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Come on a Nature Walk Thursday, August 6 at Furstenberg Nature Area!

by eapearce

As part of the Ann Arbor District Library's partnership with Natural Area Preservation, we organize nature walks at various local natural areas throughout the summer! These walks are appropriate for all ages, especially those interested in learning about local flora and fauna. This coming Thursday, August 6, the nature walk will be at Furstenberg Nature Area. This 38-acre park, located off of Fuller Road, contains mesic forest, prairie and wetland ecosystems. The land was first acquired by the City of Ann Arbor in 1971 and much of the 1980s were spent turning it into the park it is today.

The walk begins at 7:00pm and goes until 8:30pm. We'll meet in the parking lot off of Fuller Road. Wear shoes that can get a little muddy and bring water and bug spray if you'd like!

If you're interested in learning more about the ecosystems and communities in the Huron River watershed, try the lovely little book Along the Huron: the natural communities along the Huron river corridor in Ann Arbor, Michigan, available in the library's collection.

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Crafts

Potion Bottle Charms

Thursday October 22, 2015: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Traverwood Branch: Program Room
Adults & Teens Grade 6 And Up.

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Crafts

Comic Book Coasters

Sunday October 4, 2015: 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Pittsfield Branch: Program Room
Adults And Teens In Grade 6 And Up.

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Crafts

Silhouette Plates

Saturday September 5, 2015: 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Pittsfield Branch: Program Room
Adults And Teens Grade 6 And Up

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Blog Post

Artist Appreciation: Matisse

by eapearce

Kids in grades 3-8 are encouraged to join us at the downtown library Thursday afternoon, June 25, at 2:00pm for a Henri Matisse program! A short presentation will discuss the artist's life and style of work and then attendees will have the chance to create their own art in the style of Matisse.

This is a great way to learn about and create your own fine art!

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Preschool Storytimes

CANCELED- Dancing Babies with Melissa Hudson

Saturday November 7, 2015: 10:00am to 10:40am
Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room
Babies And Preschoolers, Up To Age 5.

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Blog Post

Teens! Come volunteer at the AADL this summer!

by eapearce

Hey teens! Come volunteer at the AADL this summer! It’s a great way to meet people, see some cool behind-the-scenes stuff at the library, and earn volunteer hours! If you're between the ages of 14 and 18, all you need to do is fill out the form at https://aadl.org/teenvolunteer, have a parent or guardian sign the permission slip that you’ll link to via that page, and then come to any of the five orientations taking place throughout the summer. At these orientations, you’ll learn about what volunteering entails and have the chance to sign up for the opportunities you want to help with, including program prep work, stocking summer game orders, and assisting with a variety of programs themselves. If you’d like more information or have questions, email teenvolunteer@aadl.org. Hope to see you this summer!

Psst! It's also a great way to get lots and lots of summer game codes, since every program you help with will have its own code!

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Blog Post

IAW 2015 Guest Speaker: Rebecca Donovan

by yugure

The 2015 It's All Write Teen Writing Contest Awards Ceremony is almost upon us! In less than one week's time, YA author Rebecca Donovan will be here to talk about writing, and winners in attendance at the celebration will receive their awards. We'll be at the Pittsfield branch on Sunday, June 7, at 2 pm, so stop on by!

Curious to know more about our upcoming guest? Look no further!

Rebecca Donovan is a self-described "hopeless optimist" whose enthusiasm and passion comes through in her writing. She loves going to concerts, is a big fan of Mountain Dew, and lives in New England but really doesn't like winter. She started college intending to major in journalism but ended up graduating with a degree in psychology, and she spent years doing social work and working in the event industry before she turned to writing. Her first trilogy, The Breathing Series, is a USA Today bestseller and has been optioned for film.

In the first book in the series, REASON TO BREATHE, a high school girl named Emma Thomas in a wealthy Connecticut town struggles to retain her perfect image while hiding secrets - like trying to cover the bruises on her arms. When she unexpectedly finds love, it makes her recognize her own worth but puts her "perfect image" at risk.

BARELY BREATHING, the second book, deals with the repercussions and fallout of first book. OUT OF BREATH, the third book, follows Emma to college, where she must continue to battle the demons of her past and complete the healing process through forgiveness.

Donovan's most recent book, WHAT IF, came out in January 2015 and is about high school graduate Cal Logan, who sees his childhood crush Nicole at a coffee shop thousands of miles away from their hometown ... only she says her name is Nyelle, she's the complete opposite of Nicole, and she doesn't know who Cal is! What secrets is not-Nicole hiding? The more he discovers, the more he doesn't want to know.

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2015 IAW Get to Know the Judges: Terry Lynn Johnson

by yugure

Leading up to the It's All Write Teen Short Story Contest celebration on June 7 (mark that on your calendar!), we'll be posting information about the judges who have the difficult task of narrowing down our contestants. Our next judge is Terry Lynn Johnson.

Johnson has had an adventurous life - she currently works as a conservation officer in northern Ontario and has been a park ranger and musher in the past. She enjoys snowshoeing, kayaking, and fishing. Stories from her time dogsledding and as a backcountry canoe ranger in Quetico Wilderness Park have greatly influenced her writing and inspired her to become a published author. She is also a contributing writer for various magazines about the outdoors.

Her novel ICE DOGS (2013) is about a 14-year-old champion dogsledder who loses her way during a routine outing with her dogs. A freak snowstorm and an injured city boy make matters worse, and it's up to Victoria and her survival skills to save them all. Johnson has also released an ebook called DOGSLED DREAMS.

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IAW 2015 Get to Know the Judges: Rachel DeWoskin

by yugure

Leading up to the It's All Write Teen Short Story Contest celebration on June 7 (mark that on your calendar!), we'll be posting information about the judges who have the difficult task of narrowing down our contestants. Our next judge is Rachel DeWoskin.

Originally hailing from right here in Ann Arbor (!), DeWoskin is an author, poet, and teacher of fiction and memoir at the University of Chicago. She divides her time between Chicago and Beijing, where she once starred in a Chinese soap opera called “Foreign Babes in Beijing.” Her memoir of the same name was released in 2005.

In addition to her memoir and numerous essays and articles published by a variety of magazines, DeWoskin has published three novels. Her first two— REPEAT AFTER ME (2009) and BIG GIRL SMALL (2011) [set in Ann Arbor, and known for its crossover appeal with teens]--are adult novels, but her most recent book, BLIND (2014) is a foray into young adult. In BLIND, a terrible accident leaves fifteen-year-old Emma Silver without eyesight. She works hard to adapt to her new life, but just as she’s beginning to recover her friendships and resume high school, a classmate is found dead of apparent suicide. Emma must navigate not just her own recovery process but that of her community in the wake of these tragedies.