Got the birthday party blues? Want to host a wonderful birthday party for your youngster but can’t afford the trendy birthday venues? Then throw a great children’s party at home. It’s easy and fun with some great craft and food ideas from some books at the CPL. I would recommend the easy to follow craft books, The Crafty Diva’s D.I. Y. Stylebook, and make it!. Both are loaded with information and ideas for simple crafts that are appropriate for kids aged 5 to 18. As an added bonus, all the crafts contained within make it! are eco-friendly because they are made from items you would normally recycle or throw away.

Want to build your own toy bike? We've got the book to get your started. Let's Make a Bike with Everyday Materials by D.M. Heller is one book in a series of do-it-yourself craft books. You can make a dumptruck, a fish, a monkey and an owl with scissors, glue, paper and lots of other materials that you might already have handy. Custom-made toys by you! How cool is that?

I'm definitely in a fall mood. With the weather getting cooler, I keep thinking about fall stuff like apple cider, warm soup, and pumpkins. I'm ready to go buy some pumpkins right now, but it's still a little too early for that. In the meantime, I think I'll just read some books about them. Here are some of my favorite easy-reading titles all about pumpkins. Enjoy!

Buster and the giant pumpkin by Marc Brown

Oh my, pumpkin pie! by Charles Ghigna; illustrated by Kenneth Spengler

There's nothing like a truly tall tale to stretch the imagination. And what better way to celebrate both Big Whopper Liar Day (September 19) and Keep Kids Creative Week (September 20-27)? So stop by the library this week and check out a tall tale, or find other ways to keep your imagination growing. Maybe you could perform a play or write your own story.

If you enjoyed Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time or The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen, you might be interested in learning that we have many more books about children coming to terms with being multiple races/ethnicities. I enjoyed Half and Half by Lensey Namioka and I Wanna Be Your Shoebox by Christina Garcia. There are many more to choose from (ranging from picture books to chapter books), so stop by the Children's Department today to pick up a good read!

Avast Ye,
'Tis that time a voyage again t' celebrate all things swashbuckling. International Talk Like A Pirate Day be Septembree 19th, but we be celebratin' on both th' 18th an' 19th. Avast by th' library fer some good old gentleman o' fortune fun! Most importantly dasn't forget t' check ou' a sea dog book or two.

Hey Kids!
I need your help with something. See, my third favorite holiday (after Christmas and the First Day of Summer Reading) is coming up soon. It’s Halloween! But I can’t decide what to be. I have to decide soon, because I get to wear my costume for the whole month of October!! This is where you come in. You’ll see that I’ve posted a poll below on the web site. You can either vote for what you think I should be for Halloween there, or you can come into the Children’s Library and vote! Sorry, there’s no prize. The library pays me in cookies--that’s how I keep my nice round physique! But you’ll definitely see what costume was the favorite, 'cause that’s what I’ll be wearing come October! Of course, in order to make my costume in time, I’ll need all your votes by Monday, September 28th. Gotta have time to make that costume you know! Thanks soooo much for your help!
Bear Hugs!
Thorndyke

Canton Public Library just received a grant to work with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and Project S.N.A.P.! The goal of the grant project is to engage youth and families at their local libraries in environmental and arts activities. Participating families will receive hands-on environmental leadership training, the opportunity to build support for environmental stewardship in Canton, a chance to make art for a community mural and the opportunity to participate in a community-wide clean-up project. We are one of only five libraries in Southeast Michigan to be awarded this grant collaboration. Stay tuned for more information on how you and your family can get involved.

If your little one just loves cats, then you'll enjoy these fun cat stories.

• Mama Cat Has Three Kittens
• I Love Cats
• I Like Cats
• Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat are you waking up?
• Metro Cat

Are you thinking of adopting a vegetarian diet? Many people have, but there are important facts to know to make sure you stay healthy and get all the nutrition you need on a restricted diet. How to Become Vegetarian: 5 Key Steps (& Famous Vegetarian Celebrities) offers information and lots of links for further research that you may find helpful if you're considering vegetarianism. Even if you're already veggie, there is a lot of good info here that you may not have seen before.

Maybe you noticed the display in the children's library about Roald Dahl month? Well, get ready, because this weekend is Roald Dahl's birthday! Browse through our scrumdidlyumptious collection of his stories to celebrate, or bake a cake from his cookbook. If you're more interested in the man himself, check out some of our biographies full of information on Roald Dahl.

Everyone loves a good princess tale, whether young or old, and the Children's Department has an awesome selection of titles for you to pick from. For the early readers we have such series as: The Tiara Club and Pony-Crazed Princess. For those who like humorous/fractured adaptations of traditional tales, try these spin-off series: The Frog Princess or Princess School. Historical fiction fans will soon learn that some real-life princesses of old did not have a fairy-tale existence at all when they read Girl in a Cage.

Looking for a quick and easy craft you can do with materials from around the house? Check out this way cool paper castle! The best part about it is that you can use whatever materials you happen to have on hand - if it looks like the photo, great, but you can also show your creativity and make it look however you'd like.
You can also check out our wide selection of stories about castles or read up on what it was like to live in a castle.

Did you know that September 9th marks Wonderful Weirdos Day? Celebrate this wacky holiday by reading a book in one of my favorite wonderfully "weird" series: Dan Gutman's My Weird School Daze. There are plenty of titles to choose from, so pick one up to enjoy after thanking some of the wonderfully "weird" people that make your life more fun!

Ever wondered what's in those delicious fast-food hamburgers? Just beef right? Not exactly. Check out the documentary film King Corn to watch two friends as they return to the land of their ancestors, small-town Iowa, to uncover the corn industry and its impact on the American diet. The film also discusses the environmental impact of industrial farming. The film may not answer all of your questions but it will surely get a conversation started.

Many parents use web monitoring software to keep track of what their children do online - it's the next best thing to being there, right? Maybe not. The Associated Press reports that several major brands of this type of software offer kids' chat message logs to businesses hoping to tailor their marketing messages to children. There are some software companies that do not sell information to other businesses - you may want to check to see what practices your web monitoring software engages in. CPL also has lots of resources for parents and kids on Internet safety.

We've done it this time! We've got 1000 sheets of origami paper just waiting to be folded at our Fantastic Origami program on Tuesday, September 22 from 5-7pm in the Purple Room. Come learn about Sadako Sasaki and celebrate the International Day of Peace on September 21 by making paper cranes. Registration is now open for third and fourth graders.

President Obama addressed students today in a back-to-school speech focused on staying in school and trying your best. He encouraged them to set their own goals including "spending time each day reading a book." As a new school year begins, Raising Bookworms, can help parents instill the love of reading in their child. Author Emma Walton Hamilton also has written 16 books for children with her mother, Julie Andrews.

Three movies based on your favorite Children's books!