Jan and her husband Stan, who passed in 2005, authored well-loved children's books for over 50 years. Over 300 books have been published in 23 languages. This charming bear family touched the hearts of kids and parents, while at the same time addressing difficult issues that everyone faces in the process of growing up. Although Jan and Stan have passed, the Berenstain Bears family they created will live on.

Author J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame just penned a deal with Little, Brown publishing house to pen her first adult novel. The title, release date and details about the novel were not released. Rowling is quoted as saying, "Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series." We'll all be on pins and needles until we get our hands on Rowling's newest book.

Veteran Irish actor David Kelly has passed away at the age of 82. Kelly was a familiar face in British television, as well as on the Irish stage. American audiences would most likely recognize him as Grandpa Joe in Tim Burton's adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or from his role in the Irish comedy Waking Ned Devine. For more films featuring David Kelly try one of these from the library's collection:

Greenfingers [videodisc]

Into the West [videodisc]

Veteran stage and film actor Ben Gazzara died over the weekend. He was 81. Best known for his role in the classic film Anatomy of a Murder with James Stewart, he appeared in several notable films throughout his long career, including Husbands and The killing of a Chinese bookie with director John Cassavetes. He is also remembered for his starring role in the 1960s television series Run for Your Life in which he played a lawyer with a terminal illness determined to make the most of his remaining time.

Sunday Giffords announced that she would resign from the U.S. House to focus on her recovery from the attempted assassination on her a year ago. In Gabby: a story of courage and hope, a book that she and husband Mark Kelly coauthored with Jeffrey Zaslow they relate their moving account of a family surviving tragedy and the logistics of living through a medical nightmare.

Nominations for the 84th annual Academy Awards were announced January 24. Several of the nominated films and performances are already available in the Library's collection. Among the nominees for Best Picture ready to check out are:

The Help [videodisc]

Midnight in Paris [videodisc]

Moneyball [videodisc]

The tree of life [videodisc]

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

These wise words were spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr. in his famous I have a dream speech on August 28, 1963. There are many ways to celebrate this remarkable, loving man and his dream. Visit the Cherry Hill Village Theater on January 16 at 5:30 PM for a presentation entitled Martin Luther King, Jr., Building Bridges.

At the Canton Public Library, we celebrate during Black History Month with a performance by the Canton Christian Fellowship Praise Choir on Thursday, February 2 and a visit from local author Carol Mull on Thursday, February 9 when she will discuss her new book, The Underground Railroad in Michigan.

The first winner of the Printz Award in 2000 and author of amazing novels before and since, Walter Dean Myers, has been named the next national ambassador for young children's literature.

Simms Taback, award-winning author and illustrator of the picture books Joseph Had A Little Overcoat and There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly, passed away December 25, 2011. Check out Simms Taback's official website for a complete listing of his works. Also find a list of Taback's titles owned by the library.

The University of Michigan is in the midst of negotiations with publishers and will begin an e-textbook pilot program for introductory courses in the fall. Great news to the students! For CPL folks, we have increased greatly our eBook collections for all age groups. Log in with your CPL card number before searching to access the entire collection.

The Mousetrap, & Other Plays by Agatha Christie — begins it's 60th consecutive year in performance in London's theaters. That's 24,587 performances to date. Written for the radio, the play debuted on November 25, 1952 at the Ambassador Theater starring Richard Attenborough as Detective-Sargent. In 1974 the play transferred to the Martin Beck Theater in London and has been playing there since. Theater goers are asked at every performance not to reveal the play's ending. Beginning in September 25, 2012, The Mousetrap will go on tour. Additional 'murderous' events are planned in celebration.

Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926-21 November 2011) award-winning author of the "Dragonriders of Pern" series, has died of a stroke at her Ireland home. She was 85 years old. Ms. McCaffrey, the first woman to receive a Hugo Award for fiction and the Nebula Award, was named 22nd Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America in 2005 and inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2006. She was the first science fiction writer to make the New York Times Bestsellers List.

If you loved the The Hunger Games as much as I did, you may be wondering about the movie. The official Hunger Games movie trailer has been released and you can watch it on the Hunger Games website. The movie will be in theaters beginning March 23rd. Will you be there?

Evelyn Lauder, the longtime breast cancer activist who helped to create the pink ribbon as the symbol of the fight against the disease, died November 12 at the age of 75. Born in Vienna, Austria in 1936, she came to the United States as a young child when her parents fled from the Nazis. The family settled in New York where she met her future husband, Leonard Lauder, whose parents owned a small cosmetics firm. She eventually went to work with at her mother-in-law Estee Lauder's company which today has revenues of nearly $2.5 billion. During her long career Evelyn was instrumental in developing and marketing new products, including Clinique. She was also a leading philanthropist and became very involved in the fight against breast cancer.

Two notable figures from recent American history passed away this week. Andy Rooney, the curmudgeonly commentator on CBS’s 60 Minutes for more than 30 years, died November 4 at the age of 92. Rooney died one month after he had signed off from "60 Minutes" in October after a 33-year run. A statement from CBS News stated that he died of complications following minor surgery. Rooney began his journalism career as a correspondent for the Stars and Stripes newspaper and was awarded a Bronze Star for his work during the Normandy invasion. He joined CBS News in 1949 and joined "60 Minutes" in 1968, first as a producer, then as a commentator ten years later.

Enjoy an extra hour of sleep this weekend as Daylight Savings Time ends and Eastern Standard Time begins 2:00 AM Sunday November 6th. In addition, take time to change those smoke detector batteries and turn on carbon monoxide detectors to protect your family and home.

Come celebrate the Hindu Festival of Lights at Canton Public Library. The Diwali program is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9th at 7:00 PM in our Community Room. Diwali is one of the oldest and most important festivals in India. The name comes from the Indian word "Deepavali" and the literal translation means "an array of lamps". Diwali falls on the new moon night, so celebrants light lamps to ward off the darkness and to symbolize the removal of spiritual darkness and the onset of happiness and prosperity. Every Indian state celebrates the festival in its own way, but most celebrations include making special foods, buying new clothes, bursting fireworks, and lighting lamps and candles.

This free family friendly event will feature Indian music, dancing, rangoli, sampling of Indian food and the art of drawing henna patterns.

It's that time of year when 19 million acres of woods slowly explode in a frenzy of color. It's when an entire state is in its annual blaze of glory. It's when autumn arrives in Michigan. And there's no better place to see the dynamic colors of a trillion trees aflame than along our highways, country roads and coastlines. So let's head out to the forests. And let's prepare to be amazed, on the fall color tours of Pure Michigan.

Look around the area of the Checkout Desk and adult DVD section to see some exciting changes. The Hold Shelf is now located closer to the Checkout Desk, making it easier for staff to assist when necessary. Adult DVDs, both feature and TV series, have also been moved to a new location, giving each of these popular collections room to grow. We've also moved all adult and teen gaming system games to the area by the DVDs. We're thrilled by our new shelving and hope you will be too. If you need a little help with navigating through the new area, stop by one of the service desks where our staff will be happy to lend a hand.

Like the rest of the world, we are mourning the loss of Apple founder Steve Jobs. His vision has transformed our lives, from computers, smart phones, to music and movies. President Obama remarked that "Steve was among the greatest of American innovators — brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it." We are forever indebted to the creativity of Steve Jobs.