We are recruiting new members for CPL’s Teen Advisory Board. If you are a teen interested in helping your library, making a difference in your community and earning community service hours, then TAB is for you! We will be meeting Tuesday, September 29th from 6:00-7:00PM in the Purple Room. For more information check out our program calendar.

In recent years, Hasbro came up with the cool idea of publishing some of its popular board games in "library" editions. Now you can get some of your favorite games in compact boxes that look like books and fit right on your shelves!

There’s nothing quite like a muppet to cheer you up, no matter how old you are. So celebrate Jim Henson and his muppet creations this week, in honor of his birthday on September 24. Read more about Jim Henson's life, watch some of his creations, or find out more about his legacy organization and the Jim Henson Company.

Hey Kids!
Wow! I've already had lots of friends voice their opinions on my poll for what I should be for Halloween. Have I heard from you yet? Don't forget you have until next Monday, September 28th to cast your vote, either here on the website or in the Children's Library! I can't wait to tell you the results, so here's a teaser based on current results--you guys sure like Harry Potter! Will that hold true through next Monday? You'll have to wait until October to find out! What are you going to be for Halloween? If you need some ideas, there are lots of great books here at CPL to give you some ideas!!! Can't wait to see what you'll be for Halloween too!
Bear Hugs!
Thorndyke

I am reminded more and more why I like Girl Genius. Everyone has their favorite web comics, but I thought I'd put out a mention to this one by Phil and Kaja Foglio if you are looking for a good sci-fi fantasy read. It's got romance, humor, a talking cat, possession by otherworldly beings, and a girl who builds mad scientist machines...and, most importantly, it's got very likable characters and an interesting storyline. Check it out.

Teen / Adult Open Board Gaming this Saturday, Sept. 19, 1:00-4:00pm.
We’ve got the hottest games like Carcassonne, Settlers, Ticket to Ride… plus a ton more you probably haven’t heard of but should. Also, in honor of 'Talk Like a Pirate Day', we're breaking out the pirate themed games to add to the mix. Drop by for a good time with a few new folks.

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.

Author Bich Minh Nguyen, who wrote Stealing Buddha's Dinner will speak at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 17th at the Penn Theatre in Plymouth.

Nguyen and her family left Vietnam in 1975, and relocated to Michigan. Stealing Buddha's Dinner is a memoir of the author's childhood and experiences of assimilation into American culture. This is Nguyen's only appearance in the Detroit area; and her presentation is not to be missed.

Animanga Club Sept. 16 6:30-8:45
Join us for our monthly meeting of the animanga club! We've gots lots in store: pocky to eat, a raffle, karaoke, and a mystery anime to top it all off. What is it this month? Sorry, no hints! Come hang out and let your inner otaku run free...

F. Paul Wilson's latest Repairman Jack book, Ground Zero, will be released this week. In his recent newsletter, Wilson described the book: "A woman has been posting anonymously on 9/11 Truther sites...you know, the folks (like Van Jones) who think the Trade Tower attack was all a government conspiracy. Well, she says they're right about the conspiracy, but it wasn't Bush or Cheney manufacturing a second Pearl Harbor to get us into Iraq...and it wasn't Big Oil...and it wasn't the New World Order… The truth is stranger, darker, and more evil than anyone can imagine. Those behind the plot will do anything to stop her. But they've made a fatal miscalculation. They don't know about Jack. ...They don't know this woman has a guardian who is armed to the teeth and can be just as cold-blooded as they. Maybe more so. Many Truths are revealed in GROUND ZERO .

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.

So, you liked Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. You like a good fantasy with some adventure to it, some excitement. No slow, bogged down stories where nothing really happens for you. Well, check out these titles for a little magic thrill:

• Sabriel by Garth Nix
• Pendragon: The Merchant of Death by D. J.

You've played the Prince of Persia video games, you've heard there is a movie in the works, now read the graphic novel. It's written by the same creator as the award winning video games. The Prince of Persia storylines have always been some of my favorite bits of storytelling, and this new tale in graphic novel form is no exception. Check it out.

Book two in the Hunger Games series, Catching Fire is here! If you have yet to read Hunger Games now is time! Book three in the series is expected to be out sometime in fall 2010.

The Crime Writers Association has announced the 2009 CWA Gold Dagger Awards' shortlist.  The winners will be announced on October 21, 2009 at the SpecSavers Crime Thriller Awards in London and will be shown on ITV3 later in the month.

If you like mysteries where all of the main characters are stuck in some kind of confined environment (a large, scary, old house) trying to solve some kind of crime or love the Agatha Christie novels when Poirot dramatically explains the crime's solution at the end of his books to the group of suspects, should enjoy these authors/characters:

Margery Allingham's Albert Campion 

Carolyn Hart's Henrie O'

M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin 

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.