The newest manga from Rumiko Takahashi, the creator of such legendary series as Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2, is on its way. Rin-Ne reads to me like some cross between Bleach and Inuyasha with a bit of comedic romance thrown in. A girl who sees spirits and a boy who hunts them down...in anyone else's hands this premise might seem cliche, but Takahashi spins it in a very original way. It's fantastic so far (I'm hooked). We will be getting our copy of the first volume here in Oct., but you can also check it out online at Viz's site therumicworld.

The Michigan Promise Program's future might be in jeopardy if the lawmakers and Governor Granholm can't agree on the state's budget deal. As college students arrive in dorms to begin their new semesters, some are being asked to meet the shortfall if the program isn't funded. Other schools are encouraging their students to search for financial aid. This book, Scholarships, is one place to start your search.

Egmont Press has released the news that Lemony Snicket will author a new series of books set for release in 2012.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that I have begun research into a new case, and I can neither confirm nor deny that the results are as dreadful and unnerving as A Series Of Unfortunate Events. However, I can confirm that Egmont will be publishing these findings," Snicket, the pen name of San Francisco author Daniel Handler, said in a statement.

Have you read Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events yet? If not, you've got time before the new series.

As summer begins to wind down and fall begins to rev up, keep the fun going! Visit one of Michigan's great fall Festivals & Fairs.
The Michigan State Fair is going on now through Labor Day. See www.absolutemichigan.com for a schedule of events.
Check out www.Michigan.org for the many festivals and fairs available in just about every city.
Visit our large selections of materials on festivals and fairs. Some to check-out are:

• Food Festivals: eating your way from coast to coast
• Festivals of the world
• African-American holidays, festivals,and celebrations

This year 39 crime books competed for the Davitt Awards which were set up by Sisters in Crime in 2001 to celebrate the achievements of Australian women crime writers. Justice Betty King presented the awards to a crowd of 140 at the Celtic Club. For the third year running, the awards were sponsored by the Victoria Police Museum.

Beautiful Place To Die (PanMacmillan), the debut novel by Sydney-based filmmaker turned crime writer, Malla Nunn, tonight won Sisters in Crime’s Davitt Awards for the best (adult) crime novel by an Australian woman in 2008.

Blue Mountains writer Catherine Jinks took out the Davitt (young adult) for Genius Squad (Allen & Unwin)

25 talented Canton teens attended our Teen Creative Writing class this Summer. The class, graciously taught by Linda Papa, met five Saturdays from June to August. The end result was some wonderful writing, which we continue to share with you with the piece, "Story of Image #1," by Helen Zhou.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy passed away early this morning after a long battle with cancer. He was 77. Kennedy, nicknamed "Ted," and known as the "Lion of the Senate" was first elected to represent Massachusetts in 1962. He is one of only six senators in U.S. history to serve more than 40 years. Throughout this time he played major roles in the passage of such landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act. He has also been one of the Senate's foremost champions of health care reform. Speaking to reporters after hearing the news of Kennedy's death, President Obama called him "not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy."

Voting for the Teens' Top Ten is now open! Give your favorite book props by voting here anytime until September 18th.

As the month of August dwindles and fall approaches the Sept/09 edition of U.S. News & World Report arrives at the CPL. Exclusive rankings plus "Smart Ways To Pay For Your Education" are included for you reading. U.S. News is available for patron use at the Adult magazine shelf and Adult Reference desk. Additional copies are also available for immediate check out at the "magazine express" spinners.

25 talented Canton teens attended our Teen Creative Writing class this Summer. The class, graciously taught by Linda Papa, met five Saturdays from June to August. The end result was some wonderful writing, which we have the pleasure of sharing with you. This first piece, "The After Thanksgiving Sale," is by Mona Patel.

Photo and other original work (in audio and print) courtesy of Mona Patel and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License

The Private Eye Writers of America announced the nominees for the 28th. Annual Shamus Awards on Friday. Eleven of the fifteen novels nominated are available at our library. Which book(s) do you choose for the three categories: Best Hardcover, Best First PI Novel, and Best Paperbook?

Travel back to the 16th century when the 31st annual Michigan Renaissance Festival opens Saturday, August 22 for a 7-week run. Hilarity and merriment will ensue, with live entertainment from Ded Bob, Ric Roc, Owain Phyfe and other faire favorites, plus jousting, wine-tasting and special events each weekend. The festival runs every Saturday-Sunday through October 4.

The Dark Avengers...Marvel's latest crossover event. Who are they? Villains dressed as heroes, taking their name, doing heroic things...sort of. See all the twisted fallout. Do some rise to the challenge? Do some villains change heart? What dark things are they realy up to, and what about the real heroes? Look for all the answers in Dark Reign, and, on its way in September, Dark Avengers Vol. 1.

U.S.News and World Report has named the best schools in the nation in their latest issue. You can also check out the newest college directory, Complete Book of Colleges.

Every August I look forward to the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival! There's lots of cool crafts for sale, yummy fair food, and a living history area where you can see how 19th century Michiganders lived. Whenever the festival comes, it always makes me want to pick up a good piece of Civil War historical fiction. My favorites are the ones by Ann Rinaldi. She even wrote one about a girl from Michigan who runs off to join the Union Army during the Civil War. There's a ton to choose from at the library, so stop by and give one a try. Happy reading!

Thank you to everyone who entered our Manga Drawing Contest! We had an impressive 68 entries this year. Because we got so many we decided to divide it into three catagories: 5-6 grade, 7-9 grade, and 10-12 grade. We have included a few 'honorable mentions' the judges gave out, even though they do not win a prize, but if truth be told many more deserve 'honorable mention'; the drawings were amazing this year and judging was really tough. Later this week we will post a proper gallery with all participants' entries for people to see. Without futher ado, the winners are:

5-6 Grade:

If you loved The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson, you have probably been waiting for the next book in the series. Daniel X: Watch The Skies is here! Don't forget to add your name to the hold list so you get it as soon as it is available.

If you've been waiting for a chance to celebrate your inner (or outer) geek, check out this collection of short stories and comics put together by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci. From Star Wars to Star Trek, gaming, T.V. shows, drama club, and more, a variety of your favorite authors tackle the geek world (and admit they are from it). As a former marching band geek who went through the TAG program, Geektastic is the book I didn't know I was waiting for.

I finally got around to reading The Goose Girl -it came out way back in 2003- and I just have to say, 'Man, why did I wait so long?' If you haven't taken the plunge yet, Shannon Hale reworks an old, gruesome Grimm's fairy tale into a beautiful bit of adventure storytelling. I think the thing that sold it for me though is that she does such a good job of creating very original rules for her 'girl talks with animals' schtick that it makes all the fantasy somehow feel very realistic. I'm definitely picking up the next book in this series, and you should too...