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Blog Post

Badge Drop #8: Let's Review!!!

by nicole




PHEW! Summer 2017 has been CRAZY GOOD so far! Full of long days, warm nights, and that odd, rarely-seen kind of weather that consists entirely of HOT, SUMMER SUNSHINE!



Honestly, the SUPERIOR QUALITY of this summer has us a little bit blown away! Never before have we experienced a summer so EXHILARATING, so POIGNANT, so SWELTERING HOT and RIDDLED WITH CONSTRUCTION. We deliberated for days, thought long and hard about where we could go to release our MANIC SUMMER ENERGY in an orderly and wordy fashion. Now, FINALLY, we've figured out the PERFECT PLACE to unleash our TIRADE of POSITIVE COMMENTARY about how good, exhilarating, poignant, sweltering and riddled our summer has been so far: RIGHT HERE IN THE LIBRARY CATALOG!



Please, we know you're shocked, but for goodness sake, contain yourselves.


2017 Badge Drop #8
echo theme_summergame_badge(1453,1454,1455,1456,1457,1485,1487,1483,1480,1463,1481,1475,1482,1466,1486,1484,1488,1489);
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Unlike your postman, your bus-driver, your boss, or your pregnant friends, WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!!



Did you just read a book that knocked your socks into the stratosphere and left you with a burning desire to tell the world about your SPACE-BOUND SOCKS? Find that book in the catalog and WRITE A REVIEW! Is there a terrible movie that UNJUSTLY STOLE 120 minutes of your summer? DEMAND THEM BACK with some CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM! Got a really awesome story about how your DOG once did a ROUNDHOUSE KICK like CHUCK NORRIS? Save that GLORIOUS GEM for your postman, because IT'S NOT ACTUALLY A REVIEW and will do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help you earn those prestigious REVIEW MASTER BADGES!



If you find yourself OPINION-LESS, not to worry! This week's drop is bringing you plenty more SHINING NEW BADGES for you to LAY JUDGEMENT upon!



Thanks for telling us what you think and THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!


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Blog Post

Baby Bits - Books and Music for fun with Babies

by ryanikoglu

People ask where we find our songs that we use in programs. Here you can View All Public Lists on the AADL website.

Here are some lists created especially for enjoyment between Babies and Caregivers.
Ms Rachel's Favorite CDs for Preschool Songs and Music
The CD artists and titles on this list have been personal favorites for many years.
Choose something to calm you ... something to rev you up ... something with a different beat ... and something great for background sound during play.

Ms Rachel's Favorite Books to Read to Babies
The artists and authors on this list have also been special favorites.
Choose something to talk about ... choose something to laugh about ... choose something of interest ... choose something to make you feel good.

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Blog Post

Three Books By Three Sisters: Re-Reading the Classics

by ballybeg

It is hard to imagine a family with more talent and tragedy woven through all its members than the Brontes. After I saw the new, most excellent film about the Bronte sisters, To Walk Invisible, I became curious to know more about their lives and to set about reading (and re-reading) their books, to explore further the depth of their genius, and how it was nurtured in near isolation on the moors of Yorkshire.

We have many biographies of the three sisters, but I found these three books especially interesting and approachable:
The Bronte Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne
The Bronte Cabinet: Three Lives in Nine Objects
The Brontes at Haworth

Charlotte most famously wrote Jane Eyre which is a book you can return to again and again, for the atmospheric setting, the twisty plot, and the parade of complex characters. Jane is one of most enduring and beloved heroines in literature. There have been over 50 film versions of the book, so far, and a new one comes about every 5-6 years. Real fans of this book have strong opinions about which one captures the essence of plain Jane and the tortured Rochester. This BBC version leaves very little out of the original, and this one, from Masterpiece, is also very true to the feeling of the book. But for the real experience read it! The book is better than any film version I have seen, and that runs to somewhere around 10 of them (my favorite is the 1996 Charlotte Gainsbourg version). I bet you read this in high school or college and loved it. It might be time to revisit Jane.

Anne wrote two novels, the better-known one being, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which is still not as famous as Charlotte and Emily’s books. I am reading it now, and I find this relative obscurity unfortunate because it is excellent, with all the requisite moody, atmospheric settings and the strong, mysterious heroine. It explores the themes of domestic violence, alcoholism, child abuse, and the independence of women, even married women, in such a shocking way that it was considered scandalous when it was published. It is considered one of the first feminist novels. The film version of this book is outstanding.

Emily wrote quite a lot of captivating poetry, but she only published one novel, the enigmatic Wuthering Heights. Here is a sample review, which appeared in Graham’s Lady Magazine, when it first came out: "How a human being could have attempted such a book as the present without committing suicide before he had finished a dozen chapters, is a mystery. It is a compound of vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors." Emily died believing the book was a failure. Little did she know the perennial fascination and loyalty the ill-fated relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy, and all the films based on it, would inspire.

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Blog Post

Badge Drop #7: Tags! You're it!

by mariah




HOLY MOLY, SUMMER GAMERS! Now that you've shown some SUPREME STARPOWER, gotten ON BOARD, and sought out the SPECTACULAR, what MORE SUMMER FUN could POSSIBLY be LEFT?!?!? You might imagine that your STELLAR performance had STUNNED all of us here at SGHQ into silence.



FEAR NOT, intrepid players, because we've taken a deep breath, wracked our respective brains, and want to assure you that there's still ONE MORE MONTH of curious clues, hectic hunts, and scintillating searches to go!



DON'T STOP NOW!



We've got a BUSHEL of BEWILDERING BADGES dropping today, awaiting the quick wit and calculated cunning of YOU, the most SHREWD SUMMER GAMERS!



Whether your interest is piqued by CHROMOSOMES or CRYPTOZOOLOGY, or whether you'd rather hunt for BIGFOOT or a DUMBO OCTOPUS, we've got a badge for YOU! We've got TOWERS, DRAGONS and even a little HEAVY METAL!



2017 Badge Drop #7
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So SNAP TO IT! Grab those badges, rack up those points, and move on up that leaderboard by tackling this week's contributor trophies and tacking TAGS onto your favorite items in the catalog!



We're extending some GO GET 'EM enthusiasm to you — TAG(s)! YOU'RE IT!



THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!


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Blog Post

50th Anniversary of The Outsiders

by manz

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the novel The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, which she started to write at the age of 15. Fifty years, and never out of print, the book is still relevant and read today, touching many generations.

It’s a coming of age tale narrated by Ponyboy, a teen living in small town Oklahoma with his two brothers. Living on the poor side of town and known as Greasers, they and their friends face daily run-ins with the kids from the other side of town – the Socs.

In 1983 a film version of The Outsiders directed by Francis Ford Coppola was released, starring many up and coming young actors who got their break in the film. In 2005 a new version of the film was released, which includes additional scenes that add to the story. The intense behind-the-scenes casting process also included is priceless.

Reading and watching as a kid in the 80s, it was one of the first films and books that had a profound effect on me.

Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.

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Blog Post

PreK Bits - "C" is for CAMPING and CANOES

by ryanikoglu

Ms. Rachel and Banjo Betsy brought camping stories to Storytime.
ONE DOG CANOE … a girl paddles her canoe down the river and more animals want to join for the ride.
“We’re Floating Down The River” is a historic American folk song we use as an action song. You even learn that you can’t stand up in the middle of the boat! You can hear the song on the CD UP IN The BATTEN HOUSE: Old Time Music Of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
“Skunk’s Picnic” is an original story about making friends in the woods.
We chased "Fireflies In The Night". You can hear this song and sing-along with the CD HAPPY As CLAMS by Lena.

For more favorites that go with the CAMPING theme try these:
GLOW: Animals With Their Own Nightlights ... real information for curious kids.
QUIET NIGHT ... counting night-time sounds ....
CAMPING SPREE WITH MR MAGEE ... a silly adventure with fun illustrations.
SCAREDY SQUIRREL GOES CAMPING ... and he's VERY prepared! If you like Scaredy Squirrel there are many more titles here by Melanie Watt.
The CAMPING TRIP by Sven Nordqvist ... and the chickens and the cat want to come along!
HANK FINDS An EGG ... while camping in the woods. What do we do with it?
WHISTLING ... a boy learns to "whistle up the sun" with his father on a camping trip.

If You like gathering CAMPING INFORMATION then try these titles for your next outdoor adventure:
SLEEPING In A SACK: Camping Activities For Kids.
CAMP OUT! The Ultimate Kids Guide, From The Backyard To The Backwoods.
COOKING IN A CAN: More Campfire Recipes For Kids.

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Writing & Publishing

Fifth Avenue Press Book Release Reception: AADL's Local Publishing Imprint

Sunday November 5, 2017: 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Downtown Library: 3rd Floor Open Area
Grade 6 - Adult

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Blog Post

Badge Drop #6: Stars in our Eyes

by andrewjmac




WHY, you may ask, do we here at Summer Game Headquarters (SGHQ) have STARS IN OUR EYES? We're so BLOWN AWAY at you STELLAR players and the SUPREME STARPOWER you've shown us so far in Summer Game 2017!! Want to know just how STELLAR is STELLAR? Then let's get out our telescopes and take a look at the ASTRONOMICAL numbers you've all racked up so far:


6,037 PLAYERS have received

50,407 BADGES and entered

310,980 CODES to earn them

104,819,074 POINTS!


OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!


Since you are all doing such a STELLAR job, we thought we'd give YOU a way to start seeing stars like we are! How will we do that? WITH THE PREMIERE OF THE STAR MASTER SERIES, THE FIRST OF THIS YEAR'S CONTRIBUTOR'S TROPHIES!!! Just rate your way through everything you've ever read, watched, and listened to to make your way to the coveted title of SUPREME STAR MASTER!!



But don't worry, we didn't get so lost in STARGAZING that we forgot to make a whole CONSTELLATION of other badges to keep you busy all night long! What ELSE have we got? Keeping with this week's theme, we've got an all-new Ann Arbor Stories badge all about ANN ARBOR'S ASTRONAUTS! There's DESSERTS and DESERTS! REBOOTS and BOOTIES! AND we've got FLAGWAVERS, the very first Level 4 badge of the year that will REALLY teach you what a Level 4 badge is all about!


2017 Badge Drop #6
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With a little luck and a lot of ratings, you could ROCKET up to the top of the leaderboard! Now get out there and SHOOT FOR THE STARS!



THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!


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Blog Post

PreK Bits - "B" is for BEARS

by ryanikoglu

Bears are cute! Bears are fun! As long as they are in a book!
Ms. Rachel and Banjo Betsy brought Bears to Storytime @ Malletts Creek Branch.
BLUE HAT GREEN HAT is a silly story by a favorite author/illustrator/composer Sandra Boynton.
WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT is a participation story for anyone who wants to find a bear (an imaginary bear!).
BROWN BEAR IN A BROWN CHAIR is a story from an out-of-print book. The script was re-written for our storytime.

For more FAVORITE BEARS stories try the following:
BEARS ON CHAIRS and more stories by Shirley Parenteau.
ROOM FOR BEAR by Ciara Gavin.
BUG BEAR by Patricia Hegarty.
TEDDY BEAR’S PICNIC by Steven Anderson.
MOM THERE’S A BEAR AT THE DOOR! by Sabine Lipan.
MOTHER BRUCE by Ryan T. Higgins.
Or choose what you might like in this CATALOG list of BEARS stories.

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Blog Post

Margaret Atwood's Prize Winner

by Lucy S

“Then I’ll tell you a story. I’ll tell you this story; the story of how you came to be here, sitting in my kitchen, listening to the story I’ve been telling you...What is it I want from you? Not love: that would be too much to ask. Not forgiveness, which isn’t yours to bestow. Only a listener, perhaps; only someone who will see me.”

Margaret Atwood is a remarkably prolific author whose works include 16 novels, 8 collections of short fiction, children’s books, collections of poetry, non-fiction works, television scripts, a graphic novel and a play. In 2000 she won The Man Booker Prize for The Blind Assassin. This multi-layered novel contain books within books, plots stacking up and overlapping. Atwood masterfully uses her characters as storytellers to create an expansive and complex narrative.

The Blind Assassin defies an orderly summary. Using multiple literary devices, Atwood deftly braids together three main threads to create this textured tale. Though the plot is complicated, at times confounding, it is also highly compelling. Iris Chase Griffen is at the end of her life as she chronicles, in writing, how she fills her days. While she is detailing this, she is also writing about her childhood spent with her sister, Laura. The third main thread of the story is “The Blind Assassin,” a novel published posthumously by Laura. These independent episodes create a whole which reads like a gothic mystery blended with speculative fiction. We learn of Laura Chase’s death in the opening line of the novel, and we know how she died, but Atwood leads us on a long, twisted path to deliver the why. “From here on in, things take a darker turn. But then, you knew they would. You knew it, because you already know what happened to Laura.”

For those of you on the long hold list for her extremely popular, and timely The Handmaid’s Tale, or those looking for more Atwood, Margaret post-The Handmaid’s Tale, The Blind Assassin is definitely worth delving into.