Children ages 4-9 with a caregiver are invited to join us Thursday, May 10 from 7:00-8:00 PM for an evening concert featuring local musicians, New Horizons. Experience the wonder of hearing music, learn about the joys of making music, and see different musical instruments. Refreshments will be served and each family will receive one book to take home. This program is funded by the Target Store Early Childhood Reading Grant and the Friends of the Canton Public Library. Registration begins April 26 at 9:00 AM.

Do you enjoy historical fiction? Do you also enjoy reading a good picture book? The library has a variety of excellent picture books that take place in the past. Let the suggestions below transport you to another time and place with their moving storylines and wonderful illustrations.

Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting; illustrated by Ronald Himler

Mind your manners, Alice Roosevelt! by written by Leslie Kimmelman and illustrated by Adam Gustavson

Everyone knows Mickey Mouse and his pals. Toddlers. Kids. Teens. Parents. Grandparents. These classic cartoons can be enjoyed by families on a multigenerational level. Canton Public Library owns a few collection of cartoons that the older crowd will remember and the younger crowd will think are new.

It's a small world of fun! Vol. 1 [videodisc] — This four volumn set of DVDs includes classic Disney shorts with an international flair. You will find Mickey and his friends here as well as other classic shorts like Peter and the Wolf, The Little House, and the Reluctant Dragon.

NHS students are here to provide 3rd-12th graders free homework help. If you are interested in getting tutored:

• You must be in 3^rd through 12^th grade
• If you are under 12, your parent must remain in the library
• You must bring the assignment and any other needed materials

Days and Times

• Monday from 6:00-8:00 PM by the Teen Desk
• Tuesday from 6:00-8:00 PM by the Teen Desk
• Wednesday from 6:00-8:00 PM at Plymouth District Library
• Thursday from 6:00-8:00 PM by the Teen Desk
• Thursday from 6:00-8:00 PM at Plymouth District Library

*Tutors will not be here during snow days or the holiday breaks, they need a break too! The last day for tutoring is May 31st.

Do you love looking at the illustrations in a picture book? Did you know there is an award that is given out yearly for just that? It's true! The Caldecott Winners are chosen based on their beautiful and artistic illustrations. We have an extensive collection of them in our Children's Department. Try one out today!

Join us Saturday, May 12, 2012 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM as we explore the act of Going Green! We will have the chance to learn about the plants that are all around us and get to plant a flower of your very own to take home and nurture. This program is open to kids in grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade accompanied by a caregiver. See you there!  Registration will begin April 26, 9:00 AM. 

If you're looking for a picture book about Michigan, or one that takes place in Michigan, we have you covered. Here's a list of fun picture books from the "mitten state."

M is for mitten: the Michigan alphabet book by Annie Appleford; illustrated by Michael Monroe

Gitchi Gumee by written by Anne Margaret Lewis; illustrated by Kathleen Chaney Fritz

Rascal makes mischief on Mackinac Island by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds; illustrated by Darrin Brege

In honor of Free Comic Book Day, we'll show the movie The Adventures of Tintin (PG) on Saturday, May 5th, 1:00-3:30 PM.  Bring your popcorn!  Plus, get a quick 10 minute (beginner's) lesson on how to draw your very own Tintin to celebrate the beloved comic.

The series, The 39 Clues, will be temporarily unavailable while changes are made to reflect its new shelf location in J Fiction. Because there are multiple authors it will be shelved by the title of the series:

J Fiction Thirtynine

Thank you, again, for your patience and understanding during this process.

The false prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen is not for readers who like predictable stories with stereotypical characters. Action, a plot laced with surprising twists and turns, and magnificent, engaging characters await the reader who picks up this book that they will then not be able to put down. Civil war threatens Carthya after the entire royal family has been murdered. Connor, a nobleman, devises a cunning plan to gain power and save his country from ruin. Four orphans who resemble the king's youngest son, long thought to be dead, are stolen and forced to compete for the role of impersonating Jaron. One is murdered by Connor almost immediately to instill terror and unconditional obedience. But Sage, the narrator of this tale, is stubborn, rebellious, and impetuous.

Did you hear about Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber's perfect game on Saturday? A perfect game is when a pitcher faces 27 batters and there are no runs, no hits, no errors, and nobody left on base. It is a feat only accomplished 21 times in Major League Baseball history. It has been accomplished only once in Little League World Series history. You can relive that event in:

The perfect game [videodisc] — A team of poor Mexican boys, smaller than most of the boys they played against, tackle visa problems, prejudices and team dynamics on their way to the World Series. It would make a great pick for your next family movie night.

Celebrate the season by picking up an easy-to-read book about springtime. You can find the books listed below in the Readers section in the Children's Department. Happy spring!

Springtime in Bugland! by David A. Carter

Happy go Ducky by cover illustration by Jackie Urbanovic ; story by Lori Haskins Houran ; pictures by Joe Mathieu

The Organization for Bat Conservation visited the library on Earth Day to kick-off our Earth Week celebrations. Mr. Chad presented their Animal Adaptations program and brought over a number of furry and feathered friends. Check out our slideshow.

Thursday, April 26th is National Poem In Your Pocket Day. Poetry lovers celebrate by carrying their favorite poem with them and sharing it with friends, family, co-workers, or anyone who will listen. Check out our excellent poetry collection and jot down a poem to carry in your pocket.

Poetry speaks who I am editor, Elise Paschen

The trouble with poetry and other poems by Billy Collins

The votes have been tallied, and we're pleased to announce that Teddy Carnival is the winning name in our Name the Fish contest! Thank you to everyone who participated in our contest, and congratulations to Maya K. for suggesting the name that received the most votes from library staff.

Still have jelly beans leftover from your Easter basket? Then share them with your friends in celebration of National Jelly Bean Day on April 22. Primarily made of sugar, jelly beans are the descendant of the Middle Eastern confection, Turkish Delight. William Schrafft, a Boston confectioner began selling jelly beans in 1861 but they really took off in 1905 when an advertisement appeared in the Chicago Daily News selling jelly beans in bulk packages. Jelly beans became an Easter staple in American Easter baskets in the 1930s.
[Photo by New Media, January 1, 1980. eLibrary]

This fun program will be for kids that love poems and kids who don't. We will look at "giggle poetry" for kids online, answer some riddles and vote on our favorite silly poems, while enjoying popcorn. This program is for kids third through fifth grade. Register online beginning March 26.
When: Tuesday, April 24, 7:00-7:45 PM
[Popcorn! by Andrew Rivett is licensed under CC BY 2.0]

Have you checked out the Scholastic Storybook Treasures series yet? These are short movies of your favorite picture books told in differening animation styles. Many have recieved the ALA Carnegie Medal for excellence in Children's video. Some DVDs in the series also include a "read-along" feature for beginning readers. It's an great choice if your looking to expand your child's exposure to literature. Some of our favorites:

The Pigeon finds a hot dog [videodisc]: and more stories by Mo Willems — Author Mo Willems voices the pigeon in the title story. Special features includes a read-along story and an interview with the author.

All ages may enjoy a storytime program in Tamil presented by Sivakami Rajendran

Program Date: Thursday, May 4th at 7:00 PM in the Purple Room

The Nancy Drew series will be temporarily unvailble while changes are being made to reflect its new location: J Fiction Keene

Thank you again for your patience and understanding during this process.