Yummy stories about apple pie and carrot soup will make you hungry at the Downtown Tuesday preschool storytime this week .

Freerunner Levi Meeuwenberg is joined by Travis Graves and Mike Friedman, co-founders of the UM Parkour Club, in a presentation of freerunning. Levi has competed on G4's American Ninja Challenge and Ninja Warrior.
This physical art which uses what the rural and urban landscapes have to offer is full of flips, tricks, and stunts, you wouldn't want to try at home, especially the 'superman frontflip' or the '360 wallrun.' If you're thinking about giving it a go yourself, you may want to check out Dynamics of Strength Training and Conditioning first.
Friday, September 26 | 7:00-8:30 PM | Downtown/Multi-Purpose Room Grades 6-Adult

Recent college graduates Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis leave the east coast for rural Iowa, where they decide to grow an acre of the nation's most powerful crop. They find that America's most subsidized crop has become the staple of its cheapest - and most troubling - foods. Watch the film and join the post-discussion led by UM Community Scholars. Cosponsored by Michigan Television and University of Michigan Community Scholars Program.

Check here for background to the making of the film or get the scoop on taking the eating challenge. Can you go a month without eating corn? Probably not. Thursday, September 25 | 6:30 - 8:30 pm Downtown Library 4th Floor Meeting Room

Free rent! You see this on signs outside apartment complexes, all the time. Tomorrow evening, come to the Downtown Library's Multi-Purpose Room for free Rent of a different kind.

As part of its 25th Anniversary season, the University of Michigan Department of Musical Theatre is thrilled to be one of the first regional companies to produce the theatrical phenomenon musical Rent by Jonathan Larson.

Join us at the Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room on Wednesday, September 24 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm as Mark Madama, Associate Professor of Musical Theatre at the University of Michigan (and the director of the upcoming UM production) discusses Rent and the reasons why it has become such an important part of musical theater history. He will also describe the upcoming UM production and, as a special treat, cast members will perform selections from the musical (which begins its run on October 16)

Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room, 7:00 – 8:30 pm

And if tomorrow's presentation isn't quite enough Rent for you, check out these Rent-related items in the Library's collection.

At the same time AARP The Magazine has named Ann Arbor America's Healthiest Hometown for its great access to health services, the Journal of the AMA and AARP Bulletin say that the rest of the country is experiencing a shortage of primary care physicians and geriatricians. If you want to know why this is happening and what can be done to change it, join us for Who Will Care for Us When We Age? a talk by Caroline Blaum, M.D., of the University of Michigan Geriatrics Center; Tues., Sept. 16, 7-8:30 pm, Downtown Library.

Surprising and slapstick stories will tickle your funny bone at the Downtown Preschool storytimes on September 16th and 17th. Spider gets into his usual trouble and one story is even about Nothing!.

In eight two-hour weekly sessions facilitator Sally Haines will get you started writing about experiences in your life that you’ve wanted to document for yourself or for others. A memoir can come from the most common activities, like raising your children, family meals, running a business, learning a skill, moving to a new town, or taking a trip. Even if you never thought of yourself as a writer, Sally will open doors into the process. The first session of Reconstructing Life Stories is Thursday, Sept. 11, 1-3 pm, so register online, or call 734-327-4560.

The first Downtown preschool storytime of the fall will begin on a silly, sleepy note with Go To Sleep Gecko and other tales of grumpy creatures who can’t get any sleep. Join us for stories, songs and other surprises beginning Tuesday, September 9th at 10:00 am and Wednesday, September 10th at 11:00 am at the Downtown Library Youth Department Story Corner!

While we are very excited about New York Times Bestselling author, Jim Benton's, 2:00 PM appearance tomorrow for kids in grades K-5 we are also sorry to report that this program is now FULL. We are unable to take any additional registrations at this time. However, our new FALL calendar events for kids is now out - pick-up your copy of JUMP today at any AADL location. Jim Benton is the author of the Dear Dumb Diary series and the Franny K. Stein series.

If you have the Elgin Marbles, Joan Walker DuMochelle will appraise them as priceless, then tell you that Greece wants them back!

Do you have an old thing lying around that you've always wondered "What the heck is that and how much is it worth?"

What an exciting Wednesday night (August 20th from 7-8:30 p.m at the downtown branch) the AADL has in store for you!

Ms. DuMochelle will give a brief lecture about the appraisal and auction business, fine arts and the DuMochelle Art Galleries Company.

After the brief lecture Ms. DuMochelle will appraise and give a little history about items that patrons bring in.

Who knows what fabulous treasures will be uncovered?

Explore the subject further with Buying and Selling Antiques, Kovels' Know Your Antiques and The Elgin Affair.