Blog Post
LEGO Contest
by aadl staff
Do you dream in LEGO? Are you always creating new masterpieces? Is the dreaded LEGO-meets-bare-foot a perfectly acceptable trade-off in your household because of all of the cool creations you can make? Then you must join us for the 9th Annual LEGO contest on Thursday, August 7. Start imagining and building now!
AADL's LEGO Contest is one of the most anxiously awaited programs of the summer, open to all ages. The contest is divided up into five categories: Preschool, Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12 & Adult. All contestants must submit an original creation made of their own LEGO, Duplo, Mega Blocks, or other stacking bricks. Full contest rules can be found here.
Need some inspiration, or do you just want to see some of the awesome creations engineered in the past? Here are some photos from last year.
Because of the popularity of this contest, it will be held at Kensington Court, 610 Hilton Dr. in Ann Arbor. Below is the order of events:
9 AM–3 PM: Drop off projects at Kensington Court
3 PM–6 PM: Doors closed for judging
6 PM: Doors open for public display of all projects
8–8:30 PM: Awards Ceremony with prizes in six categories: Preschool, Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12 & Adult
All projects must go home with their creators that night!
Blog Post
Quiz: How much do you know about the upcoming Awards Celebration on June 3?
by krayla
Take this quiz to see how much you know about the 3rd-5th Grade Short Story Challenge Awards Celebration on June 3!
1. The fabulous children's author who will be present at the event is...
a. Bob Shea
b. Laura Numeroff
c. Lisa Wheeler
d. Lara Zielin
2. Writers who participated in the Challenge will receive...
a. bacon
b. a certificate
c. a commemorative pen
d. a wheelbarrow
3. Everyone interested in kids' library events can pick up...
a. the pace
b. steam
c. the pieces
d. the new summer Jump! brochure
4. There will be a food table with...
a. cookies and water
b. cookies and cream
c. donuts and lemonade
d. Elephant and Piggie
5. The top 9 winners of the Challenge will get...
a. a deflated tire
b. a smelly old sock
c. a pony!
d. a Target gift card
Whew, tough quiz. Let's see how many you got right:
(p ϛ 'ɐ ㄣ 'p Ɛ 'q ᄅ 'ɔ Ɩ)
If you got:
1 correct: You need to study up. Try stopping by the Awards Celebration and then try again!
2-4 correct: Nice! It sounds like you missed a couple things, but you can make up for that by coming to the Awards Celebration in person!
5 correct: Superstar! Show off your amazing quiz-taking skills by coming to the Awards Celebration!
Blog Post
"It's All Write!" 2014 FINAL RESULTS
by krayla
If you weren't able to attend the Awards Ceremony on Saturday, the official list of the 2014 Winners of the "It's All Write!" Teen Short Story Contest is now posted! Finalists and winners that were absent from the ceremony will receive their awards in the mail.
Thank you to all who participated and those who support the writers of Ann Arbor and beyond!
Looking for cool writing events to attend now that the school year is almost over? Check out the upcoming Emerging Writers Workshops with Lara Zielin and Margaret Yang on May 15 and June 5!
Happy writing!
Blog Post
Meet the "It's All Write!" Guest Speaker: K.A. Barson!
by krayla
Kelly ‘K.A.’ Barson published her first novel, 45 Pounds (More or Less) in July 2013. She has always loved reading and writing, and even teaches writing at Spring Arbor University. According to Me, My Shelf, and I, Barson loves spearmint Chapstick, wears sweatpants while writing, and likes to dye her hair all different colors. She is also a local author hailing from Jackson, MI!
If you’re near the Downtown branch this Saturday, May 10, be sure to stop by the “It’s All Write!” Teen Short Story Contest Awards Ceremony! Barson will discuss her thoughts on writing, sign copies of her book, and award the top nine writers of the contest!
To learn more about K.A. Barson, check out her website and blog.
Stay tuned to find out the Winners of the “It’s All Write!” Teen Short Story Contest!
Blog Post
Meet “It’s All Write!” Judge #11: Ben Stroud
by krayla
Are you ready to hear about the last author to round out the entire team of this year’s judges? Introducing: Ben Stroud!
Ben Stroud recently published his first book, Byzantium, in 2013. He is best known for writing literary short stories, as featured in several anthologies, Harper’s Magazine, Boston Review, and The Literary Review. He has lived in Texas and Ann Arbor, and currently teaches creative writing at the University of Toledo. In an interview with One Story, he gave the following advice to other writers: “There’s so much we can’t control as writers, no matter what stage we’re at…We can sit down, we can work, we can write our stories. If we remember that, and remember why we started doing this in the first place—not for all those other things but for that magical feeling of stringing words together into a story—then the rest will take care of itself.”
Stay tuned for more information about the “It’s All Write!” Teen Short Story Contest and the upcoming Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 10!
Blog Post
May 5 LAST DAY to enter the 3rd-5th Grade Short Story Challenge!
by krayla
Calling all writers in 3rd-5th grade, today (Monday, May 5) is your last day to submit a story to the 3rd-5th Grade Short Story Challenge! Please make sure you have checked the guidelines, and then either send it by email to youngwrite@aadl.org or drop off a paper copy at the Youth desk Downtown. The story submission mailbox will be closed at midnight tonight. Happy writing!
Blog Post
Six Days Left to Enter the 3rd-5th Grade Short Story Challenge!
by krayla
There are only SIX DAYS left to enter the 3rd-5th Grade Short Story Challenge!
If you think you've already made up your mind, just think of how bored you will be without this challenge. After doing a poll* of kids in the United States, kids report they did the following things instead of entering the 3rd-5th Grade Short Story Challenge:
1. Twiddled their thumbs
2. Stared at the ceiling
3. Ate that gross thing on the floor
4. Flipped a pencil so it became "rubber"
5. Sang car alarm sounds
6. Tried to lick their elbows
But think of all the incredible reasons to enter the SUPER AMAZING SHORT STORY CHALLENGE for which you could possibly receive an INSANELY COOL PRIZE! Here are the top six reasons you should enter the Short Story Challenge**:
1. Writing is fun!
2. You have an entire six days! That's almost a whole week.
3. At the awards celebration you can meet a real professional author!
4. The awards celebration will also have cookies.
5. If you give permission, your story could be published on the AADL website!
6. You could win one of 6 AWESOME prizes!
Visit the Short Story Challenge page for more information, and email youngwrite@aadl.org with submissions or questions!
*this poll was not done using the scientific method, or any reliable sources.
**no puppies were harmed while making this list
Blog Post
Meet “It’s All Write!” Judge #10: Douglas Trevor
by krayla
Douglas Trevor has been writing throughout his entire life. As a child, Douglas Trevor wrote stories about a caveman named Cowwow Bowwow and has since achieved great success as an author and professor.
Trevor’s short stories have appeared in several publications, including Fugue, The Michigan Quarterly Review, and the Paris Review. He is best known for his work of short stories, A Thin Tear in the Fabric of Space, which received the Iowa Short Fiction Award. He recently published Girls I Know, his first novel.
Trevor currently teaches creative writing and poetry at the University of Michigan, and resides in Ann Arbor. He is a fan of the Denver Broncos, Joyce’s Dubliners, and studied in France.
Stay tuned to find out who is the 11th and final judge for to the “It’s All Write!” Teen Short Story Contest!
Blog Post
Little Red Writing
by krayla
If you're working on a story for the 3rd-5th Grade Short Story Challenge and need some writing inspiration, be sure to check out Little Red Writing by Joan Holub and Melissa Sweet! Inside you will find vibrant illustrations depicting the adventures of Little Red, a pencil who needs to write a story for class. The teacher, Ms. 2, shows what elements make up a great story and Little Red's classmates share their ideas. Each page explains a different part of speech and how you can make it work in your story. Little Red's adventure is hilarious and exciting. Whether you read this book by yourself or with friends, it's sure to spark creativity for story writing!
You can also check out other great writing resources from AADL with this Writing Help for Kids list.
Blog Post
Meet “It’s All Write!” Judge # 9: Sandra Neil Wallace
by krayla
Sandra Neil Wallace is a true-blue nature lover: when asked what literary world she’d like to live in, she responds with “Little House on the Prairie.” Wallace grew up on a farm surrounded by horses and rabbits, and still finds great solace in taking long walks in the wilderness. Before becoming a writer for kids and teens, Wallace worked as a sports journalist covering the NHL and NBA. Now she writes full time, and loves to hear from her readers and aspiring writers.
Wallace is best known for her teen novel, Muckers, based on the true story of a high school football team in Arizona. “Muckers” was named a Booklist “Bookends” Best Book of 2013. She also just released “Babe Conquers the World”, a biography about a determined woman entering the world of sports, which she coauthored with her husband, Rich Wallace.
To learn more about Sandra Neil Wallace, visit her website. Stay tuned for the rest of the “It’s All Write!” judges in forthcoming blog posts!