Are you registered to vote? Time is running out!

A reminder for Michigan teens who are 18 years old, or who are turning 18 before the November 4 general election: YOU HAVE UNTIL OCTOBER 6 TO REGISTER TO VOTE! After that date, it will be too late, and you will be unable to vote on November 4. If you haven’t yet registered, follow these simple steps:

1. Download, print and fill out the Michigan Voter Registration Form, or obtain a copy of the form at your local CADL branch.
2. Click here to find your local clerk address. This is where you will deliver/mail your completed form.
3. Your form will take a short time to process. You can check your status and find your polling place at the Michigan Voter Information Center. Your polling place is where you will actually go to cast your vote on November 4.

Once you’ve registered, prepare yourself to vote by checking out our Voter Information page. You’ll find links to useful voting guides and election information, as well as contact info for local campaign headquarters, and more. You can also take advantage of our catalog to get informed about candidates, issues and the process – Choosing The President 2008, for example, or books by presidential contenders John McCain and Barack Obama.

Remember: if you’re 18 or older, or will turn 18 before November 4, you have a right to vote! Don’t lose that right because you forgot to fill out the paperwork!

The Secret History of the Joker

In case you’ve been keeping score, The Dark Knight just passed half-a-billion dollars at the box office (it’s now second only to Titanic). It’s a bona fide pop culture phenomenon, and a big part of that success is the late Heath Ledger’s much talked-about turn as Batman’s nemesis, the Joker … and he’s sure to be even more talked-about as Oscar time approaches.

But where did the Joker come from? I’m not talking about his comic book backstory, which has been left shrouded in mystery (the recently re-released The Killing Joke gave what many people consider the definitive version). Heath Ledger inherited the role from such greats as Jack Nicholson (Tim Burton’s Batman) and Mark Hamill (Batman: The Animated Series), who in turn looked back to other actors, and eventually to Batman creator Bob Kane, whose original 1940 Joker tale can be read in The Dark Knight Archives, Vol. 1.

But Kane had his own inspiration when he created the Joker: an obscure silent film from 1928 called The Man Who Laughs. The film (actually more of a melodrama than a horror picture) starred actor Conrad Veidt as Gwynplaine, a man doomed to live life with a permanent grin literally carved into his face. Sound familiar? Take a look at the DVD cover, or do a Google image search, and you’ll see that Kane got all the visual inspiration he needed!

But the story doesn’t end there. The Man Who Laughs was not an original screenplay. It was, in fact, based on a 1869 French novel of the same name (in French, L’Homme qui rit) by author Victor Hugo. If that name sounds familiar, it should, because Hugo is among the most famous novelists of all time. He’s the one who gave us The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables, to name a few.

So the next time you’re watching The Dark Knight or reading your favorite Batman graphic novel, just think … it all goes back to a 19th Century Frenchman with a timeless imagination!

Friday Night Lights

Once September rolls around, there is nothing better than cooler temperatures, changing colors and football! Whether you pull for the Green & White, Maize & Blue, the Lions or your local high school team, Fall means football for many people. CADL has materials you can use to learn more about the sport or just read a great story about football. Here are a few to get you started:

Football for Dummies by Howie Long (5th grade & up)
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (7th grade & up)
Damage by A.M. Jenkins (11th grade & up)
Love, Football, and Other Contact Sports by Alden R. Carter (8th grade & up)
Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy (9th grade & up)
Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger (10th grade & up)

CADL can also help you catch up on what you missed. We have Season 1 and Season 2 of Friday Night Lights as well as the movie version available for checkout.

Now, are you ready for some football???