What’s New

Spring Events for Teens & Tweens

IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!
In-person Teen & Tween Programs:
With consideration for the ongoing pandemic, and for the safety of everyone involved, please take special note of the following:

  • Registration is required for all in-person and virtual Teen and Tween programs. See individual event pages for more information and to register to attend.
  • Space is limited – each individual should register so we have an accurate count of how many people are in the room.
  • The Library has updated its programming attendance requirements.  Face coverings optional but encouraged in group settings.  Face covering requirements are subject to change without notice.

Relaxing Crafts for Teens & Tweens

In Person

Saturday, June 11

1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Grades 5 – 12

Registration required, begins May 9

Take a break and unwind before finals and end-of-the-school-year activities. Join us to make stress balls and calming glitter jars – items that are fun to make but can also help you feel less stressed when you use them.

 

Past events:

MiLibraryQuest logo with an image of a detective holding an open book, and the text MiLibraryQuest Mystery EditionMiLibraryQuest
February 1 – March 15

Grades 5 – 12

Michigan teens we need your help! The world famous thief Lupin has struck again! This time he pilfered the laptop of a best selling Michigan author containing the only copy of their latest novel. Please help us find where Lupin has stashed the laptop by decoding his taunting notes to Inspector Skirmish before the draft is due on March 15th.

To get started, head to our Teen Services page or go to the MiLibraryQuest web site.

 

Crafting Your College Essay

In Person

Wednesday, March 2

7:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.

Teens and adults welcome

Registration Required, starts February 2

Elizabeth Levy, founder of Essay Help for Colleges, will present tips on applying to college using the Common Application along with information on what makes a great personal essay. The program is geared toward high school sophomores and juniors getting ready to apply to college, but it is open to all teens and parents. Time will be available at the end of the presentation for participants’ questions.

Teen Book Club

In Person

Tuesday, March 8

6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Grades 7 – 12

Book: The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

Registration required, begins February 8

Join us for discussion, a craft, and some trivia on this month’s selection. Get a free copy of the book at the Youth Reference Desk after you register.

Take & Make: Zine Kits

Pickup March 4-10 or while supplies last

Grades 5-12

No registration – kits available while supplies last

Make your own zine – a DIY, small-batch magazine on any topic you care about. Get you supply kit from the library, then make some zines and share with your friends.

 

Magic: the Gathering

In Person

Friday, March 18

6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Grades 6 – 12

Registration required, begins February 19

Join us monthly for MTG tournament-style play on Friday evenings from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Prizes awarded to top players. Everyone in grades 6 through 12 with knowledge of game play and rules is invited to attend. Please bring a Commander deck to each session. Co-sponsored with SRSLY Dexter.

 

Teen Advisory Group

In Person

Saturday, March 19

11 a.m. to noon

Grades 7 – 12

Registration required, begins February 19

The Teen Advisory Group (TAG) is a volunteer opportunity for teens in grades 7 through 12 to get involved at the Library. TAG meets on select Saturdays each month during the school year.

Tween Book Club

In Person

Tuesday, March 22

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Grades 5 & 6

Book: Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui Sutherland

Registration required, begins February 22

Read the book and then join us for icebreakers, discussion, and a related craft or activity. Get a copy of the book at the youth reference desk after you register.

Nailed It! Virtual Cake Decorating

Virtual

Wednesday, March 30

2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Grades 5 through 12

Registration required, begins February 21

Registered participants can pick up a decorating kit March 23-29 or while supplies last.

Get creative –and a little messy – in your kitchen! During this virtual program, teens and tweens will have 45 minutes to try to recreate a decorated cake. At the end, we’ll take a look at everyone’s creations. This is meant to be fun, but our judges will also pick a winner to receive a $10 Joann gift card!

 

Creating Your College List

In Person

Wednesday, April 6

7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.

Teens and adults welcome

Registration required, begins March 2

Elizabeth Levy, founder of Essay Help for Colleges, returns with tips on selecting colleges and applying using the Common Application. The program is geared toward high school sophomores and juniors, but it is open to all teens and parents. Time will be available at the end of the presentation for questions.

 

Teen Book Club

In Person

Tuesday, April 12

6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Grades 7 through 12

Book: Verify by Joelle Charbonneau

Registration required, begins March 8

Join us for discussion, a craft, and some trivia on this month’s selection. Get a free copy of the book at the Youth Reference Desk after you register. Can’t make it to the Library before Book Club? The e-book and audiobook are available for immediate download on hoopla!

 

Take & Make: Gardening Kits

Pick up April 8-14 or while supplies last All kits have been picked up as of 4/13.

Grades 5-12

No registration – kits available while supplies last

Are you looking for a new outdoor hobby? Do you want to help pollinators like bees and butterflies? Why not try gardening! Teens and tweens can pick up a kit with seed packets, dirt pods, pots, and plant markers to start their own garden.

Magic: the Gathering

In Person

Friday, April 22

6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Grades 6 – 12

Registration required, begins March 19

Join us monthly for MTG tournament-style play on Friday evenings from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Prizes awarded to top players. Everyone in grades 6 through 12 with knowledge of game play and rules is invited to attend. Please bring a Commander deck to each session. Co-sponsored with SRSLY Dexter.

 

Teen Advisory Group

In Person

Saturday, April 23

11 a.m. to noon

Grades 7 – 12

Registration required, begins March 19

The Teen Advisory Group (TAG) is a volunteer opportunity for teens in grades 7 through 12 to get involved at the Library. This month, help make decorations for the Summer Reading Program!

 

 

Action Figure Terrariums

In Person

Saturday, April 23

12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Grades 5-12

Registration required, begins March 21

Even if you don’t have a green thumb, this program is for you. We’ll make terrariums with faux succulents and mosses, so your decoration will last forever and doesn’t need watering! Bring a small action figure or miniature to decorate your terrarium, or the Library will have some on hand as well.

 

Tween Book Club

In Person

Tuesday, April 26

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Grades 5 & 6

Book: The Doughnut Fix by Jessie Janowitz

Registration required, begins March 22

Read the book and then join us for icebreakers, discussion, and a related craft or activity. Get a copy of the book at the youth reference desk after you register.

 

“May the Fourth” Trivia Contest

Entries accepted May 1 – 7

Grades 5 through 12

May the Fourth be with you! In honor of Star Wars Day on May 4, teens and tweens can stop into the library during the first week of May and enter a Star Wars-themed trivia contest. Starting on Sunday, May 1, pick up a trivia quiz in the Teen Zone. Complete it and return to the Youth Reference Desk by Saturday, May 7 for a chance to win a galactic prize!

 

 

 

Teen Book Club

In Person

Tuesday, May 10

6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Grades 7-12

Book: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Registration required, starts April 12

Join us for discussion, a craft, and some trivia on this month’s selection. Get a free copy of the book at the Youth Reference Desk after you register.

Take & Make: Self-Care Kits

Pick up May 6 – 12, or while supplies last

Grades 5-12

No registration – kits available while supplies last

Everyone needs to take time for self-care. Doing things for your mind, body, and soul can promote well-being and help you feel happier and less stressed. Teens and tweens in grades 5-12 can pick up a kit with a journal, treats, and some ideas for activities to help you relax and de-stress.

 

Magic: the Gathering

In Person

Friday, May 20

6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Grades 6 – 12

Registration required, begins April 23

Join us monthly for MTG tournament-style play on Friday evenings from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Prizes awarded to top players. Everyone in grades 6 through 12 with knowledge of game play and rules is invited to attend. Please bring a Commander deck to each session. Co-sponsored with SRSLY Dexter.

 

Teen Advisory Group

In Person

Saturday, May 21

11 a.m. to noon

Grades 7 – 12

Registration required, begins April 23

The Teen Advisory Group (TAG) is a volunteer opportunity for teens in grades 7 through 12 to get involved at the Library. TAG meets on select Saturdays each month during the school year.

 

Tween Book Club

In Person

Tuesday, May 24

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Grades 5 & 6

Book: Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

Registration required, begins April 26

Read the book and then join us for icebreakers, discussion, and a related craft or activity. Get a copy of the book at the youth reference desk after you register.

 

 

 

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    Non-fiction book

    Read a non-fiction book to learn something new! No matter what subject you like, there’s probably a non-fiction book about it. Here are a few suggestions:

    Children’s Books –

    • Remember This: The Fascinating World of Memory by Monique Polak – J 153.12 POL
    • Amazing Immortals: A Guide to Gods and Goddesses Around the World by Dinah Williams – J 291.211 WIL
    • I See Color: An Affirmation and Celebration of Our Diverse World by Valerie Bolling and Kailei Pew – J 305.8 BOL
    • Winter tales: stories and folktales from around the world by Dawn Casey – J 398.23 CAS
    • Water: Discovering the Precious Resource All Around Us by Olga Fadeeva – I 553.7 FAD
    • Mother Aspen: A Story of How Forests Cooperate and Communicate by Annette LeBox – J 577.3 LEB
    • The Wild River and the Great Dam: The Construction of Hoover Dam and the Vanishing Colorado River by Simon Boughton – J 627.82 BOU
    • How to Explain Robotics to a Grown-Up by Ruth Spiro – J 629.892 SPI
    • From Plant to Plate: Turn Home-Grown Ingredients into Healthy Meals! by Darryl Gadzekpo and Ella Phillips – J 641.3 GAD
    • What Is Color?: The Global, Brain-Exploding Story of Pigments, Paint, and the Wondrous World of Art by Steven Weinberg – J 709 WEI
    • Wat Takes His Shot: The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru ­Misaka by Cheryl Kim – J 796.323 MIS
    • Daughter of the Light-Footed People: The Story of Indigenous Marathon Champion Lorena Ramírez by Belen Medina – J 796.426 MED
    • The Bard and the Book: how the first folio saved the plays of William Shakespeare from oblivion by Ann Bausum – J 822.33 BAU
    • Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller by Breanna J. McDaniel – J 920 BAK
    • Glenn Burke, Game Changer: The Man Who Invented the High Five by Phil Bildner – J 920 BUR
    • Gold Rush: the untold story of the First Nations women who started the Klondike gold rush by Flora Delargy  – J 971.9 DEL
    • It Happened in Salem by Jonah Winter – J 974.4 WIN
    • The Great Lakes: Our Freshwater Treasure by Barb Rosenstock – J 977 ROS

    Teen Books –

    • An Illustrated History of UFOS by Adam Allsuch Boardman – YA 001.942 BOA
    • What Now: a Teen Guide to Life After High School by Barbara Sheen – YA 158.1 SHE
    • The (Other) F Word: a Celebration of the Fat and Fierce edited by Angie Manfredi – YA 306.461 OTH
    • The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day – YA 364.162 DAY/J 364.162 DAY
    • Omnivore’s Dilemma The Secrets Behind What You Eat (Young Readers Edition) by Michael Pollan- YA 394.1 POL
    • Discovering Life’s Story, volume 1: Biology’s Beginnings by Joy Hakim – YA 570.9 HAK
    • Poisoned Water by Candy J. Cooper with Marc Aronson – YA 615.925
    • Greater Goal: the Epic Battle for Equal Pay in Women’s Soccer and Beyond by Elizabeth Rusch – YA 796.334 RUS
    • Poems for Tortured Souls  edited by Liz Ison – YA 811 POE
    • A Quantum Life: My unlikely journey from the street to the stars by Hakeem M. Oluseyi – YA 920 OLU
    • America Redux: Visual Stories from our Dynamic History by Ariel Aberg Riger – YA 973 ABE
    • 83 Days in Mariupol: a war diary by Don Brown – YA GRAPHIC 83
    • Victory. Stand! Raising my fist for justice by Tommie Smith – YA GRAPHIC VIC
    around the world

    Books Set in Another Country

    Explore the world without leaving home by reading a book set in another country. Here are some suggestions:

    Children’s Books –

    • Carson Crosses Canada by Linda Bailey – EASY BAI
    • The Cat Who Walked Across France by Kate Banks – EASY BAN
    • The Tale of the Tiger Slippers by Jan Brett – EASY BRE
    • The Ocean Calls by Tina M. Cho – EASY CHO
    • Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy by Tara Dairman – EASY DAI
    • Possum Magic by Mem Fox – EASY FOX
    • The Problem with Chickens by Bruce McMillan – EASY MCM
    • Salvatore and the Goats of Mount Etna by Uschi Muller – EASY MUL
    • Red Butterfly: How a princess smuggled the secret of silk out of China by Deborah Noyes – EASY NOY
    • Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein – EASY REI/MEDIA KIT REI
    • Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe – EASY STE
    • Paddington series by Michael Bond – READER1 E P/J BON
    • Dodsworth series by Tim Egan – READER2 E E
    • Rabia’s Eid by Rukhsana Khan – READER2 E K
    • Too Small Tola by Atinuke – READER4 E A
    • Greetings from Somewhere: The Mystery Across the Secret Bridge by Harper Paris – SERIES GREETINGS
    • A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus – J ALB
    • The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander – J ALE
    • Thirst by Varsha Bajaj – J BAJ
    • Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar – J BEH
    • Amil and the After by Veera Hiranandani  – J HIR
    • The Windeby Puzzle by Lois Lowry – J LOW
    • The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh – J MAR
    • Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery – J MON/JBOCD MON
    • Uprising by Jennifer Nielsen – J NIE/JBOCD NIE
    • Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack – J PAS
    • The Cricket War by Tho Pham – J PHA
    • Heidi by Johanna Spyri – J SPY/JBOCD SPY
    • The Story of Diva and Flea by Mo Willems – J WIL
    • Food Like Mine: Includes amazing recipes from around the world edited by Carrie Love – J 394.12 FOO
    • The Girl with a Brave Heart: a Tale from Tehran by Rita Jahan-Fouruz – J 398.202 JAH
    • Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang – J 641.822 WAN
    • I am Anne Frank by Brad Meltzer – J 920 FRA
    • King Arthur’s Tale by Anita Ganeri – J 940.014 GAN

    Teen Books –

    • My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen – YA COH
    • The Red Palace by June Hur –YA HUR
    • Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean – YA JEA
    • Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram – YA KHO
    • Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story) by Daniel Nayeri – YA NAY
    • The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh – YA OH
    • Stateless by Elizabeth Wein – YA WEI
    • Shuna’s Journey by Hayao Miyazaki – YA GRAPHIC SHU
    • When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed – YA GRAPHIC WHE/J GN WHE
    • The Bronte Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne by Catherine Reef – YA 920 BRO
    • The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer – YA 920 KAM
    • Inuunira: My Story of Survival by Brian Koonoo – YA 920 KOO
    animal books

    Animal Books

    The Library has tons of books about animals. Readers of all ages can find a book about an animal or furry friend. Check out these suggestions below:

    Children’s Books –

    • A Horse Called Now by Ruth Doyle – EASY DOY
    • Solar Bear by Beth Ferry – EASY FER
    • Otter Oughta Know by Karyn Fiendman-Everham – EASY FRI
    • Duck, Duck, Goose! by John Hare – EASY HAR
    • Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians by Kristi Mahoney – EASY MAH
    • Giraffe and Jackal are Friends (Again!) by Lisa Robinson – EASY ROB
    • Kozo the Sparrow by Allen Say – EASY SAY
    • Little Bear series by Britta Teckentrup – EASY TEC
    • The Man who Didn’t Like Animals by Deborah Underwood – EASY UND
    • Flubby series by J. E. Morris – READER1 E M
    • Doggo and Pupper by Katherine Applegate – READER2 E A
    • Giraffes by Kari Schuetz – READER2 E A
    • Diary of a Pug series by Kyla May – READER4 E M
    • Welcome to Unicorn School by Pip Bird – SERIES DAVE
    • Together Forever! True Stories of Amazing Animal Friendships by Mary Quattlebaum – SERIES NATIONAL
    • The Scaredy Cat by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen – SERIES PURRMAIDS
    • The Guardian Herd: Starfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez – J ALV
    • The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Mountain by Kathi Appelt – J APP
    • Zeus the Mighty: The Quest for the Golden Fleas by Crispin Boyer – J BOY
    • Stone Fox  by John Reynolds Gardiner – J GAR/JBOCD GAR
    • Belly Up (Funjungle book 1) by Stuart Gibbs – J GIB/JBOCD GIB
    • Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry – J HEN/JBOCD HEN
    • Rescue at Lake Wild by Terry Lynn Johnson – J JOH
    • Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure by Megan Wagner Lloyd – J LLO
    • The Littlest Voyageur by Margi Preus – J PRE
    • Braver: a Wombat’s Story by Suzanne Selfors and Walker Ranson – J SEL
    • I, Cosmo by Carlie Sorosiak – J SOR
    • The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate – NEWBERY 2013/JBOCD APP
    • Don’t forget to check non-fiction for animal books as well! Check J 590-599 for zoology and wild animals, and J 636 for farm animals and pets.

    Teen Books –

    • Watership Down by Richard Adams – YA ADA
    • The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – YA BROWSING B
    • Our Divine Mischief by Hannah C Howard – YA HOW
    • Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa – YA KAG
    • Among the Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston – YA POS
    • Rebel Boys and Rescue Dogs or Things that Kiss with Teeth by Brianna R Shrum – YA BROWSING S
    • When My Heart Joins the Thousand by A.J. Steiger – YA STE
    • Animal Watching: the Definitive Interactive Nature Guide by Mary Kay Carson – YA 590.723 CAR
    • Learning to Be Wild: How animals achieve peace, create beauty, and raise families by Carl Safina – YA 591.782 SAF
    • Where Have All the Birds Gone? Nature in Crisis by Rebecca E. Hirsch – YA 639.978 HIR