Do you like to read books about creepy stuff, but don't want to be scared? These books feature paranormal characters without being scary. 

The underground ghosts by Dori Hillestad Butler
Lunch walks among us by James K Benton

The armistice, signed on July 27, established a committee of representatives from neutral countries to decide the fate of the thousands of prisoners of war on both sides. It was eventually decided that the POWs could choose their own fate–stay where they were or return to their homelands. A new border between North and South Korea was drawn, which gave South Korea some additional territory and demilitarized the zone between the two nations. The war cost the lives of millions of Koreans and Chinese, as well as over 50,000 Americans. -Source: History.com

Children's Books

The Korean War by Thomas Streissguth

Offers an overview of the Korean War, including how it began, the invasion of Sout Korea, important battles, how it ended, and the truce that followed.

There are so many wonderful shows available from multiple places these days, but did you know that many of them were books first? Scroll down to see which of your favorite shows were based on a printed format originally, then check out one to compare or see what is in store for the next season, or read it before your pick premiers. 

Lucifer is on Netflix. From the pages of THE SANDMAN, Lucifer Morningstar, the former Lord of Hell, is unexpectedly called back into action when he receives a mission from Heaven. Given free reign to use any means necessary, Lucifer is promised a prize of his own choosing if he fulfills this holy request. But once he completes his mission, the Prince of Darkness' demand shakes the foundation of Heaven and Hell. Now as his enemies unite to stop his reemergence, Lucifer gathers his forces as he prepares to launch his new revolution.

Queen sugar by Natalie Baszile

Queen Sugar on OWN. A mother-daughter story of reinvention-about an African American woman who unexpectedly inherits a sugarcane farm in Louisiana. Why exactly Charley Bordelon's late father left her eight hundred sprawling acres of sugarcane land in rural Louisiana is as mysterious as it was generous. Recognizing this as a chance to start over, Charley and her eleven-year-old daughter, Micah, say good-bye to Los Angeles. They arrive just in time for growing season but no amount of planning can prepare Charley for a Louisiana that's mired in the past: as her judgmental but big-hearted grandmother tells her, cane farming is always going to be a white man's business. As the sweltering summer unfolds, Charley must balance the overwhelming challenges of her farm with the demands of a homesick daughter, a bitter and troubled brother, and the startling desires of her own heart. Penguin has a rich tradition of publishing strong Southern debut fiction-from Sue Monk Kidd to Kathryn Stockett to Beth Hoffman. In Queen Sugar, we now have a debut from the African American point of view. Stirring in its storytelling of one woman against the odds and initimate in its exploration of the complexities of contemporary southern life, Queen Sugar is an unforgettable tale of endurance and hope"--.

The books below are part of an extensive collection as compiled by Dr. Jonda S. McNair, professor of literacy education at Clemson University in South Carolina. 

Schomburg : the man who built a library by Carole Boston Weatherford

Traces legal clerk Arturo Schomburg's efforts to curate a collection of African books, letters, music, and art.

The books are all memoirs that are fun to read or listen to. Enjoy one today! 

Also available in: e-book | audiobook

Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother--his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother's unconventional, unconditional love. 

Also available in: e-book | audiobook

Jenny Lawson explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. But terrible ideas are what Jenny does best. As Jenny says : "Some people might think that being 'furiously happy' is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he's never particularly liked kangaroos. And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house. Two is the limit. I speak from personal experience. My husband says that none is the new limit. I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos.

Lets throwback to some oldies but goodies in chapter and picture books! 

Imogene's antlers by David Small

One Thursday Imogene wakes up with a pair of antlers growing out of her head and causes a sensation wherever she goes.

Half magic by Edward Eager

Faced with a dull summer in the city, Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha suddenly find themselves involved in a series of extraordinary adventures after Jane discovers an ordinary-looking coin that seems to grant wishes.

STEM Curiosity

Image of head with science related objects floating in a thought bubble inside

Kids aged 7-10 who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and math are first introduced to a topic and the science behind it. After learning about the sessions' topic, participants will be given a problem and challenged to engineer a solution to it individually and as teams. 

Registration required and begins July 11.

 

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Speedcubing at CPL

Hand manipulating a speed cube similar to Rubick's cube

On Saturday, August 4th from 10:00 am to Noon, join our guest, James Hildreth the Michigan representative for the World Cubing Association, as we learn about the sport of competitive speedcubing. Come and learn about cubing, test drive different types of cubes, ask questions, or test your time against others and see if you can reign supreme on the CPL time board! Recommended for patrons aged 8 years old and up.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Though many may think that all of Detroit can be captured in one story, it is not possible. The following books are set in Detroit and represent just a taste of the varied culture and people of the city. As said in an article for the Guardian by Anna Clark, "Detroit inspires painstaking realism, stories of the supernatural, riveting non-fiction, and unclassifiable imaginative works. In a city celebrated for its history of making things, the Detroit literary arts are overdue for attention."

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Also available in: audiobook | e-audiobook

A dazzling triumph from the bestselling author of The Virgin Suicides - the astonishing tale of a gene that passes down through three generations of a Greek-American family and flowers in the body of a teenage girl. In the spring of 1974, Calliope Stephanides, a student at a girls' school in Grosse Pointe, finds herself drawn to a chain-smoking, strawberry blond clasmate with a gift for acting. The passion that furtively develops between them - along with Callie's failure to develop - leads Callie to suspect that she is not like other girls. In fact, she is not really a girl at all.The explanation for this shocking state of affairs takes us out of suburbia- back before the Detroit race riots of 1967, before the rise of the Motor City and Prohibition, to 1922, when the Turks sacked Smyrna and Callie's grandparents fled for their lives. Back to a tiny village in Asia Minor where two lovers, and one rare genetic mutation, set in motion the metamorphosis that will turn Callie into a being both mythical and perfectly real: a hermaphrodite.Spanning eight decades - and one unusually awkward adolescence- Jeffrey Eugenides's long-awaited second novel is a grand, utterly original fable of crossed bloodlines, the intricacies of gender, and the deep, untidy promptings of desire. It marks the fulfillment of a huge talent, named one of America's best young novelists by both Granta and The New Yorker .

The dollmaker by Harriette Louisa Simpson Arnow

Strong-willed, self-reliant Gertie Nevels's peaceful life in the Kentucky hills is devastated by the brutal winds of change. Uprooted from her backwoods home, she and her family are thrust into the confusion and chaos of wartime Detroit. And in a pitiless world of unendurable poverty, Gertie will battle fiercely and relentlessly to protect those things she holds most dear -- her children, her heritage . . . and her triumphant ability to create beauty in the suffocating shadow of ugliness and despair

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