Oh my, I have been very remiss in posting lately.  The last few weeks have been very busy with Game On! Teen Summer Program stuff and life in general.  So, let’s quickly recap some highlights of what has happened so far this summer.

In June we crowned a DDR Champion.  First place went to Anna (who won tickets to the City Lights Theatre), second place to Taylor, and third place to Steven.

We made art by throwing balloons filled with paint at some sheets.  The artwork is now hanging in the young adult area of the library.  Stop by, pick up some material to read and check out the group artwork.

A few brave and hardy souls climbed the city rockwall and walked across the catwalk.  I tried, but did not make it to the top of the wall like the others.  Oh well.

A lot of fun was had at the Murder Mystery party as well.  We visited crime scenes, gathered clues and information, and met the suspects.  Many people correctly figured out who the killer was but one team had all the information- the who, how, why, and supporting evidence figured out.  Congratulations to Taylor and Cassandra, the top detectives.

Looking for something to do during the fourth of July week?  Come to the Giant Games Day on July 2^nd from 4-6.  There will be an inflatable Velcro wall and bungee run.  There will also be giant versions of games such as Scene It, Guitar Hero, Chess, and others.

Week three of Game On! TTR.08 the teen summer program @ GPL is full of extremes.

First up, on Wednesday June 18 from 4-5 pm is X-treme Paintball Art. We are going to create some art to hang in the teen area of the library. Be prepared- this will be messy. The paint will be flying so dress accordingly (that means in clothes that if paint gets on them- you won’t care so much).

Friday June 20th from 10-12 we will be scaling the city’s climbing wall at the challenge course. There are still some spots open. If you are interested contact Bethni King by Thursday June 19th at 512.931.7716 or bking@georgetowntx.org. The city does require that some waivers and paperwork be signed in order to participate. For a picture of the challenge course and climbing wall click here.

As usual, both programs are free and open to teens ages 12-18.

Next up in the Game On! TTR.08 Teen Summer Program is a DDR Tournament on Friday June 13th. Sign up starts at 1:00 pm. Show off your skills and turn all that time spent playing DDR into a chance for prizes and the right to call yourself the DDR King or Queen of GPL. The winner receives movie tickets to the City Lights Theatre and bragging rights. If you don’t dance, come along to cheer on your friends, hang out and munch on goodies. The tournament is free and open to teens ages 12-18. For more information call Bethni King at 512.930.3551 or visit http://library.georgetwon.org/ya.teen.summer.php

This Wednesday and Thursday - June 4 & 5 from 2 - 4 pm- marks the beginning of Game On! TTR.08. We start with a two day writing workshop with author Suzanne Harper. Suzanne will talk about the publishing industry and how to get started as a writer. She will also lead teens through fun writing exercises to help hone their writing skills. Suzanne Harper is the author of two young adult books- “The Secret Life of Sparrow Delany” and the “The Juliet Club”. The workshop is free and is open to teens ages 12-18. For more information call Bethni King at 512.930.3551 or visits http://library.georgetwon.org/ya.teen.summer.php

Teen Inc. by Stefan Petrucha. Jaiden Beale has an unusual home life. Jaiden lives in an office at the corporate headquarters of NECorp a large multinational business. He was adopted by NECorp and has a manager and a whole department that is responsible for his upbringing. But what happens when you discover that your “family” is doing something evil? What do you do? Do you stay loyal to the only family you’ve ever known or do you do what you think is right? With a little help from his friends, plenty of humor and action, Jaiden takes on the corporate world, moral responsibility, and the meaning of family.

Yo dawg! Wut up? This summa there be a poppin’ par-tay at the GPL. The GPL is where all da action be at. Everyone be hangin’ out playin’ (games) and eatin sum free foodies.

Seriously, this summer the teens are going to have a section all to themselves. Push aside that kiddie table and move on upstairs to the real party. The “teens only” summer reading program will include all sorts of events that are sure to be an enjoyable way to spend your long and boring summer hours. Invite all your friends for a good time at the GPL. And the best part is that it’s all free!

June events start off with a fiction writing workshop with young adult author Suzanne Harper. Other events include a DDR tournament, an X-treme paintball art party, climbing a rockwall, anime showing of Hikaru No Go, and a mystery murder party.

July begins with a giant games day including giant chess and an inflatable bungee run and Velcro wall. Have more fun with slime concoctions, rocket building and launching, a martial arts demonstration, a Guitar Hero Tournament, a chocolate tasting party, and the wrap up pool party.

For more information go to:

http://library.georgetown.org/ya.teen.summer.php

So, check out the video and run it on over to GPL and getcha Game On!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tahma5Nu4Bs

(Thanks to guest blogger Sarah Rafique)

I am doing a happy dance right now. Yes, right now as I type, which is really quite difficult.Why am I doing a happy dance? Because, the physical Teen Area @ GPL just got a little bit cooler. The walls are red. The Blik stickers are stuck on the walls. The stickers were tricky and not nearly as easy to get on the wall as the company made it seem. But worth it. A big happy dance thank you to Jason, Miss Rachael, and Mr. Billy for their help. Two new rugs decorate the floor. The booths and tables have arrived! (Yeah, more happy dancing.) Now you can sit and eat, drink, hang out, work and do your own happy dance in the teen area. A ginormous heartfelt thank you to the Friends of the Library for making all this possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you. So stop by and check it out.

Friday May 9th is the last Are You Game? Teen Open Game Night of the school year. Teen Open Game Night will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Hewlett Room at the library. Teens ages 13-18 are welcome. Play Nintendo Wii and PS2. Show off your moves with DDR and Guitar Hero. Challenge someone to a board or card game. Bring your friends and your own games. We’ll have drinks and munchies on hand.

Never fear though, there will be plenty to do at GPL during the summer including a DDR tournament in June and a Guitar Hero tournament in July as part of the teen summer program. Game On! TTR.08 is the theme this year. In June and July come to GPL to play and have fun. Besides the two tournaments there will be a writing workshop, x-treme paintball balloon art, rockwall climbing, anime, a murder mystery party, giant board game day, rocket building and launching, a martial arts demonstration, a chocolate tasting party, and a pool party at the end. Stay tuned for further updates and information- including a promotional video.

Every once in a while I am going to post some factoids about GPL and it’s services. I call these little factoids (Not Quite So) FAQs because people may not actually ask these questions all that frequently. But, I couldn’t think of anything better. And I hope it’s useful information. So, the first (Not Quite So) FAQ is:

Does the library have wireless Internet access?

Answer: Yes we do. A wireless connection to the Internet is available throughout the building. So bring your laptops, your cell phones, your DSLites and your PSPs. Hang out or study in the teen area and enjoy something to eat or drink from the Red Poppy Cafe. While your here, check out the books, magazines, manga and graphic novels, dvds, and other materials the library has to offer.

I just finished volumes 1 and 2 of Hikaru No Go, a new manga series here at GPL. Hikaru No Go is the story of Hikaru Shindo. Hikaru Shindo is like any sixth-grader in Japan: a pretty normal school boy with a two-tone head of hair and a penchant for antics. One day, he finds an old bloodstained Go board in his grandfather’s attic-and that’s when things get really interesting. Trapped inside the Go board is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master who taught the strategically complex board game to the Emperor of Japan many centuries ago. In one fateful moment, Sai becomes a part of Hikaru’s consciousness and together, through thick and thin, they make an unstoppable Go-playing team. Will they be able to defeat Go players who have dedicated their lives to the game? Will Sai achieve the “Divine Move” so he’ll finally be able to rest in peace?

Don’t let the fact that the series is based on an ancient board game fool you. This manga has everything from competition, rivalries, pranks, friendship, strategy, and a funny and memorable main character. Read it and tell Ms. Bethni if we should order more volumes in the series.