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Public Event

A 1000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure

Saturday July 18, 2015: 3:00pm to 4:30pm
Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room
Adults And Teens Grade 6 And Up

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Public Event

Nerd Nite Ann Arbor presented by AADL at LIVE 102 S First St.

Thursday September 17, 2015: 7:00pm to 9:30pm
LIVE (102 S 1st Street)
Adults.

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Writing & Publishing

Nerd Nite Ann Arbor presented by AADL at LIVE 102 S First St.

Thursday August 20, 2015: 7:00pm to 9:30pm
LIVE (102 S 1st Street)
Adults

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Blog Post

Air Plants!

by manz

Air Plants: The Curious World of Tillandsias is all about the ever so popular air plants! Are you super into them and want to learn more? Are you baffled at why your friend has these on her coffee table and hanging from art on the wall? Wondering how these unplanted plants survive? If so, then this book might suit your fancy.

It talks all about designing and living with these odd and beautiful plants. The book discusses different types of air plants, how to care for them, and how to arrange and display them in magical ways throughout your house. These plants are so versatile, and pretty easy to care for. If you don't know what they are and are curious, here's a peek at the book's beautiful contents, or just check out the lush book preview in the AADL catalog. Happy "planting"!

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Blog Post

Library Lists: 10 Great Animal Books for Kids

by eapearce

Are you looking for cool facts about animals? Are you interested in seeing amazing, detailed pictures of animals and how they swim, run, climb, and eat? Here’s ten of the best designed, researched and illustrated books on animals for kids in grades K-8.

1. Bone collection: Animals: This book has detailed pictures and drawings of the skeletons of some of the world’s most fascinating animals! Study their bones to find out how they move and survive.

2. Extreme Animals: The Toughest Creatures on Earth: Many animals can survive in conditions that humans could never tolerate. Learn about these animals and their special adaptations that allow them to brave the driest deserts, the coldest poles, and other amazing locations.

3. Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World: Animals have eyes of all different shapes, colors, and seeing-capabilities. Learn why different animals have such unique eyes and how they use them to gain information about what’s around them.

4. Amazing Giant Wild Animals: This awesome book features fold out pages of some of the longest, widest, tallest and heaviest creatures on Earth, allowing you to get a feel for their true size!

5. Actual Size: Steve Jenkins’ amazing paper-cut illustrations make this amazing book even more wonderful. Each page features part of an animal or a whole animal presented in its real-life size. You can see how animal shapes and sizes compare to your own body parts and to other animals!

6. Nocturne: Creatures of the Night: Amazing photographs of nocturnal animals take readers on a journey through the animal kingdom at night. Learn about the habits and habitats of forty different night-dwelling creatures.

7. Creature Features: Some animals have strange features! In this beautiful book, the animals themselves explain why they look the way they do, and why their seemingly unusual traits actually help them survive in the wild.

8. National Wildlife Federation’s World of Birds: This colorful almanac for beginning bird watchers is filled with over a hundred species, arranged by habitat. A must-have guide for those interested in learning about the birds we see in our backyards!

9. Animalium: Take a journey to the museum with this stunning book! Invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are all featured in gorgeous illustrations in this virtual museum with exhibits open 365 days a year!

10. The Animal Book: This “collection of the fastest, fiercest, toughest, cleverest, shyest--and most surprising--animals on Earth” features over 300 types of animals and offers an easily comprehensible history of life on Earth. My personal favorite animal book for kids!

Still want more? Check out this more extensive list of great, kid-friendly books on animals!

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Public Event

Fly Tying Workshop and Demonstration

Thursday May 14, 2015: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Traverwood Branch: Program Room

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Blog Post

New and Unusual Animal Books

by evelyn

If you or your little one loves animals, we have some great new books in that will teach you all about them in a whole new way! You’ll want to look at all of these beautiful, bright, and fascinating books.

First up, check out Bone Collection: Animals, which offers realistic drawings of animals’ skeletons with explanations of how the bones fit together and what purpose they all serve. Mixed in with the skeleton drawings are photographs of the animals and lots of facts. I learned so much from this book! Did you know that kangaroos’ tails are heavy to support their weight during fights, or that even though fruit bats are only 15 inches long, their wingspan can be longer than 5½ feet? That’s taller than I am! Learn all about this and more in this beautiful book.

For an amazing look at how wildlife adapts, take a look at Chernobyl’s Wild Kingdom: Life in the Dead Zone. This brilliant book explains the disastrous 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion and explores the aftermath. This book details the recovery of plants and animals in the area, which was initially assumed to be impossible. The effects of radiation are explained in clear, detailed language, and photographs highlight the difference between animals living within the “dead zone” and without.

If you’re after beautiful illustrations and simple, informative text, look at illustrator Steve Jenkins’s new books, Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do, and Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World. With a combination of true facts and big pictures, these books are perfect for younger readers.

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Blog Post

Hello, Spring! New Picture Books About Nature

by krayla

It may not seem like it now, but spring is right around the corner! What's a better way to say hello to spring than by reading stories about gardens, flowers, and nature? These new nature books are sure to fill you with the warmth that is soon to come.

Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw stars Lola, a thoughtful little girl who wants nothing more than to create her very own garden just like in the "Mary Mary, quite contrary" nursery rhyme. She joins her mother for every step of the process, including plotting out an area, buying the seeds, and watching her beautiful flowers grow!

Mummy's Little Sunflowers by Angela McAllister and Alison Edgson features little mouse siblings who would love to give their mother a sunflower as a gift. The only problem is, little Scamp ate the sunflower seed that they were going to plant! Where will Scamp and Scurry find a sunflower now? Join them for a bright, colorful, and exciting adventure through the meadows of the countryside.

Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi and Brendan Wenzel is an action-packed and highly visual introduction to insects! Discover all the different activities that bugs do throughout the day, such as building, singing, hiding, and swimming. Readers will pore over the detailed and vibrant illustrations.

Breathe by Scott Magoon is a simple yet powerful story about a beluga whale exploring the sea. The illustrations imply calming movement that beautifully accompanies the peaceful text. Try pairing this book with soft music to get readers ready for quiet time.

Looking for more great reads about spring? Check out Miss Rachel's list of spring books as featured in her storytime!

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Writing & Publishing

Nerd Nite Ann Arbor presented by AADL at LIVE 102 S First St.

Thursday July 23, 2015: 7:00pm to 9:30pm
LIVE (102 S 1st Street)
Adults

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Writing & Publishing

Nerd Nite Ann Arbor presented by AADL at LIVE 102 S First St.

Thursday June 18, 2015: 7:00pm to 9:30pm
LIVE (102 S 1st Street)
Adults