of your own comics work. Discover some of the idiosyncratic storytelling possibilities facing an author of "long form" comics stories.

Supplies will be provided. All you need to bring is your imagination and the urge to create!

Coming into Our Years is a gathering at Pittsfield Branch on Sept. 8, 7-8:30 pm, where Jeanne Mackey, MSW, will use song and discussion to recognize and celebrate the opportunities of aging for men and women. AADL has a rich collection of books and other materials full of insight about this topic and the many arts related to it. Just do a keyword search of aging at aadl.org for a listing with reviews.

Bring your collected items (photos, ticket stubs, sports ribbons, etc.) from home and create your own scrapbooks.
Thursday, August 7, from 2:00-4:00 pm at the Pittsfield Branch. Grades 6-12.
Check out Cool Scrapbooks or The Simple Art of Scrapbooking to get inspired. See you there.

YoJake

Calling all kindergarteners through 5th graders to take a glimpse at a Yo-Yo master. Come to the Pittsfield Branch at 11 AM Wednesday, July 30 for a great show with YoJake. During National Turn Off the TV week, YoJake picked up a yo-yo and has not been able to put it down since. See the latest yo-yo tricks and skills from someone who has competed all around the nation! Extreme yo-yoing is not just "walk the dog" any longer!

Learn your own crazy yo-yo moves from these cool books:
Awesome Yo-Yo Tricks by Shar Levine
Yo-Yo’s: Tricks to Amaze Your Friends by Ingrid Roper

botsblog

With only a few craft supplies, put together tiny characters that look like fairies or superheroes.

Wednesday, July 2 | 4:00-6:00 pm at Pittsfield Branch | Grades 6-8 See you there.

A marshmallow toothpick tower, a Q-Tip ramp or a castle out of cups? It's amazing what unique creations you can come up with from simple objects, a visit to the Scrap Box and your imagination! Children five and up are invited to join us on June 19th at 2:00 pm at the Pittsfield Branch for Construction Junction. Don't eat too many marshmallows!

Pittsfield

With the addition of the meeting room at the Pittsfield branch, AADL now has seven rental options available throughout the system. Check out the Pittsfield room setup, which can accommodate up to 96 people for lectures and meetings. Other meeting rooms, including one free space, are available at the Downtown and Malletts Creek locations. Read more about renting AADL meeting rooms, including rules of use, fees, and setup options.

It's all about mischief when Ivan the Terrier by Peter Catalanotto jumps into every story and little caterpillar, tricks all the big tough animals for the last week of January at the Wednesday Downtown and Thursday Pittsfield storytimes.