Grand Rapids Public Library

The Golden Globes may be in their 70th year.  The Oscars may be in their 85th year!  But Taste of Soul Sunday, THE premier event in Grand Rapids celebrating African American culture, is in its EIGHTH year!  We, too, will be having live musical events (check out the schedule for the Ryerson auditorium).  We, too, [...]

It’s time for our fourth annual Teen Writing workshops to kick off the Summer Reading Program!  This year our fabulous featured author is Hope Anita Smith.  Ms. Smith is energetic and uses unique methods to spark your imagination including paint chips, random words, found objects and magazine pictures.  You won’t need an apron for these [...]

Yes, Taste of Soul Sunday is about the food, music and great entertainment. Did you know it is also about books?! Ralph Richard Banks is a professor at Stanford University and has written a book entitled “Is Marriage for White People?” A professor at Michigan State University, Steven J Gold, has written a book about [...]

If you are reading this post, chances are good that someone read with you as a child.  You should thank them for doing so!  Reading with a child is THE single most important way to get them ready to read and is the third of the five new early literacy practices put out by Every [...]

It’s summertime – at least here in the Michigan. Other countries around the world may have opposite seasons but summertime for us means summer reading! The Summer Reading Program theme this year is One World, Many Stories for kids and You Are Here for teens. These themes celebrate the diversity of our world and all [...]

Well, now you have a place to do just that (at the Grand Rapids Public Library, anyway!). Check out our new blog just for teens!  Register yourself for an account and you’ll be able to post reviews of the best new book you’ve read.  And you’ll be able to comment on a poem another teen [...]

West Michigan Jewels of Africa is a traditional African dance and drum troop.  Members teach authentic African culture through motion, song, dance and spirit.  Families can participate in drumming and dancing in this high energy event!  There will be a program for kids featuring the Jewels of Africa on Taste of Soul Sunday, February 20 [...]

Do you feel you’ve been wronged by someone?  Sometimes forgiving them is the greatest revenge!  It allows YOU to feel better and get on with your life! Attend this event on Monday, November 15, 2010 from 7 to 8:30pm at the Grand Rapids Public Library – Main Library to find out why forgiving yourself and [...]

Teens,  you’re invited to attend our Recycled Journal programs.  What’s not to love about this program?  You’ll be finding a new purpose for an old item and you’ll get to walk away with a free, cool journal!  The first event is this Saturday at the Van Belkum branch at 2:30pm.  Sarah and Butch Cash, owners [...]

So you’ve decided to participate in  Curiouser & Curiouser: An Alice Inspired Art Contest for Teens but you want to guarantee that you win that Wacom Tablet.  Don’t forget to sign up for our Artist Workshop, hosted by Kendall College of Art & Design’s Drawing Club, Vitamin D. Bring your in-progress submissions for the competition [...]