Blog Post
November Holiday Markets
by annevm
Mark your calendars and plan to take in a holiday market during the month of November. Here are a few to consider:
The Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild Holiday Sale is Saturday Nov. 8 from 10am - 4 pm., in WCC Morris Lawrence Buillding., 4800 E. Huron River Dr.
The Holiday Art Fair of the Guild of Artists & Artisans is Saturday, November 15, 10am - 6pm and Sunday, November 16, 11am - 5 pm, in the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center.
The Sunday Artisan Market Holiday Open House is Sunday, November 16, from 11am - 4pm in Kerrytown Shops on Detroit St.
Blog Post
Tiny Expo: Ann Arbor's biggest little indie arts & craft fair — Downtown, December 13th!
by mariah
Ann Arbor's biggest little indie arts & craft fair is back! After a few years of hopping around to different locales, Tiny Expo will land at the Downtown AADL this December 13th, 11am—5:30pm!
Just what IS Tiny Expo? It's a fun local, and handmade shopping experience that began with a small group of artists in 2010. As the initial group of creative folks banded together to hold a fun, informal little fair, expo-goers responded, and the show grew just a teeny bit each year. Finding a location that could fit everyone was a perennial challenge, though, and so Tiny Expo jumped around town — from Kerrytown to Felch Street and back again.
This year, the Downtown Library will host Tiny Expo's marvelous collection of local indie artists and crafters, including a few audience favorites from past Tiny Expo editions! We'll be announcing the final artist roster in mid November, but if you or an artist you know might be a good fit, you can apply here to be a part of things!
So, get excited, get ready, and mark your calendar — for the biggest little indie arts and craft fair, this December!
Blog Post
Halloween Events at the AADL!
by eapearce
We love Halloween at the AADL, and we have lots of fun events planned for other Halloween lovers, too! On Tuesday evening, October 28, adults and teens can make decorative Halloween wreaths at the Pittsfield branch of the library. On Wednesday, October 29, we’ll be celebrating Dia de los Muertos by making Day of the Dead Shrinky Dink skull charms at the Mallets Creek location. And, on Halloween itself, we have tons of activities for little ones. In the morning, at both 9:30 and 10:30, there will be a special, first-ever Halloween-themed puppet show at the downtown library! Preschoolers will definitely enjoy the Halloween storytime that morning, also taking place at the downtown library and featuring, music, finger plays, and holiday stories. Kids can come in their costumes for treats here at the library, and then join up with the Treat Parade! The library has partnered with the Main Street Association and we’re a stop on this year’s parade! For more information about any of our Halloween events, you can call or ask at any of the AADL locations. Happy Halloween!
Blog Post
Literati: Violin Monster Concert and Storytime
by annevm
A human dressed up as "Violin Monster" will be at Literati bookstore at 7pm Thursday Oct. 30, the evening before Halloween. Literati is located at 124 E. Washington in downtown Ann Arbor. From their web page: "Violin Monster will play some music, read some stories, share some of his spookiest, scariest memories... and he may even need some help from the audience remembering them! Join us for this fun, spooky event for all ages. AAAAWWWOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" At the library we have lots of books for young people about Halloween.
Blog Post
Once Upon An Alphabet
by eapearce
Once Upon an Alphabet is the brand new book by popular children’s author Oliver Jeffers. He’s famous for illustrating last year’s The Day the Crayons Quit, and for writing and illustrating The Hueys books, and The Heart and the Bottle, as well as many other kids’ books written and illustrated in his signature style.
Once Upon an Alphabet is particularly special because it offers up a short story for each letter… and all these stories feature interconnected characters and situations throughout the book. The letter A tells the tale of an astronaut who’s afraid of heights, B is a bridge burned between friends, and C is the story of a cup longing to escape its cupboard of captivity. Jeffers’ gorgeous illustrations and use of color turn Once Upon an Alphabet into a whimsical art book as well as a literary learning experience!
The School Library Journal calls Once Upon an Alphabet “an altogether stimulating, surprising and satisfying reading experience.” Don’t miss it!
Blog Post
Chesstastic this Sunday, October 19
by eapearce
Join us for our monthly chess program this Sunday from 1:00-4:00pm at the Traverwood branch of the AADL! Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome and this is a great way to learn more about the most popular game in the world and to meet new people. Chess sets are provided.
Blog Post
Anne of Green Gables
by Enzy
The Anne of Green Gables books have been a staple in my life for as long as I could remember. The first book opens with a brother and sister who are getting on in years deciding that adopting a boy will be a practical step for them instead of hiring help. What they get however, is a very impractical Anne Shirley. Anne is a scrawny little girl with spirit and energy in abundance. Despite her being a girl, she quickly wiggles her way into everyone's hearts and is allowed to stay for a probationary period. I spent my childhood wishing I was as creative as Anne with her red hair and spunk. She is the epitome of delight with her flowery language and dramatic ways. Even though such traits could quickly become irritating, she manages to be one of the most endearing characters in literature. She is no stranger to making mistakes and yet she has a resiliency that is at times superhuman.
If you are the sort who enjoys movies based on great books you should also check out the movies based on Anne of Green Gables staring Megan Follows. She will forever be the version of Anne that I picture whenever I reread the books.
Blog Post
Star Wars Reads!
by manz
On Saturday, October 11 libraries and book stores across the country will be celebrating the 3rd annual Star Wars Reads Day! It’s a day to celebrate reading and all things Star Wars. Last year over 2,000 Star Wars Reads Day events took place! Do you geek Star Wars? Do you geek books?
Hey kids, maybe you’re into Star Wars graphic novels, chapter books, easy readers, or informational books. Or maybe you dig all things LEGO Star Wars! Adults, maybe you’re into Star Wars graphic novels, science fiction books, or informational books. There are also plenty of Star Wars graphic novels and novels for teens too. AADL has many books to choose from for all ages.
Don’t forget about the Star Wars television shows and movies also available for consumption!
This Saturday at noon at Malletts Creek we are hosting a craft program featuring Star Wars themed crafts for children in Grades K-5. Join us! May the Force be with you no matter how you choose to celebrate or what books you choose to read.
Blog Post
Pioneer Girl: Laura Ingalls Wilder's Autobiography!
by eapearce
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie series has been beloved by readers for over eighty years. As many of us know, Wilder based the books on her true experiences growing up in the Midwest in the later half of the 19th century. It was her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, who eventually convinced Wilder to write down her memories and helped her edit them into the books that were published between 1932 and 1943. Today, the series has been expanded to include fictional books telling the stories of several generations of Wilder women, from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s great-grandmother Martha through Rose herself.
Although Wilder has said that many of the stories told in the Little House on the Prairie books actually happened, not all are completely rooted in fact. If you’re looking for a completely true account of Wilder’s amazing life, her soon-to-be-published annotated autobiography, Pioneer Girl, is the book for you. Wilder and her daughter had attempted to get this autobiography published in the 1930s, but the rougher aspects of her stories prevented publishers from accepting the book. It is true that many of the charming stories that readers are familiar with from the Little House series are present in Pioneer Girl, but Wilder also describes the less-than-pleasant aspects of growing up in the still-developing Midwest. Overall, Pioneer Girl is a moving and fascinating story and a must-read for Little House fans.
You can find out more about the Little House books, including which order to read them in on the Little House website.
Blog Post
Chesstastic is back!
by eapearce
The Chesstastic program is starting up again for the school year on the third Sunday of each month at AADL's Traverwood branch. This program is a great opportunity to meet people of all ages and challenge new players to game of chess in a fun and relaxing environment. Players of all skill levels are welcome: come ready to play and improve! Chess sets and light refreshments are provided. The first Chesstastic for this school year will be Sunday, September 21 from 1:00 to 4:00pm. See you there!