Happy September! I know fall is close - there were STARS out this morning when I went walking!

Here at The Learned Owl we don't want to rush you into the holidays, but we sometimes get calls from people who want to get an early start, or have to ship presents overseas. This month our Lower Level starts transforming into The Holiday Shop, full of books, cards and more about Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas. To entice you downstairs, we are offering all boxed Christmas cards at 20% off during September. And 2009 calendars are 15% off in September.

You may have seen, over the past few years, our just-graduated staff member Adam, with his long, LONG curly hair (he was Hagrid in two Harry Potter parties). In preparation for going to college he CUT that hair (first haircut in six years), and donated a foot of hair to Locks of Love! To keep us from missing Adam so much, his brother Brad has joined the staff.

We have a busy calendar of events this fall, starting with Hudson History Day on Saturday, September 13th. The Owl will become John Noonan's Shoe Repair and The William Noonan Carpentry Shop, as the two sides of the store were in the late 1800s. From 11-2, James and Sylvia Kalal will be playing "Barbershop Quartet" tunes on their banjos. Click here for all our events.

I've spent too many hours reading several books that aren't worth recommending, so have no new picks right at hand. I'll start putting LizPick stickers on covers as soon as I read something decent. For 4th-7th graders, The White Giraffe is a wonderful book for reading alone or together as a family. Author Lauren St. John has just published a sequel, Dolphin Song.

A fond farewell to a Hudson institution - Joan Van Osdol's Center Country Day School. When I first bought the store I remember someone telling me that people signed their children up at birth to guarantee them a place! The Old Church on the Green will still be an exciting place for young children - Joan's spot is being taken by another friend, David Palomo, who is starting a Hudson branch of Music Together, an internationally recognized early childhood music program. ( www.musictogethersummit.com)

Happy reading,

Liz

Enter now to win two American Girl dolls!
Stop in The Learned Owl and enter to win both a "Kit" and a "Ruthie" doll, historical characters from the ever-popular American Girl series who are featured in this summer's Kit Kittredge: An American Girl movie. The drawing will take place Friday, September 12.

Saturday, Sept. 13 - Hudson History Day! The Owl will travel back in time and become John Noonan's Shoe Repair and William Noonan Carpentry Shop. Music of the era by Jim and Sylvia Kalal on banjo from 11 AM-2 PM. For more information, call 330-342-0800 or visit merchantsofhudson.com.

Also on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2-3 PM - Meet local author Marissa Lynn Jordan, who will be autographing her first book, A Faery's Tale, a young adult fantasy novel.

Tuesday, Sept. 16 - Hudson author Julie Clark Robinson (Live in the Moment) is guest speaker for the Preschool Parents Dinner Meeting. For more information, visit hudsonpreschoolparents.org.

Also on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 6-9 PM (Sarah's Vineyard) - The Learned Owl's Liz is a "Judge" in the Gourmet Guys benefit for The GriefCare Place. Call 330-686-1750 for more information.

Saturday, Sept. 20 - Brisingr goes on sale today! Christopher Paolini's hotly-anticipated fantasy novel is the sequel to Eragon and Eldest. We'll be opening at 8 AM on this Saturday morning, and will provide some caffeine and sustenance so you can go straight home and read your book. Reserve your copy now!

Sunday, Sept. 21, 2 PM (Twinsburg Library) - David Giffels will be at the Twinsburg Library to discuss and autograph his book All the Way Home. The Learned Owl will supply books to purchase at the event.

Tuesday, Sept. 23, 7 PM (Hudson Library) - Joe Eszterhas will discuss and autograph his book Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith. The Learned Owl will supply books to purchase.

Cole recommends World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks, author of The Zombie Survival Guide. [Read more]

Mary says of Craig Priebe's Grilled Pizzas & Piadinas, "Seize the day! Grill while you still can." [Read more]

We all like Old Bear (Kevin Henkes), The Two Bobbies, and Mrs. Crump's Cat. Of Mrs. Crump's Cat, Kathy says, "When a stray cat turns up on Mrs. Crump's doorstep, she has no intention of letting it in, much less letting it stay. The cat sneaks in anyway. And when one day turns into two and three, she finds that in opening the door to the cat, she opened her heart as well."

Kathy highly recommends Sallie Mae's How to Pay for College: A Practical Guide for Families which, she says, you should read as soon as you know you need to start saving (or when you get that panicky, short-of-breath feeling). [Read more]

One of the BIG BOOKS for kids in September will be Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan, the first book in the 39 Clues series - a blend of The Westing Game, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and TV's The Amazing Race, with an enticing twist: You can solve the mystery along with the characters, and win prizes for participating online. Coming Sept. 9. [Read more]