Join other handcrafters for an evening of sharing and learning. All ages and stages are welcome at this informal gathering on Monday, July 8 at 7:00 PM in the library Purple Room. Bring your own project, yarn and needles.

Michigan native Loreen Niewenhuis has always had a connection to and deep love of Lake Michigan. She decided to make the 1000 mile trek around the lake and then wrote A 1000 Mile Walk on the Beach: One Woman's Trek of the Perimeter of Lake Michigan. Next, she decided to touch every Great Lake and her second big trek resulted in A 1000 Mile Great Lakes Walk. Loreen will share her fascinating story with us on August 15 at 7:00 PM. She will also sell and sign her books for our enjoyment. Don't miss this one.

Virginia Bailey Parker is a national award-winning author, oral historian, speaker and writing coach. She has written three books, has been a columnist, newsletter editor for professional organizations and a freelance writer. Parker will help you record your family's unique stories while you can. But first, which questions should you ask and how do you ask them to get the best results when interviewing family members. Join us on Monday, July 8 at 7:00 PM.

Into board games like Settlers, Carcassonne, or Puerto Rico? Drop by Saturday, July 6 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!

Make a one-of-a-kind, designer case for your iPod or mp3 player using colorful felt, embroidery thread, and your choice of embellishments. It's super easy, and we'll supply everything you need! Friday July 26, 2:00-3:00 PM. Feel free to bring your mp3 player with you if you want to make sure it fits. Ages 9-17.

Into board games like Settlers, Carcassonne, or Puerto Rico? Drop by Saturday, August 3 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!

Canton Public Library is pleased to welcome Jennifer Blades, the Coach of the University of Michigan's Equestrian team and owner of Willowbrooke Farm in Plymouth on Wednesday, August 7, at 10:00 AM. Jenny will bring a very special guest, one of her favorite school horses, Darien. She'll describe the basics of English riding skills and horse maintenance. Darien is a gentle, sweet horse and he loves kids! This is an outdoor event.

Come back in the evening at 7:00 PM to hear the moving and amazing story of JoAnne Normile and how she started Canter, the racehorse rescue group, in Michigan. Normile's story is told through her book Saving Baby: How One Woman's Love for a Racehorse Led to Her Redemption. She will be available to sign copies of her starred Kirkus-reviewed book purchased at the event.

Wednesday, July 24, 6:30-8:45 PM join us for our monthly meeting of the Animanga Club! We've got all sorts of zaniness in store from a raffle to trivia to our always popular "mystery anime." What is it this month? Sorry, no hints. Drop by and let your inner otaku run free.

Wednesday, June 19, 6:30-8:45 PM join us for our monthly meeting of the Animanga Club! We've got all sorts of zaniness in store from a raffle to trivia to our always popular "mystery anime." What is it this month? Sorry, no hints. Drop by and let your inner otaku run free.

Into board games like Settlers, Carcassonne, or Puerto Rico? Drop by Saturday, June 1 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!

Starting July 1st, enter our "My Mitten" Drawing Contest and show us what you love about Michigan. It could be your favorite place, your favorite people who live in Michigan, or even your favorite Michigan "thing" (cherries, automobiles, whatever you love!). Last day to enter is July 26th, with artwork being displayed in the library July 30th - August 11th for voting (one vote per person per day).

Contest Entry Form

Contest Rules

1. Last day to enter: July 26th.
2. Limit of one entry per person.
3. Entries must be submitted on a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.
4. Artwork must be your own. You may get inspiration from a book or online, but please do not copy someone else's art.
5. Artwork will be displayed in the library from July 30th - August 11th, and voting will be done by you (one vote per person per day)!
6. Prizes will be awarded in 5 different age categories: K-2nd, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, 9th-10th, and 11th-12th grades.
7. Winners will be announced August 17th at the End of CYS Party.
8. All winners' entries, with consent, will be displayed on the CPL website.
9. Last day to retrieve your submitted artwork will be August 31st.

Parents, grandparents, and kids, 7-10, join us Saturday, July 20, 1:00-2:00 PM to make a beautiful family history charm bracelet. Design and decorate a unique charm for each member of your family out of Shrinky Dinks. Registration required.

Do you LOVE storytime? Our well-loved Family Storytime will continue during Connect Your Summer, but with a Summertime Twist. We'll be enjoying storytimes once or twice a month in the great outdoors! Storytimes are designed for children ages 5 and under with a caregiver. Storytimes will be held in the tent behind the library. Rain location will be indoors. No registration required.

• Thursday, June 20th at 10:00AM
• Thursday, July 11th at 10:00 AM
• Friday, July 26th at 10:00AM
• Wednesday, August 14th, at 10:00 AM

Come test your puzzle solving skills with (and against) others in Portal 2 co-op mode on Friday June 28 from 1:00 - 3:00PM. We'll supply the teams; you bring your raw talent. Only the cleverest will survive. Ages 9-17.

Learn to create a spreadsheet and manage a list with Microsoft Excel 2010.
Prerequisite: Mouse and keyboarding skills.

Join us on Thursday, August 15 from 6:30 to 8 PM.

Hey all of you little folk, come to our library and get your dance on! This program is an open dance party for our littlest patrons to get movin' and groovin' with their grownups. This program is designed for new walkers up to 5 years old and is a great way to have some fun!

• Monday, June 24 from 1-1:30 PM
• Wednesday, July 24 from 10-10:30 AM
• Tuesday, August 6 from 1:00-1:30 PM

Disco Ball by dichohecho is licensed under CC BY SA-2.0

Join us for some old-fashioned backyard games! We'll be behind the library (weather permitting) so kids of all ages can come have some fun. Should we run into bad weather, we'll still have games in the Community Room, so stop by.

Tuesday, June 25 from 7-8:30 PM

On Thursday, August 8 at noon, we will be discussing:

Lots of candles, plenty of cake by Anna Quindlen — From childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, Quindlen uses the events of her own life to illuminate our own in this humorous memoir. Along with the downsides of age, she says, can come wisdom, a perspective on life that makes it satisfying and even joyful. Candid, funny, moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen's status as America's laureate of real life.

On August 7 from 2:00-4:00 PM, local artist and writer, Christina Smith, will teach kids aged 9-12 years old her technique for writing a story, building vocabulary and then using around-the-house items to create a 3D Storybox to show their story visually. Space is limited. Registration begins on May 29.

To coincide with the 312th anniversary of the founding of Detroit, the library will be screening the 2012 documentary, Detropia, on Wednesday, July 24 at 7:00 PM in the Purple Room. The documentary, nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, focuses on Detroit's economic decline and its impact on the city and its residents. Join us on July 24 for Detroit-made refreshments and an eye-opening look at the city of Detroit.