Summer Reading is UNDER CONSTRUCTION so keep your "thinking machine" oiled. You'll need good equipment.
Librarians are visiting schools the month of May promoting Summer Reading.
We can NAIL DOWN some good books for 1st graders, like
Amelia Bedelia Under Construction;
You Read To Me And I'll Read To You: Short Scary Stories; or
Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie.
Just Ask!
Sign-Up BEGINS June 9, 2008 at the Library.

Among the best books I read this summer was The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The genre is Robinsonade, which means it bears some resemblance to Robinson Crusoe. But this is the story of a father and his son walking alone through a totally devastated, burned America. Normally I don't choose this type of book, but my brother assured me that the warmth of the father-son relationship would carry me right through the darker parts. He was right. After it came out last year, this book became an Oprah's Book Club pick, a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, and a New York Times Notable Book.

The PRINCESS And The PEA has been around for generations. Rachel Isadora has illustrated a brand new version of The Princess And The Pea and she tells the story using iconic African patterns and profiles. It is bee-yoo-tee-ful !!

Imagine taking a picture using an oatmeal box, a pop can, or even a room! That's what pinhole photography is all about. Photographer Matt Callow will explain how it works and guide you through building your own camera. Then comes the fun when you use your new camera to take photographs.

On July 15th, some 60 or so Malletts Creek library patrons got treated to an informative and entertaining presentation by Professor Yan Chen on Game Theory. Some even went home with cold cash for playing in her demos., besides learning a few strategies for biding on eBay and other auction giants.

By popular request, she has posted her slides online at her website, (listed as Classes: SI 625 AADL Public Lecture on Game Theory 7/15/2007). Select from her slides,or her auction experiments.

Dr. Chen's presentation was a program of the 2007 Summer Reading Game Figure It Out.

"Echoing the style of the magnificent manuscripts that chronicle Emperor Shah Jahan's rule" ... the reader is transported to the Mughal era in India and the combined history and legend of one of the world's most famous monuments. Experience this with Taj Mahal for elementary school-age readers/listeners.

How can this happen? A FLYING bed??
She said, "A bed I WANT and a bed I shall HAVE, even if it carries me to the ends of the earth." And then ....
If you enjoyed Me, All Alone At The End Of The World by M.T. Anderson, you might enjoy The Flying Bed. It has more words than a picture book, and fabulous enough pictures to win the 2006 Hamilton King Award.

Imagine you're a PIRATE, a PRINCESS, a KNIGHT, or a MERMAID, a WIZARD and more !!
"The Imagine This!" series helps you know what you need to be an Imagineer... Pirate codes... Equipment and accessories... words... food and drink...
Have FUN !

With the Summer Reading Games well under way at the AADL many Figure-It-Out puzzle pens have been awarded to some hard working youth readers. Perhaps that has some parents feeling nostalgic for their old original Rubik’s Cube! If so, why not take a peek at a couple books that explain a bit about what the Cube is all about. Curiosities of the Cube is a more mathematical take on cubes and puzzles in general, while Notes on Rubik's Magic Cube goes into specifics about the famous cube itself. It’s not cheating, it’s being educated!

There is only one sequel to Peter Pan that has ever been granted. It is a current award winner titled Peter Pan In Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean. You can visit Geraldine McCaughrean's web site and FIGURE OUT why she was chosen. It is a wonderful family "read together" for elementary school ages, or a fun "read alone" for kids who like longer chapter books and fantasy. The library owns the recorded version which is great for road trips!

A wonderful museum visit can be virtually found for the Children's Museum Of Indianapolis. Kids and Adults can FIGURE IT OUT by traveling the internet. Some day you may REALLY get there.

What a fun place to FIGURE IT OUT ! Visit the virtual site of The Museum of Unnatural Mystery and explore mysteries of the real world. You can visit and learn about the seven wonders of the world. Try "odd archeology", "cryptozoology" and uncover many, many sources of unusual information. Try "Science Over the Edge" and "Roundup Strange Science for the Month". Have fun on this explore !!

It’s that time of year again! School is out, the days are longer, and all of us are looking for a little extra fun. In honor of the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum's 25th Anniversary, this year’s Summer Reading theme for children (listeners and readers), teens, and adults is “Figure it Out!" We invite you to enjoy an entire summer of events for all ages that will get you thinking about science. You can register online right now, or in person at any library location.

Youth Librarians have been making school visits to announce Summer Reading starts when school stops in June!
Here are two recommended books for kids in grades 2-4.
In Star Jumper: Journal Of A Cardboard Genius, Alex can make ANYTHING if he can just figure out how to get enough cardboard boxes and duct tape.
In The Homework Machine, Brenton is a 5th grade software ace and figures out how to make his computer do homework. It will even print in his handwriting. The teacher notices that class homework assignments have all become A+. Hmmmm.... She needs to FIGURE IT OUT!

It's time for gardens and summer activities. The following web sites can help kids FIGURE OUT how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Texas Agriculture Extension Service provides a nice slide show sequence of kids setting up a compost bin. Learn how garbage can become new and treasured at EEK! Recycling and Beyond. At The Imagination Factory an Indiana waste management company has a site full of fun and artisitic ideas on how to reuse materials.