A2 Community Bookfest | Fifth Avenue Press Book Release Reception

When

Sunday September 10, 2023: 1:00pm to 2:00pm  Add to Calendar /   Add to Google Calendar

Where

Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Description

The Ann Arbor District Library is pleased to announce the release of new literary works from our Fifth Avenue Press imprint! Our local authors have something to offer for a variety of readers!

Five picture books:

A Fine Loaf of Bread by Terry and Leslie Butler

A fine morning to pick up a loaf of bread becomes a challenge for a man who lives a quiet life on the edge of town. Once the ordeal is over, Robert discovers the best way to enjoy his feast. The illustrations are original linocut prints.

Ann Arbor Adventures: A Visit to the Ann Arbor Farmers Market by Ashlee Edens and Illustrations by Nicole Ray (Sloe Gin Fizz)

Join a family of rabbits as they explore and celebrate the Ann Arbor Farmers Market and what happens during all four seasons!

Ann Arbor Adventures: Visit to the Ann Arbor District Library by Ashlee Edens and Illustrations by Nicole Ray (Sloe Gin Fizz)

Join a family of opossums as they explore all five branches of the library! Learn about the collections, events and fun things the library has to offer.

Chico Chews a Tale by Laura Pershin Raynor and illustrations by Sona Avedikian

Hungry for a story, Chico the Donkey gathers up his animal friends and heads to the library!

Step It Up, French Dukes! by Debbie Taylor and illustrations by Kris Marshall

Ten-year-old Kenny Mitchell longs to be a member of the French Dukes Precision Drill Team. When he fails to make the team, he tries harder. With the help of his older brother, he learns to "step it up" just in time to help the French Dukes win an important talent competition.

Set in the 1960s Ann Arbor Kenny’s story is inspired by the real-life French Dukes Precision Drill Team. 

One middle-grade title for kids:

Middle School Is No Place For Magic by Mimi Olson

Jay mastered spoon-bending by the age of eight, silk tricks by ten, and has become a talented cardician.  Jay has been assisting his Dad with his magic act for years and it’s growing OLD! He just wants to play basketball and spend time with his friends, but with so much weighing on his family the last thing Jay wants to do is disappoint the people he loves. The clock starts ticking when his dad signs them up to perform their magic act at his school’s talent show. Will Jay find the courage to speak his mind, or will he end up being the laughingstock of Barrington Middle School? Sometimes, Jay wishes he could disappear for real!

One Fantasy Novel for Teens & Adults:

A Crown in the Dark by A. J. Yang

Catarina Winyr is a princess with a secret. Raised to rule with respect and steely resolve, she's never quite fit the mold and lacks one crucial thing to maintain control of her kingdom. When a shocking act of violence disillusions her subjects, Catarina is forced into exile. As strange dreams permeate her sleep, she finds comfort in new friends. But a sinister threat is lurking deep in the forests of Guinyth and Cat’s inner demons might be just as dark as those in the shadows.

Two Non-Fiction titles for adults:

Cinema Ann Arbor: How Campus Rebels Forged a Singular Film Culture by Frank Uhle

Told with the urgency and exquisite detail only available to an active, decades-long participant in Ann Arbor’s film culture, Cinema Ann Arbor uncovers unexpected and essential stories of the university’s film societies and the campus rebels who ran them. Uhle unearths firsthand accounts of arrests, protests, ripoffs, bomb threats, and other behind-the-scenes drama. He introduces readers to unforgettable people—nonconformists and artists and nerds from the Weather Underground to the Velvet Underground—who composed the magnificence of Ann Arbor’s twentieth-century film scene.

Ypsilanti Histories: A Look Back at the Last Fifty Years 

Edited by John McCurdy, Bill Nickels, Evan Milan, and Sarah Zawacki

Ypslanti Histories commemorates the city's bicentennial through a diverse and eclectic collection of essays. Written by local professional and amateur historians, Ypsilanti Histories profiles the institutions, businesses, community organizations, neighborhoods, and individuals that have made Ypsilanti a unique place to live, work, and learn over the past half century.

This book is a product of the Ypsilanti Bicentennial Commission’s History Subcommittee.

This event is in partnership with the A2 Community Bookfest. For a list of all events and authors, go to aadl.org/bookfest.