Blog Post
Hot Holiday Meals for the Hungry!
by Beth Manuel
St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor will serve its daily hot breakfast on Thanksgiving from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. as it does every day of the year. The Original Cottage Inn will offer its annual Thanksgiving meal for the needy and homeless, a tradition that dates back more than 30 years. The dinner is served on Thanksgiving between 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Vineyard Church is also providing a Thanksgiving Meal, November 23rd from 11:15 AM-5:00 PM. 2275 Platt Road, Ann Arbor. They are also in need of volunteers; email: homelessministries@vineyard.org.
Brown Chapel AME Church,1043 W. Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti, is serving a Thanksgiving Meal on Wednesday, November 22nd from 12-2 PM, and they also need volunteers: 734-482-7050. Dexter Senior Center will be serving a festive holiday meal on Friday, November 24th from 11:30-2:00 PM, 7720 Ann Arbor Street, Dexter, 48130. They, too, need volunteers, if you're looking for a way to help out this season!
Blog Post
Stinky Swamp Adventures
by PhoebeH
I Love You More Than the Smell of Swamp Gas by Kevan Atteberry is an adorably creepy story of a parent monster and their kiddo chasing a wild skink through the swamp at midnight. As they chase the critter deeper into the swamp, the pair encounters ominous odors, treacherous terrain, and a hodgepodge of curiously spooky creatures - from blood sucking ducks to toe-biting stones, and moonstruck raccoons. With each encounter the baby monster asks its guardian if they love them as much as they love the new animal they come across, or if they find them as fun as the trouble they’re getting into. The guardian always responds with affirmations of love, using a new ghoulish term of endearment to reassure the child. While the theme of the book has the sweetness of Guess How Much I Love You, it also brings a fun, spooky twist, delighting the reader with its sense of adventure and wild imagination. A must read for ghosts and ghouls this Halloween!
Blog Post
It's almost Halloween!
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…
Crafts
DIY Clear Ball Ornaments
Monday December 11, 2017: 7:00pm to
8:00pm
Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room
Blog Post
Drop off your gently used Halloween costumes for the 3rd annual Halloween Costume Swap!
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!
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Candy Making 101 with Keegan Rodgers
Friday December 8, 2017: 7:00pm to
8:30pm
Downtown Library: Secret Lab
Grade 6 - Adult
Crafts
Erupting Sensory Snow
Thursday January 4, 2018: 2:00pm to
3:00pm
Downtown Library: Secret Lab
Grade K-5
Crafts
Danish Heart Baskets
Saturday December 16, 2017: 2:00pm to
3:00pm
Pittsfield Branch: Program Room
Grade 4-Adult
Blog Post
Revolutionary Dames
by potterbee
Independent Dames by Laurie Halse Anderson incorporates the stories over 80 women who contributed to the success of the American Revolutionary war. A great read this time of year while the country gathers to celebrate our hard won independence! With a timeline running along the bottom of the pages, young readers can learn of some important events beginning in 1765 up through 1791 with the ratification of the Bill of Rights.
At the age of 16, Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles to spread the word of an eminent British attack which prepared over 400 militia men. Phillis Wheatley came to be known as one of the most famous poets of the Revolution Abigail Adams is a very notable woman as wife to President Adams. Click on the highlighted names which link to the catalog for materials to explore these women's stories.
Women were often left to guard the villages and farms and defend themselves against British troops demanding food and supplies. Some women wanted to fight and joined up with the militia but had to be in disguise as a man, it was illegal for women to join the army. Deborah Sampson was arrested upon her first attempt to enlist, so she fled her town and joined up with the militia later. She fought in many battles and was wounded twice! Her story is written about in the novel Revolutionary by Alex Myers.
There are many historical fiction books based in the time of the revolution. Another gem by Laurie Halse Anderson is Chains, set in New York City at the beginning of the American Revolution. Thirteen year old Isabel tells the story of her life as a slave, her hopes of finding a way to freedom and how she becomes a spy for the rebels. In Patriot hearts, Barbara Hambly presents the lives of four founding mothers: Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Sally Hemings, and Dolley Madison over the years of 1787 to 1814.
A couple other books for young readers to check out are Great women of the American Revolution and True stories of the Revolutionary War
Finally, a non-fiction book for older readers to enjoy is Revolutionary mothers by Carol Berkin which moves beyond the better known women of that time and serves as an overview of the remarkable contributions made by a cultural cross section of women during the course of the American Revolution.
Blog Post
Ramadan Mubarak, Curious George!
by evelyn
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts next week. If you have a little one who is curious about this holiday, check out our great selection of Ramadan materials for children!
Babies can start learning about Ramadan with the board book It’s Ramadan, Curious George, in which the little monkey celebrates with his friend Kareem.
Older readers will love the picture book Lailah’s Lunchbox. Ten year old recent immigrant Lailah is proud to be old enough to fast for Ramadan for the first time, but she is nervous about explaining it to her classmates. Lailah’s school librarian comes to the rescue with sage advice in this beautifully illustrated book.
Children who like Sesame Street can watch the Ramadan episode of Adam’s World, a television show in which puppets explain the Muslim world to kids.
For even more kids’ books on Ramadan (both fiction and nonfiction), take a look at this list!