PreK Bits - "A" is for APPLE

Wed, 10/04/2017 - 7:52pm by ryanikoglu

Ms. Rachel presented an apple theme in Storytime this week.
GOBBLE GOBBLE MOOOO TRACTOR BOOK … the day Farmer Brown slept-in, the animals drove the tractor!
We clapped out letters to the “Apple Bingo” song … A-P-P-L-E !!
APPLE PIE … "Botheration!" That enormous juicy apple is up so high. However can we get it and put it in our pie?"

Fall is apple season and here are more apple books:
APPLESAUCE DAY ... this is the day that comes after you visit the orchard and bring home apples. One more kind of busy....
TEN APPLES UP ON TOP ... a "beginning Reader" title.
FROM APPLE TREES TO CIDER PLEASE ... "Grab the wagon. It's a bright autumn day!".
A APPLE PIE … a traditional apple pie alphabet with illustrations by Gennady Spirin.
APPLES A to Z … and apple alphabet and primer.
TEN RED APPLES .. a counting book.
The SEASONS Of ARNOLD’S APPLE TREE … one year.
FLORENTINE And PIG ... includes recipes for a fine fall picnic!
The APPLE ORCHARD RIDDLE … the class field trip to the orchard.
LITTLE APPLE GOAT … how the trees were planted.
For more Fall related titles … see PreK Bits – FALL stories for 1-6 yrs. Old … an AADL Public List of titles for preschool and young elementary ages.

The Ninth Hour

Wed, 10/04/2017 - 5:48pm by Lucy S

The Ninth Hour, Alice McDermott’s latest novel, radiates a feeling of quietude, stillness, though, in the first pages of this novel, an immense action is unfolding. McDermott fans will find here the usual fluidity of writing as she spans across decades with grace. The Ninth Hour is written with precision, full of small particulars that grapple with big questions. The words unfold calmly, belying the action that they hold. The plot is not full of twists and turns but does have it’s fair share of scandal, especially to the Catholic Church, within whose rules and rituals this novel is framed. There is infidelity here, suicide.

The story begins with a young man taking his own life and in doing so, leaving behind a pregnant widow. When their daughter, Sally, is born, both mother and daughter come to rely heavily on the sisterhood of nuns who helped with mourning, grieving, and pregnancy. The Ninth Hour is mostly Sally’s story, as told by her children, but also, the story of the sisters who raised her. Through details revealed as to who these nuns were before they took their vows, we catch a glimpse of the women beneath the wimples. Despite personality differences and backgrounds, the nuns, as a whole, have a great capacity for dispensing care. McDermott’s quiet strength lies in these intensely observed characters.

As Sally passes through adolescence, she thinks she too will become a nun. Her first test comes on a journey to a convent in Chicago. A train ride reveals to her the most basic of human needs and desires, “a sampling of the ‘others’ she was giving her life to: vulgar, unkempt, ungrateful.”
As she strives to be good, Sally wonders if one person’s penance can guarantee salvation for someone else. This is a question at the root of McDermott’s exploration of family, sin, religion, and the influence of the past. Put aptly by Lily King, in her review in The Washington Post, “There are so many ways to read this beautiful novel: as a Greek tragedy with its narrative chorus and the sins of the fathers; as a Faulknerian tale out to prove once more that the 'past is not even past'; as a gothic tale wrestling with faith, punishment and redemption à la Flannery O’Connor; or as an Irish novel in the tradition of Anne Enright and Colm Tóibín, whose sentences, like hers, burn on the page.”

Endangered Birds

Wed, 10/04/2017 - 1:00pm by Lara

On July 4, 2017 I saw a bald eagle flying over the Huron River! It was the first time I had ever seen a bald eagle in the wild. During the past several decades bald eagles were a very rare sight in the Ann Arbor area. After reductions in the use of dangerous pesticides such as DDT and 40 years on the endangered species list, bald eagle populations have significantly recovered in southeastern Michigan and around the United States.

”Bald Eagle Numbers Soaring in SE Michigan” is a short article in The Daily Telegraph (published in Adrian, MI). It has information on the recovery of bald eagles in southeast Michigan.

You can find out more about both Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of North America Online database is a very informative resource. You can find it by subject under “Science & Technology”, or you can find it alphabetically by name. For each bird species there are sections covering a variety of interesting topics including “Demography and Populations” and “Conservation and Management”.

12 Birds Back From the Brink by Nancy Furstinger highlights 12 different bird species that have made a comeback after being close to extinction. This book discusses both the reasons why species numbers declined to dangerous levels, and the actions that were taken to save them from extinction. It emphasizes the dramatic differences that human behavior can make in the survival or extinction of a species. Although intended for kids, the information in this book may be interesting to readers of all ages.

Here are some more kids’ books on endangered birds that both kids and adults may enjoy:

Endangered and Extinct Birds by Jennifer Boothroyd introduces both endangered and extinct birds. This book is easy to read and has lots of photographs.

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery tells the story of how scientists and volunteers are trying to save the unique and fascinating kakapo parrot of New Zealand. Like a number of other bird species in New Zealand, the kakapo parrot cannot fly.

Olivia’s Birds: Saving the Gulf by Olivia Bouler features Olivia’s colorful illustrations of many types of birds. As an 11 year old, Olivia used her artistic talent to raise money for the vast numbers of birds devastated by the catastrophic 2010 Gulf oil spill. This book shows that even young people can make a difference by taking action!

Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore has information on how scientists are trying to save Puerto Rican parrots from extinction. Puerto Rican parrots are the only parrots native to the United States. This book includes fantastic collage artwork and information on the history of Puerto Rico.

A Place for Birds by Melissa Stewart has lots of colorful illustrations, facts about birds, and suggestions for how people can help birds to survive.

If you’d like to try drawing some birds, Draw 50 Birds by Lee J. Ames includes all types of birds: common, rare, recovering, and extinct. There are no written instructions in this book, just drawings.

It's almost Halloween!

Wed, 10/04/2017 - 12:27pm by MelCat6

It’s that most wonderful time of the year: Halloween! As an avid lover of all things fall and Halloween, this is by far my favorite time of the year. I love costumes and being able to dress up as some of my favorite characters. This year I’m planning to cosplay as Roadhog, from Overwatch. If you’re as into costumes as me, come check out some of our books to help you take your costume to the next level!

New this year, The hero's closet : sewing for cosplay and costuming, is a great intro book to cosplay and costume making. It has a lot of helpful beginner steps if you’ve never tried to make your costume before.

Epic cosplay costumes is another great reference for all of the parts of costume making. With cute advice notes from the author, this book is a great start to becoming your favorite character.

For a more basic guide that you can use with items around your house, check out: Halloween. This book centers more on simple designs and standard Halloween costumes. It also includes some tips for spooky home décor!

Here's a cute costuming book for the younger costumers among us: Creating Halloween crafts. It has fun craft ideas for decoration and costumes that might be fun for the whole family!

These next two books are probably the best for my costume. If you’re into characters with fancy and elaborate weapons, these two will help you learn how to design your own, much lighter, versions.

Make : props and costume armor is written by a master prop maker, and goes into details for both armor and weaponry. It is a very in-depth collection of ideas using everything from simple foam to 3D printing.

In another recent release, The costume making guide : creating armor & props for cosplay, you’ll find all of the steps to take your idea and turn it into a full costume. The author guides you through each part of costume making whether you need armor, weaponry, or other outfit parts.

Looking forward to seeing all of the ideas everyone reading this comes up with! Hopefully I’ve given you a bit of inspiration. Now to get back to making my hook…

Drop off your gently used Halloween costumes for the 3rd annual Halloween Costume Swap!

Mon, 10/02/2017 - 10:05am by eapearce

Starting now through October 22, drop off your clean, gently used Halloween costumes to any AADL branch! Then, on Sunday, October 22 from 3:00-4:30pm at the Downtown Library, come pick out a new costume for this year! We're looking for costumes for people of all ages. This is a great way to save money, clear your closet, and pick out something snazzy for all your Halloween needs!

New Cookbooks

Sat, 09/30/2017 - 3:06pm by ballybeg

A quick survey of the new bookshelf this morning reveals more cookbook gems. From the trendy (ice cream & sushi), to the traditional (Italian grandmas & cakes).

Sushi: Taste & Technique This is a hugely-informative, intensely-illustrated, lovely little book of everything sushi. Who knew there was so much to say about wrapped-up raw fish and rice? You can impress your friends with this one as your guide.

The Baker’s Appendix: The Essential Kitchen Companion, with Deliciously Dependable, Infinitely Adaptable Recipes Long title, small book, but packed with references to refine your baking skills. Big on conversions (of measurements and ingredients), substitutions, decorations, do-it-yourself and how-to tips, and resources, the recipes are pretty basic and classic. This is more about the ‘how’ of baking skills, and the intricacies of mastery.

Hello, My Name Is Ice Cream: The Art and Science of the Scoop There are five components of ice cream: ice, fat, protein, sugar, and can you guess the fifth? (Read to the end of the blog to check your answer.) This book deconstructs each element and gives you the theoretical foundation for transforming, basically, cream, eggs, a sweetener, and some flavorings into what we all scream for. The recipes range from the ordinary (vanilla), to the creative (lemony lemon crème fraiche), to the indulgent (chocolate - peanut butter - brownie crunch), to the positively weird (popcorn), and include sherbets and frozen yogurts.

Cooking with Nonna: Celebrate Food & Family with Over 100 Classic Recipes from Italian Grandmothers This book features actual Italian grandmothers, and do they know their way around food? You bet. It begins with pasta and sauces, (what else?), and then ranges from appetizers to dessert, through sides, pizzas, soups, first and second courses, the whole orecchiette con braciole. And, best for last, it ends with a culminating chapter on biscotti – Italian cookies – my fave. Interspersed with profiles and reminiscences of the little Italian super-cooks who supply all the recipes, this is the next best thing to learning at your grandma’s knee.

And, finally, to answer the question about ice cream, the fifth component of ice cream is air.

New Monster Books!

Wed, 09/27/2017 - 6:00pm by manz

It’s that time of year when requests for spooky and fall books happen! Check out this new batch of monster books for kids. There are such cute monsters out there!

An A to Z of Monsters and Magical Beings offers fascinating facts about some of the most talked about mysterious beings! Everything including an alien, cyclops, dragon, kraken, minotaur, troll, werewolf, and more! Beautiful illustrations!

What Makes a Monster: Discovering the World’s Scariest Creatures is a nonfiction book that explores a variety of real animals that dare to scare. Read facts about the fangtooth moray eel, komodo dragon, and the Portuguese man-of-war, to name a few. Great photographs!

And don’t forget to check for:
If Your Monster Won’t Go To Bed
There’s a Monster in Your Book
I’m Not Little
I Want to be in a Scary Story

If you need even more, here’s a list of monster books, and here’s whole bag of Stories To Go: Monsters that features a stack of some classics.

PreK Bits - "H" is for HOUSE and HOME !

Wed, 09/27/2017 - 5:03pm by ryanikoglu

Ms. Rachel's Storytime Theme this week was House and Home.
First ... WE WERE TIRED Of LIVING IN A HOUSE ... "so we moved out!"
psst! The books are wearing out ... but you can still get a copy from another Library through MelCat.
We sang "Wheels On The Bus" ... for our "action song".
SHOE TOWN ... Mama Mouse moved into a shoe, once her babies were all grown. Folks began to knock. "May I come in?"
Mama Mouse suggested, "If you find your own shoe it could go there and you could be my neighbor"!

Here are more stories of "HOME" for you to check out:
LITTLE HOME BIRD ... Little Bird loves everything about his home. He's surrounded by his favorite branch, his favorite food, his favorite view and his favorite music. =-)
HOME FOR A BUNNY ... a classic by Margaret Wise Brown!
The BEAR And The PIANO ... home is where you are happy.
The NOT-SO-FARAWAY ADVENTURE ... with grandfather.
WELCOME HOME BEAR: A Book Of Animal Habitats.
HOME LOVELY ... moving to a new home and making it "lovely".
LITTLE HOUSES: A Counting Book.
JULIA'S HOUSE FOR LOST CREATURES ... and everyone has a job to do to make it work well.
All BECAUSE "Home is where the HEART is."

Happy Birthday Mark Rothko!

Mon, 09/25/2017 - 7:00am by PhoebeH

Mark Rothko (1903-1970) was an Abstract Expressionist painter, famously known for his color field paintings: six or seven foot canvases painted with large rectangle swaths of color. The subjects of his paintings appear simple, and often people view them with the thought “well, I could do that.” However, Rothko’s paintings are not necessarily about the technical skill involved, they are about the way the painting makes the viewer feel, the emotions that the work elicits in the observer, and about creating the illusion of spatial infinity. Abstract Expressionism as a movement came about in New York in the 1940s, and focused on the "sublime," defined as working to capture and portray the unspeakable, be it emotion, the divine, or the cosmic. For some abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock, the art of their work is in the emotion expressed during the act of painting. For Rothko, the art is in the relationship between his painting and the viewer, in being overwhelmed by the sensation of the colors, and becoming emerged in the painting. The artist is known for saying the viewer should ideally experience his work from 18 inches away, as to become one with the painting. While our art prints are not to scale, they still do an excellent job of eliciting emotion and are available for check out here. (For the full viewing experience, be sure to check out Orange, Brown which is on display at the Detroit Institute of Arts!) To read more about the artist, check out this book written by his son, or this biography. You can also find books about Abstract Expressionism here.

Fantastic Fantasy Comic and Graphic Novel Series

Thu, 09/21/2017 - 11:47am by nsvinicki

As the weather starts to cool down, I start looking for books to curl up with on cool evenings - Especially long-running series that will keep me engaged! Here's five of my favorite fantasy graphic novel series to start your fall with a touch of magic.

Sandman Chronicles by Neil Gaiman
10 books in the series, several stand-alone volumes
Start with: Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes
Neil Gaiman has become almost a household name in the world of fantasy fiction for film adaptations of his works Stardust and American Gods. But before either of those books were published, Gaiman wrote the Sandman series. First published in 1989, it tells the story of the personification of dreams, named Morpheus, and of his adventures with humans, gods, spirits and denizens of worlds unknown. Gaiman weaves a rich tapestry of figures from every major mythology into an intensely exciting and thought-provoking reading experience. In this first adventure, Morpheus has been trapped by the magician Aleister Crowley for 60 years, but Crowley's waning power has made it possible for the Dream King to make his escape.
See Also: Death: The High Cost of Living, The Sandman: Dream Hunters, The Sandman: Endless Nights

Lucifer by Mike Carey
11 books in the series
Start with: Lucifer Vol. 1, Devil in the Gateway
We meet this series titular protagonist in Gaiman's Sandman chronicles – Lucifer Morningstar, fallen angel and lord of Hell. This serial begins with Lucifer holding court at his nightclub Lux, in Los Angeles. Why is Lucifer on Earth, and not ruling Hell? Well, he's quit. This act of rebellion has some serious consequences – and has left Hell prey to power struggles between heaven and the multiverses. But now that he's free, Lucifer has decided to enjoy life as much as he can, until Heaven comes to him with an offer he can't refuse. Thus begins an epic 11-volume adventure on par with Gaiman's Sandman.

The Wicked + the Divine by Kieron Gillen
5 books in the series
Start with: The Wicked + the Divine, Vol 1: The Faust Act
In Wicked+Divine, the gods our our mythology are reborn in the bodies of 13 teenagers every 90 years. They are loved by many, hated by some, but will be dead in two years. This short life-span, combined with the power of gods, makes these teenagers international superstars. They perform around the world for sold-out shows, sharing their powers with their adoring fans. But in the 21st century, being a teenager is hard enough – a teenage god is even worse. This story follows their mortal fan, Laura, as she tries to befriend the gods. But Laura is not what she appears...

Constantine: The Hellblazer by Ming Doyle
2 books in the current series, 39 total published
Start with: Vol 1: Going Down
John Constantine holds the record for longest graphic novel character in print - he's been featured since the 1980's. Whether you're a long-time fan of the Hellblazer, or the film version portrayed by Keanu Reeves, Doyle's retelling is a great introduction to this trenchcoated anti-hero. Constantine is a chain-smoking narcissist with more than one personality disorder, a sorcerer who is just as likely to get the people he's agreed to help killed as he is to save their lives. And when you're dealing with demons and ghosts, he'll probably get your soul damned in the process. He's a great guy - as long as you aren't his friend. But what makes Constantine such an enduring character is his deeply flawed nature and his true desire to do some good in the world – even if he really just ends up bungling it all up in the end.
See Also: Hellblazer: Original Sins, Hellblazer: India

Fables by Bill Willingham
22 books in the series, 3 tie-in series
Start with: Fables Vol 1: Legends in Exile
A lot of fantasy is in supposition, and Fable is no exception. In Willingham's series, the characters from the fairy tales we grew up with are real people, alive and well, living in our world. Think about the TV show Once Upon a Time (which also has a graphic novel tie-in), but restricted to New York City. Our fairy tale characters are from "The Homelands" of Europe, but were forced to the new world by a mysterious Adversary. Their luxury high rise in New York City has become a peaceful and secret society, until proper politician Snow White's partygirl sister Rose Red is apparently murdered. Snow hires Bigby Wolf (formerly the Big Bad Wolf - reformed, pardoned and made sheriff) to find Rose. It's a "grim" whodunnit mystery; was it Blackbeard, Rose's notorious ex-lover, or Jack (of beanstalk fame) her current live-in boyfriend?