Portland District Library News

Portland Creates

You’ve still got a week to submit your artwork to Portland Creates, our all-ages art contest.  Because it’s been ten years since we launched this program, look for special prizes, an amped-up reception, and more surprises along the way.  Submit your artwork by April 30, then see it displayed and cast your votes from May 1 through May 30.  Visit the library or pdl.michlibrary.org for rules and entry forms.

Quilling Club

Do you ever watch Bridgerton and yearn to participate in the refined activities of yesteryear?  Now you can take up quilling, or paper filigree.   The library has a drop-in quilling club that meets on the second Wednesday of each month—May 13—from 6:00-7:30.  All skill levels are welcome.  Bring your own supplies or use some of ours to work on projects together, show each other new techniques, and share ideas.

Batik Boutique

The art of batik—using wax and dyes to create patterns on fabric—is beautiful, but very time consuming.  But you can get the same look on paper in a fraction of the time using crayons and paint.  Register anytime and pick up your Take-and-Make bag starting April 8 to create your faux batik.  And it’s the perfect project to submit for Portland Creates!  Ages 18 and up.

Children’s and Teen

LITTLES

Talk, walk, and earn a prize at every library! The annual Talking is Teaching County-Wide Scavenger Hunt is going on now! All seven county libraries and the Ionia County ISD will offer this 8-week-long outdoor scavenger hunt to patrons in each community. Visit your local library to pick up a scavenger hunt sheet today and continue your adventure in other communities too! Complete the hunt no later than Saturday, May 30 to receive 7 unique books.  Contact Youth Librarian Eileen Pock at 517-647-6981 ext. 3 or epock@portlandmilibrary.com with questions!

1, 2, 3... Count with me! Tiny Tots this spring is all about counting in the garden! Register with your little one (ages 2 & under) to explore numbers through activities inspired by plants, busy bugs, and garden friends. This storytime encourages movement and joyful interaction as we build early literacy and number awareness together. Join Miss Anna at the library every other Friday at 10:00 a.m. starting April 3. Want to try storytime at home? Grab one of our monthly caregiver packets and follow along to our videos! Registration begins Monday, March 16.

Come along with Miss Jamie this spring for Book Cubs storytime (ages 3-5), where we will explore food, where it comes from, and what makes a nutritious meal! We will chop, stir, and saute our way into healthy eating habits. Treat your Book Cub (and yourself) and join us in the Storytime Room at 10:00 a.m. every other Wednesday March 25 through May 20. Can't make it in person? Our virtual storytime has got you covered! Registration and Take-And-Make bags will be available at the Youth Desk beginning Monday, March 16.

We’ve got more adventures for our curious explorers, ages 5 & under, and their caregivers this spring at Messy Makers! Dig, squish, swirl, splatter, touch, and feel through all our sensory stations in the Storytime Room. Dress for a mess on Mondays April 27 and May 18 starting at 6:00 p.m. Registration is required!

Learning is in the forecast this May! At Books & Blankets on Thursday, May 21 at 6:00 p.m, little ones aged 8 & under will learn about the wonders of weather while building early literacy and science skills. We’ll spend storytime talking about clouds, rainbows, wind, and rain, and even create our own mini “forecast” together! Register your family to reserve your spot!

Pour, mix, roll, and BOUNCE! Get ready to create a bouncy ball right before our eyes. We’ll combine our ingredients and watch a chemical reaction happen to create these sparkly, springy toys. Young scientists (ages 5 & under) can register for a Virtual STEM Club Littles Edition: Big Bounce Factory Take-and-Make bag starting Tuesday, May 12.

MIDDLES

Our furry friends from Love On A Leash will be all ears during Barks for Books this spring! Patrons, ages 6-12, can register for 15-minute time slots to read to some of the best, and fluffiest, listeners around. Pup pals will be at the library on Wednesday, April 29 from 6:30-7:30 p.m., Monday, May 11 from 6:30-7:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 16 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Call us today at 517-647-6981 to register.

Virtual STEM Club: Mission Marble Maze is rolling into action! Middles engineers, ages 6-12, will put their creativity and engineering skills to the test as they design strategic, gravity-powered marble runs using common household supplies. Experiment with angles, speed, and structure to create the ultimate run—will your marble make it to the finish?  Grab your Take-and-Make Bag starting Wednesday, April 15 and get ready to build, test, and tweak your way to marble run mastery!

Twist, twist, POP! Bring the fun home with Inflate & Create. This hands-on art project for Middles (ages 6-12), includes everything you need to twist and shape your very own balloon creations. Sign up at the Youth Desk to pick up your Take-and-Make bag starting Friday, May 8 and get ready to clown around as you sculpt anything from playful puppies to blooming flowers and more!

TEENS

Teens, register now for Button It Up!, an in-person Teen Art Hour program where you’ll design and make your very own custom buttons! Draw it, doodle it, meme it, quote it, or rep your fandom—then watch it get transformed into a real, wearable button you can take home. Perfect for backpacks, jackets, or gifting to friends. Spots are limited, so stop by the Youth Desk or call 517-647-6891 to sign up. The program takes place on Tuesday, May 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room.

Ready to make your drawings move? In Virtual STEM Club Teen Edition: The Zoetrope Zone, we’ll build our own zoetrope — a spin-powered animation machine that turns simple sketches into awesome looping motion. Teen inventors (13-18) can pick up a Take-and-Make bag beginning Tuesday, May 19 and discover how early filmmakers created moving pictures, then design their own mini animation and watch it spring to life with every twirl. It’s art, engineering, and a little bit of dizzying fun all in one! 

PDL's teen (13-18) book club, Page Turners, is entering into a chilling paranormal realm with "Sweetest Darkness" by Leslie Lutz. In this supernatural horror novel a teenage psychic, Quinn, is drawn to an abandoned hotel in Gypsum, Texas. He unwittingly unleashes a predatory entity that threatens to destroy everything. Quinn has always been able to see the future, but can he find the power within himself to change it? Love a good haunting? Join us at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 14 and Tuesday, May 5 in the Community Room. Register now and get a free copy of the book to keep! 

Lit Loot, PDL's monthly teen book subscription box, is back and better than ever for the spring quarter! Each box is packed with two awesome books and fun, themed goodies to match. Every month brings a brand-new aesthetic, new stories to discover, and surprises you won’t want to miss. Lit Loot is the perfect monthly treat for yourself.

April Theme: Music- This box celebrates all kinds of music—from pop and hip-hop to classical, indie, musicals, and everything in between. Expect stories about creativity, performance, identity, and finding your voice through sound.  

 May Theme: Revenge- Get ready for dramatic plots, bold characters, and satisfying payback in stories you won’t be able to put down.

Register today at the Youth Desk and start a new chapter!