Blog Post
Otomen: What if the #1 Kendo fighter in the World Embraced His Feminine Side?
by gulickb
Asuka Masamune is cool, he's the best Kendo fighter in the world and ranked at the top for Judo and Karate too. He is considered to be a a very "manly-man". However, Asuka has a secret that he's been keeping from the world: he loves sweets, cooking, sewing, and all things cute.
Asuka falls in love with Ryu Miyakozuka, a girl who is being raised by her manly-man father after her mother died. Soon, another student notices that Asuka loves Ryu and decides to, for his own personal amusement, to bring them together.
Will Askua be able to show his true self to his new friends or will he forever have to hide who he truly is? Find out by reading Otomen! The library has the whole series of manga so you won't miss a thing!
Blog Post
Bunny Drop a great manga for teens and older!
by gulickb
There is nothing normal about the beginnings of Bunny Drop, it starts with a death, Daikichi's grandfather dies and leaves behind a surprise for everyone in the family. He has an illegitimate daughter named Rin, who is only 6 years old. Follow the unlikely family as Daikichi and Rin learn how to live together and create a life together.
This manga is seriously cute, but it's not the cute that makes this manga worth reading (though cute is never a bad thing in a josei manga) it deals with the struggles of raising a child, especially one that is not biologically yours. It also deals with issues such as, abandonment, death, unexpected pregnancy, fame and friendship.
The library has all 9 volumes and so you can read the entire story from start to finish! So check out Bunny Drop!
Blog Post
AADL Japanese Manga Collection!!!- That's right you can read them in their original language here at AADL!
by gulickb
Have you ever read a manga in English and thought to yourself, I wish I could read this in the original Japanese? Well you can on a large amount of manga through your local AADL branch! You can search the entire Japanese manga collection or if you want here's some of the more popular manga the library has in Japanese (I'm using the English titles when they are listed)
Bleach is a story about Ichigo Kurosaki who obtains the power of the Soul Reapers. Ichigo then is forced to take on the duties of guarding humans from evil spirits.
Attack on Titan follows Eren Yeager, his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and their friend Armin Arlert after the wall that has been protecting their city is breached by giant 60ft tall titans who are the enemies of humans. (Note this manga is pretty graphic in its depictions)
Naruto follows young ninja Naruto Uzumaki who yearns to be the Hokage (the ninja who is leader and strongest of all).
Inu Yasha follows Kagome Higurashi a 15 year old girl from Tokyo who gets transported to the Sengoku period after falling down a well. There she meets Inuyasha a half-demon and accidentally shatters a sacred jewel.
One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a man whose body has the properties of rubber, and his crew of pirates.
Fullmetal Alchemist follows two brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric who are trying to find a philosopher's stone to restore their bodies after an alchemical accident.
Fruits Basket follows the story of Tohru Honda, a young orphan, who discovers a family who are possesed by the animals of the chinese zodiac when they are weak, stressed, or embraced by someone of the opposite sex.
Writing & Publishing
Comic-Drawing with Ruth McNally Barshaw
Thursday February 18, 2016: 2:00pm to
3:00pm
Pittsfield Branch: Program Room
Grades K-5
Blog Post
Boredom Busters to the Rescue!
by krayla
Need something fun to do on spring break? Never fear, AADL has it covered with brand new youth nonfiction books!
Monstergami by David Mitchell gives even the most experienced origami artists a new challenge! Make the Fangster, a fierce dragon with pointy teeth; a Sky Sprite with feathered wings; or even a monster Totem with multiple stacked heads! Other new origami books include Folding Origami and Origami X: Paper Folding for Secret Agents.
Comics: Investigate the History and Technology of American Cartooning by Sam Carbaugh is perfect for fans of graphic novels and aspiring artists! Travel through the history of how comics started with ancient civilizations, design your own unique characters, and investigate various comic styles like manga and webcomics.
Totally Washi: More than 45 Super Cute Washi Tape Crafts for Kids by Ashley Ann Laz will inspire you to get decorating right away! Washi tape is patterned tape that is actually made of paper. Maybe you already knew that you could make beautiful cards and bracelets, but did you know that you can also make cool "feather" earrings, a color-coded keyboard, or temporary wallpaper? For more washi tape fun, check out the free Crafting with Washi Tape book from Cherry Lake Publishing!
Magic Mike's Miraculous Magic Tricks by Mike Lane will keep the boredom away this spring! Astound your friends and baffle your parents with these amazing illusions, including the Coin Flip, Floating on Air, The Chosen One, and Money Morph!
For even more spring break fun, check out all of the upcoming events for kids at AADL!
Blog Post
Today is always the most enjoyable day with Yotsuba&!
by wampishing
We take it for granted that people will know what certain things are, and how they work...A/C, swings, doorbells, manners. You'd think, for instance, that most people would know not to let a cage full of cicadas loose in their neighbor's house. But green-haired little Yotsuba is new in town and new to a whole lot of other things too! In this all-ages comedy series from Azumanga Daioh creator Kiyohiko Azuma, the everyday becomes strange and wonderful, as Yotsuba drags her daddy and new neighbors through wacky hijink after wacky hijink, discovering the world around her with endless enthusiasm. Yotsuba's adventures, 11 volumes worth, will keep you laughing for a long time to come!
Blog Post
March Comic Artists Forum with Manga Artist Laurianne Uy
by K.C.
Sunday, March 3 | 1:00-3:00 PM | Downtown Library | 4th Floor Meeting Room
Laurianne Uy published her manga, Polterguys in 2012 by running a successful Kickstarter campaign. She will emphasize the importance of planning ahead for the campaign and offer tips on how to manage once you’re in the thick of it.
Polterguys tells the story about a smart but socially awkward college girl, who ends up moving into a house that's haunted by five ghost guys. She's the only one who can see these ghosts so she has to help them resolve their unfinished business.
After Laurianne’s presentation you will have an opportunity to record a book review of a favorite graphic novel or comic book to be shared on the Kids Comics Revolution podcast as well as mingle with fellow cartoonists.
Join the Forum to get fresh ideas for your comics or graphic novel creation and to network with other artists. Drawing supplies are provided, so drop in!
Blog Post
Comic Artists Forum: Manga Artist Kasey Van Hise
by K.C.
Sunday, December 2 "> 1:00-3:00 PM "> Downtown Library "> 4th Floor Meeting Room
Kasey Van Hise, creator of Winters in Lavelle, will conduct a workshop (courtesy of Skype) "Storytelling in Manga". Often overlooked by the western comics' fans and creators, the medium of Manga contains powerful storytelling principles that can be utilized by anyone. In this workshop you'll dissect pages from many different types of Manga, and approach not only understanding the unique language of these comics, but also what you can use and apply in your own work.
Join the Forum to get fresh ideas for your next comics or graphic novel creation. Drawing supplies will be provided, so drop in to draw, learn, and network with other cartoonists.
This event is for adults and teens (grade 6 and up).
Blog Post
PokeMonday
by hillary dorwart
Monday July 23, 2012: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm -- Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room AB
Summer's here and that means it's time for Pokemondays! Join us for 4 Mondays in a row. We'll be holding these tournaments at different branches each week, so be sure to check the out one close to you. As always you'll need to bring your Nintendo DS or DSi and a copy of your Pokemon game (black and white won't work,sorry.) Big screen and Union Rooms battles are used for admittance into the finals, so be sure to have Pokemon, level 30 or under trained for battle. They'll be needed for qualifying rounds!
This event is for grades K - 5.
Blog Post
Geek Pride Day
by articia
[cover_image]|1228775[/cover_image]
"Towel Day", "Glorious 25th of May", or "Star Wars Day", whatever you prefer to call it, May 25th is Geek Pride Day and what better way to celebrate it than by visiting your local library? You don't have to be a Sci-Fi geek, or a math geek to celebrate Geek Pride Day, just celebrate whatever you "geek". "Whatever you geek, the public library supports you." Geek The Library reminds us that "No matter who you are, there are things you are passionate about—things you geek. The Geek the Library project is a community public awareness campaign aimed at spreading the word about the vital and growing role of your public library, and to raise awareness about the critical funding issues many U.S. public libraries face." Think of all the resources your library has to offer, be they entertainment like Star Wars or Douglas Adams books or movies, Homework Help or Test Prep, Foreign Language Materials or Foreign Language Learning from our Services and Research pages that you have access to through our website, our super nifty new Orion Starblast 4.5 Astro Reflector Dobsonian Telescope, or one of our neat Science To Go Kits from our Unusual Stuff to Borrow collection.