The University of Michigan Press has just released Grit, Noise and Revolution: The Birth of Detroit Rock 'n' Roll, by David A. Carson. This 320-page book examines music made in Detroit after World War II, focusing on the "Detroit Rock" sound of the mid 1960s through the early 1970s. Carson devotes plenty of text to the influence of nearby Ann Arbor, including local favorites Bob Seger and Iggy Pop, as well as Commander Cody, John Sinclair, Ted Nugent and Grand Funk Railroad.

Red is For Remembrance by Laurie Faria Stolarz is the latest in her wicked new series. Laurie's stories blend suspense, romance, and the art of keeping secrets - with spicey doses of teen witchcraft and magic. Be sure to start with Blue is for Nightmares, followed by White is for Magic and Silver is for Secrets. A perfect way to get into the witchy season ahead...

Although they only released three albums, Big Star is one of the most influential power pop bands of all time. They combined the best aspects of bands like the Kinks and the Byrds, added a touch of soul and created songs that are fantastically catchy. Frustration from their lack of commercial success led to several lineup changes and ultimately to the band's break up, but critics and bands such as R.E.M. continue to rate Big Star as one of the most important bands of the seventies.

Billy’s dad wants him to be a boxer. Billy’s brother wants him to be a boxer. Even Billy wants to be a boxer, sort of.

Everything changes when Billy secretly starts learning ballet instead of boxing. Billy Elliot is an unsentimental celebration of family, dance, and community set during the 1984 coal miners’ strike in northern England. Be aware that despite the young protagonist, this movie is rated R. Fans of The Full Monty, Ma Vie en Rose, or Strictly Ballroom might enjoy this sweet, exuberant, and riotously funny film. And of course there’s plenty more out there about lads, leaping, and labour conflicts.

This week’s banned books blog (Week 1 and Week 2 here) deals with some of the most banned authors in America. These are authors where a very large number of their books have been banned, and as soon as a new one comes out, it faces increased scrutiny. J.K. Rowling has not quite made the list yet, but if she keeps writing, she will soon. Here are the authors:

Judy Blume: Blume has written a great deal of books for children, including Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Superfudge. In America, 13 of her books have been challenged or banned in over 100 schools and public libraries, for reasons including the fact that “bad is never punished. Good never comes to the fore. Evil is triumphant.”

Thomas Lynch, the American Book Award winning author of The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade has recently published a new work reflecting on his Irish-American ancestry and many visits to his ancestral home during the past three decades. Booking Passage: We Irish and Americans is a loving mixture of reminiscence, family history, travel writing, cultural and social commentary, and meditation on the complexities of ethnic heritage. A funeral director in Milford, Michigan, Lynch is also an acclaimed poet. He is scheduled to speak about and read from his new book at the Library’s 'Sunday Edition' program on Sunday, October 8 at 2:00 p.m. at the Downtown Library.

Blue Girl is a Thumbs Up honor title for 2005. This yearly award recognizes top-notch teen titles. Walking into a new high school can be daunting, but when Imogene meets up with the ghost of a boy who haunts the school, the story gets even more interesting. True love, bullies, fairies, and soul-eaters, all add to the storyline; written by a master of the fantasy genre, Charles de Lint.

Perhaps you've heard all about the recent scandal involving the model, Kate Moss and her apparent use of cocaine? The UK paper the Mirror recently printed photos of Kate prepping and snorting snow while in the recording studio of her confessed junkie boyfriend, Pete Doherty. Since this became public she's lost contracts with the Swedish company H&M and Burberry. Of course all of the shock and awe being expressed about this situation is laughable. The world of modeling has long been known to be filled with rampant drug use - which everyone is willing to overlook as long as it doesn't impact their bottom line. From the tragic story of Gia Carnagi - made famous by the biopic Gia starring Angelina Jolie - to the self-professed first Supermodel Janice Dickinson - (now an entertaining train-wreck to watch on VH1's Surreal Life 5) - the modeling world is loaded with drug drama. So while the fashion world pretends this is a shocker the rest of us can just shrug and get on with our day.

We have good news for those picture book fans of the wild and wacky Pigeon. Mo Willems has written a new story due out this April called Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late. Can you imagine how cranky a sleep deprived Pigeon will be? We will make sure to have copies at all locations so you can find out. Now we just have to get through the winter. While you are waiting, entertain yourself by visiting Mo's great website at mowillems.com.

It's fun to get more out of a book than you expect. Yes, Good Brother, Bad Brother offers fascinating information about Edwin, who is fondly remembered as the finest classical actor of his day and John Wilkes, reviled because he assassinated Abraham Lincoln. But the unanticipated bonus is the wealth of information about 19th century American theater. Giblin's theatrical interests in combination with his penchant for thorough research results in a fascinating read about the drama both brothers faced on stage and in real life.