April is National Poetry Month, if you haven’t already, maybe it’s time your group considered reading and discussing poetry. Choose a poet and let members select 2 or 3 poems from the poet’s collected worksto read. Members can discuss their reactions to the poems or maybe to poetry as a whole.

The complete poems by Walt Whitman ; edited with an introduction and notes by Francis Murphy

How to read a poem: and fall in love with poetry by Edward Hirsch

These historical fiction books span the centuries as well as the globe. Try them for an escape to another time and place.

The book thief by Markus Zusak

Girl in hyacinth blue by Susan Vreeland

City of dreams: a novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and early Manhattan by Beverly Swerling

Is vocabulary your downfall? Taking the ACT/SAT soon? Working on the TOEFL? Struggling with your 3^rd grade homework? For all ages, Word Dynamo has great vocabulary games for standardized tests. Even science vocab (get taught, say, the bones in the body). Play along and learn something new!

Cold cereal by Adam Rex — If you are a cereal lover as I am, you may never be able to eat it again with impunity after reading this book. However, this zany, fast-paced, hilarious fantasy adventure by Rex is totally worth it. Scott Doe has the ability to see magical creatures that no one else can, but doesn't really realize it. Emily and Erno are super smart twins involved in an nefarious experiment, but do not know it. Goodco Cereal Company is capturing magical beings and draining the "glamour" from them to use as an addictive additive to their products, but consumers haven't a clue. A bigfoot butler, a snarky leprechaun, and a rabbit-headed man are some of the lucky few creatures who have managed to escape Goodco's ever-expanding power.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins — has lots of buzz right now. This article from sciencefiction.com compares the movie and the book and points out both the good and bad. How do you think the movie stacks up? Was it a hit or a miss?

Our art collection has many different topics in it and one that I just know you will enjoy is our array of books by Charles Schultz. The Peanuts characters have been beloved by millions for many, many years. Be sure to check out our selections located in both the Children's and Adult departments. I can almost hear Schroeder playing the famous theme song now. Enjoy!

Tim Heller, avid chess player, hosts informal open play on Sunday, April 29 at 1:00 PM in the Community Room while providing instruction and pointers on improving your game. Beginners welcome. Note: no chess on April 8 due to the Easter holiday.

Into board games like Settlers, Carcassonne, or Puerto Rico? Drop by Saturday, April 7 between Noon and 5:45 PM for our monthly Board Gaming League of Canton meeting. Play some of the hottest games and meet some new folks!

While the world is watching The Hunger Games, you may be waiting to read a title in the series or wanting to read something similiar. Try these read-alikes, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

The running man by Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman ; with an introduction by the author

Among the hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Daylight runner by Oisin McGann

You’re invited to join CPL, Huntington Learning Center and Shooter from the Plymouth Whalers for a free workshop Saturday, March 24th from 2:00-3:30 PM. The workshop will offer you and your child valuable practical advice on how to tackle everyday homework problems and ensure that your children have the right environment and skills for completing assignments to the very best of their abilities. Welcome time, including snacks and a photo op with Shooter, will take place from 2:00-2:30 PM with the workshop to follow from 2:30-3:30 PM.

If you enjoyed Among The Hidden and you're looking for a new series, give one of these a try:

The city of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

The giver by Lois Lowry

Virus on Orbis 1 by PJ Haarsma

The Great Michigan Read 2011-2012 is drawing to a close. This year's selection has inspired displays and discussions across the states in public libraries and schools. The author, Kevin Boyle, received his undergraduate degree from University of Detroit-Mercy and his doctorate from University of Michigan. He is presently teaching at Ohio State University. Arc of Justice won the National Book Award in 2004 and was named Michigan Notable Book in 2005.

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!

To foster a sense of community and provide an opportunity for calm conversation, the Canton Public Library will host a book discussion for two book titles whose inclusion in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools AP curriculum was recently challenged. The second discussion will be Tuesday, March 27th at 7:00 PM and we will be discussing:

Waterland by Graham Swift — Set in the bleak Fen Country of East Anglia, England and spanning some 240 years in the lives of its haunted narrator and his ancestors, Waterland is a book that takes in eels and incest, ale-making and madness, the heartless sweep of history and a family romance as tormented as any in Greek tragedy. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Waterland, like the Hardy novels, carries with all else a profound knowledge of a people, a place, and their interweaving… Swift tells his tale with wonderful contemporary verve and verbal felicity… A fine and original work."

Saturday, March 17th from 1:00-2:00 PM, Sylvan teachers will help teens become more comfortable using the steps of the writing process. Brighten up your writing and engage your audience by learning the techniques used by successful writers.

Marie Curie. Eleanor Roosevelt. Susan B. Anthony. Elizabeth I of England. Florence Nightingale. These remarkable women are well known to most of us, but there are many others in history just as remarkable whose names may not be as recognizable. In honor of Women's History Month we should all make some time to learn about them by reading some of the many biographies to found in the library's collection:

Bella Abzug: how one tough broad from the Bronx fought Jim Crow and Joe McCarthy, pissed off Jimmy Carter, battled for the rights of women and workers, rallied against war and for the planet, and shook up politics along the way: an oral history by Suzanne Braun Levine and Mary Thom — Bella Abzug, American lawyer, congresswoman and social activist

Jane Addams and the dream of American democracy: a life by Jean Bethke Elshtain — Jane Addams, American social reformer, suffrage leader and the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Anna of all the Russias: the life of Anna Akhmatova by Elaine Feinstein — Anna Akhmatova, Influential Russian poet

Daredevil by Mark Waid. Vol. 1 is, in a word, fun. It's everything old school comics used to be: An underdog hero (come on, he's blind) who cleverly outwits his opponents, impossible situations to overcome, and funny one-liners. Plus, bright, inventive art. Try reading this book without grinning. There's a reason why it was named by Comic Book Resources as the #1 comic of 2011.

I have the pleasure of working with a fantastic group of young adults at the Starkweather Alternative High School. The Canton Public Library in cooperation with Starkweather was awarded an ALA Great Stories Club Grant a couple years ago. The book club was such a success we decided to continue meeting.

The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon — Presents the true story of Brent Runyon who at fourteen set himself on fire and sustained burns over eighty percent of his body, and describes the months of physical and mental rehabilitation that followed as he attempted to pull his life together.

The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Heaven awaits the bride by Anna Rountree

A monster calls: a novel by Patrick Ness ; inspired from an idea by Siobhan Dowd ; illustrations by Jim Kay

Destiny of the republic [sound recording]: a tale of madness, medicine and the murder of a president by Candice Millard

The complete history of American film criticism by Jerry Roberts

A natural history of the piano: the instrument, the music, the musicians—from Mozart to modern jazz, and everything in between by Stuart Isacoff

The rise and fall of the Bible: the unexpected history of an accidental book by Timothy Beal