The Mystery Guest

Librarian: Thank you all for playing!

2010-08-30T15:49:00.000-04:00

This is only the 2nd year that we have launched an online game in conjunction with our Summer Reading program and I want to thank all of you for playing (and being our Guinea pigs)! We hope to see you again next year!

Caroline: Feel bad for our supervisors/Goodbye!

2010-08-23T15:55:00.001-04:00

Hey guys! Sorry for being M.I.A. part of this summer, but I really was trying to figure out who this freak was (no offense, MH!). Guess it doesn't matter now that he made a break out. That's right; when we came in this morning, our literary intruder was nowhere to be found. And while the librarians say he's gone back to his book, I have my doubts. Thanks for playing this summer and be sure to

Kitty: ILY

2010-08-23T15:49:00.000-04:00

Goodbye, everybody I've got to go Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth. Bye guys! I had fun this summer. I'll miss you all and if you see a person in strange clothes running around the county be sure to post. (Also, if you see an anvil laying around the library, DON"T TOUCH IT!! I have to leave it there untill I can find a way to get it back to it's owner. I really hope he's

Librarian: CONGRATULATIONS!

2010-08-23T15:30:00.000-04:00

Both Katie and Matt T. came up with our Mystery Guest's identity! Congratulations and spend those golden $100 Library Bucks wisely :) The Mystery Guest was: the Mad Hatter from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Even though he was protesting madly (ha!), once we knew who he was, and Caroline found his hat, he had no choice but to get back in his book! Whew! Although the

Librarian: Examining the Clues

2010-08-19T10:28:00.001-04:00

First, let's look at the logo for the Mystery Guest game... The web address is written in a circle and slightly resembles a hole in the ground. Inside the circle, there is a pocket watch that has stopped at 6:00 and the logo that looks a little like the letters M & H mashed together. Kyra mentioned his old fashioned clothes and "proper" speech. Indicating that the character is

Librarian: A really BIG hint

2010-08-17T09:17:00.004-04:00

Here is one last hint to the Mystery Guest's identity. This was the original logo for the game:

Caroline: I found it!

2010-08-16T12:55:00.001-04:00

I found the Mystery Guest's hat but he insists it is still missing something ...

Librarian: 2 Little Hints

2010-08-14T09:47:00.001-04:00

It's your friendly neighborhood librarian here, just sharing two more hints to the identity of our Mystery Guest. First, you may have noticed (or maybe not) the use of clocks and mention of time in several of our videos and blog posts. These have not been random comments or images. Second, the old fashioned clothes and the talking proper (that Kyra mentioned here) indicates that the character

Librarian: The Grande Finale Challenge a.k.a. the $100 Library Buck Challenge

2010-08-12T10:44:00.002-04:00

Throughout the game, we have been dropping clues about the Mystery Guest. I can't tell you what the clues are specifically, but here are some things to think about: The logo for the Mystery Guest game... Kyra mentions his old fashioned clothes here. Alyson drops a few hints when she tries to capture the Mystery Guest in a box trap. Challenge #2 was important. And while something about the book

Caroline Returns!

2010-08-12T10:01:00.000-04:00

Where has Caroline been? On the search for something specific...

Librarian: Choose Your Own Ending (aka Challenge #5)

2010-08-07T15:53:00.001-04:00

Summer Reading is almost over! Can you believe it? And since answer to Challenge #3 had to do with one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman, I thought we might do something similar to what Neil Gaiman did on Twitter (but we won't be using Twitter). He started a story on Twitter by only writing the first sentence. He then asked others to continue the story. If you have ever used Twitter, you know

Librarian: Winner for Challenge #3

2010-08-03T17:47:00.002-04:00

Congrats to Katie for winning Challenge #3! The answers are: Character: Nobody "Bod" Owens Book: The Graveyard Book Author: Neil Gaiman Another Challenge done... now what's next, do you suppose?

Librarian: Clues, Clues and More Clues!

2010-08-02T14:12:00.005-04:00

But no blue clues :) First, we have no winner for Challenge #3! Can you believe that? In case you've forgotten, Challenge #3 went something like this: This missing character grew up in a strange place and learned things no normal kid knows. His friends and family may be scary to us, but he's safer withthem than anywhere beyond the walls of his home. Someone in the his book is still looking for

Librarian: LIBRARY BUCKS

2010-07-28T10:42:00.000-04:00

If you are looking to earn more Library Bucks and are a writer or film maker, do not forget to enter the Carroll County Public Library Summer Shorts contest. The last date to accept entries is July 31st, so you will have to work fast! But you get $50 Library Bucks for submitting an entry and if you win, then you get real bucks as prizes! It's a win-win! We now return to our regularly scheduled

Kyra- Hello From Camp

2010-07-21T11:17:00.002-04:00

I have absolutely no idea what is going on right now (what else is new?), but I do know like five new campfire songs! My leader person- ish thingy really dislikes me and I don't know why. Well, I did accidentally barf all over her after eating waaay too many smores but besides that I haven't done anything to upset her. Well I hope everything is going all right, and if Caroline is reading this,

Alyson: Silence is Golden, Duct Tape is Silver

2010-07-19T14:56:00.001-04:00

But Silent creepy guys in suits are frightening... As you can probably tell from the title of this post, "The Dude" (yeah, I'm conforming :P ) is starting to freak me out with the whole "Don't speak even if you're spoken to" attitude... He's getting pretty weird whenever we get on the blog to post stuff. It's almost like he's trying to figure out what the password is.... I'm starting to think

Librarian: Random Origami Challenge

2010-07-16T12:28:00.004-04:00

While the other 4 challenges up until now have included some clue or hint about our Mystery Guest (aka the Dude), this one is just because it's the middle of summer and we're a bit bored :) The Mystery Guest seems to be in hiding, Caroline has disappeared and Kyra is at camp. That leaves me with just Kitty and Alyson and Kitty scares even me! Besides why not give everyone an opportunity to earn

Kitty: Dude Isn't as Innocent as We Think

2010-07-14T14:35:00.002-04:00

This guy is good. This guy is really, really good. He's hiding from us, but because he's afraid or because he needs to be alone for his dastardly plotting? And does this seemingly random destruction of library books have a pattern? If it does, is it important or just Dude taunting us? And what is up with Caroline? I think Kyra is right, she was on to him so Dude took her out of the picture.

Librarian: Winner for Challenge #2

2010-07-13T16:02:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Katie! She guessed Challenge #2 correctly. To refresh your memory, here's the clue for Challenge #2: This book is not about Humpty Dumpty but the main character did have a great fall. Fortunately for him, he had a doctor instead of the King's horses and men trying to put him back together. The character knows his way around London, both the side that everybody sees and its

Librarian: Challenge #4

2010-07-10T16:45:00.002-04:00

So here's the next challenge: Use the letters from the sentence TIME IS RUNNING OUT and rearrange them. What else can it spell? Try to use as many letters as possible. Post to the comment section and I'll pick a couple of random winners for prizes! (If you are commenting using the "anonymous" post option be sure to include your first name and/or your initials. Thanks!)

Your Suggestion! Rearranging the Letters

2010-07-10T12:56:00.001-04:00

Kyra- My Attempt at a Dramatic Blog Post

2010-07-09T11:28:00.000-04:00

Caroline. Did she have good reason to fear "The Dude"??? Did she know something we don't??? Do you think I am making this post sound dramatic by using three question marks??? But seriously, I've got this theory.... I think "The Dude" abducted Caroline. No one knows where she is, and when we tried to call her house her mom just said that she wasn't home. It sounds suspicious.... Alyson doesn't

Librarian: Challenge #3

2010-07-07T13:06:00.002-04:00

No one has guessed Challenge #2 correctly!?! Here's a big clue for that one: the book that the Mystery Guest (or as Kitty calls him "the Dude") ripped the character out of was on display at the library. The display was for the 2010 Recommended Reading books for Middle School. Anyone have a guess now? Email me. So here is Challenge #3: This missing character grew up in a strange place and learned

Kitty: Hereafter the Mystery Guest Will Be Called the Dude

2010-07-06T11:12:00.000-04:00

I wonder where Caroline is? I haven't seen her in forever.... I wonder if something happened. Maybe I should go try to find her. I bet she's fine, though. She's tougher than she looks. Don't ask me how I know. I still have no idea what's up with her,though, she's so scared of the Dude. It's probably his clothes. They stink. <3 Kitty

Alyson: Caroline found the end of the Earth?

2010-07-06T11:07:00.000-04:00

I have no idea where Caroline has dissapeared to. She responded to an email but we haven't seen her at the library... I asked Kitty if she "accidently" hit Caroline in the head with the anvil... She denies everything (of course) Kyra thinks that Caroline is just ducking out of her responsibilities with our Mystery Guest. I think that she (Caroline) is just super afraid of him. Maybe our Guest

Kyra- Man Goes Psycho

2010-07-02T14:49:00.001-04:00

I am scared.... Mystery man is getting more and more crazy, and less sane (he's still not as scary as Kitty....). Yesterday when Alyson tried feeding him he said it wasn't time yet. Of course, she flipped (she has been in a bad mood ever since.... well she has been in a bad mood) and then told him that it was dinner time. He looked so confused, and later that day I caught him staring at a clock.

Kitty: Evil, EEEEVIL Thoughts

2010-07-01T14:01:00.003-04:00

Wow. I'm starting to really not like this guy. And you don't want to be a person I really don't like. Trust me. He's becoming destructive! And I LOVE destruction! As long as it's ME doing the destructing!!!! AND IT'S NOT ME!!!! I'm getting separation anxiety from my destruction. And he had this really weird sleep talking thing... he was like, "ABTDEFGHIJKLMNOTQRSTUTWXYT" He did it six times.

Librarian: Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

2010-06-28T13:12:00.001-04:00

OK, so the winners of Challenge #1 won't get a chicken dinner. But you get Library Bucks and that's even better! Drum roll, please! The winners of Challenge #1 are: Operation Anvil by Taylor Rearranging the Letters to Form a Word by Matt Transporter Spray by Thomas You can pick up your Library Bucks at your Carroll County Library Branch. There should be an envelope with your name on it

Librarian: Challenge #2

2010-06-18T11:17:00.004-04:00

As you saw in Alyson's video, our Mystery Guest is becoming rather destructive. He's ripped some pages out of various books and I, for one, would like to get those pages back in their books. So here's what I can gather from the pages: This book is not about Humpty Dumpty but the main character did have a great fall. Fortunately for him, he had a doctor instead of the King's horses and men trying

Alyson: Trap Failure.....

2010-06-17T16:47:00.003-04:00

Hello virtual people! Long time no type. So, I attempted to trap him in a box..... Needless to say, Epic Fail. He's such a slippery fellow!! I even put his favorite thing (I think) in the box! Tea! He totally flips out whenever we mention it!! (Reminds me of my dad...) He's starting to hide from us way more than he used to. Caroline says good riddance (she's such a chicken) but I think that

Alyson: Box Trap

2010-06-17T14:07:00.000-04:00

Librarian: What to Try Next?

2010-06-15T11:08:00.000-04:00

I have received some great suggestions on how to try to get the Mystery Guest back into his book. You probably know about the Operation Anvil suggestion. But since Kitty no longer has access to an anvil, we're going to have to let that idea go. Alyson tried to catch the Mystery Guest over the weekend but I'll let her tell you what happened. So here are some other ideas that you've suggested:

Kitty- Long Story Short

2010-06-11T12:33:00.000-04:00

First, I wanted to say I am not giving up on my plan. I just need more of a running start. He's been harder to corner lately though. Or maybe it's just me, I think he's been avoiding me. I think I scare him. I wonder why.... At least I'm not afraid of him, like Caroline is. She refuses to even see him. (Stranger Danger!) Oh, and I found that anvil. I'm not allowed to use it, though. Well... I

Kyra: Anyone Know Where to Find a Really Old Looking Suit?

2010-06-10T12:54:00.001-04:00

Hello all! Nice weather today, don't you agree? Hehe, I'm mocking our strange little friend! He talks sooooo proper! In fact, now that I think about it, everything about him screams outdated. Especially his clothes. Oh, and if you haven't already figure it out, ironing him in didn't exactly work.... but we did find out something useful!! .... Okay it's not that useful.... his clothes are

Librarian: Found in the Stacks

2010-06-10T12:39:00.000-04:00

What do you think it means?

Plan #592 Operation Anvil

2010-06-09T13:31:00.003-04:00

Why do I not find it comforting that Kitty knows where to find an anvil? -Librarian

Librarian: We've Got Golden Tickets!

2010-06-04T11:08:00.006-04:00

Did I mention that helping us send the Mystery Guest back home is the only way to earn the limited edition GOLD $100 Library Bucks?

Kitty: Push Him In

2010-05-24T10:01:00.002-04:00

Kyra: Iron Him In

2010-05-19T16:02:00.005-04:00

Librarian Here: First Challenge

2010-05-05T11:56:00.021-04:00

Ahhh... the voice of reason. Finally. As you can see, several of our volunteers have managed to shake a character (and some random letters) out of a book. I'm not sure how it happened; I just know that now the library has to fix it. So I am asking you to help us by sending us ideas on how to get a character back into his book. Please draw a picture of what you think is the best way to get a

Caroline: OMG

2010-05-01T14:15:00.007-04:00

OMG OMG OMG (deep breathing). Alyson can make fun of me as much as she wants, but I think Kitty and I are the only ones acting normally. I mean, what would you do if some guy fell out of your book? We don't even know the title! It's not physically possible! Yes, I realize I'm using too many explanation points!!!! I just want him back where ever he came from....... any ideas? C-

Kyra: Insert better title later

2010-05-01T14:08:00.005-04:00

My friends and I are in waaay over heads... This guy is our responsibility and we have no idea what to do with him! Kitty was going to take him to her house, but her parents really wouldn't have let her bring a complete stranger home. Caroline decided to leave him in the library and feed him vending machine food, but he is getting REALLY grumpy... Well, what would you do if your friend (Kitty)

Alyson: Kitty's annoying freak out

2010-05-01T14:00:00.005-04:00

Whatever Kitty told you about all of us freaking out, she was only right about her and the others. I think that the guy that fell out of the book is the start of an amazing adventure. The really big question is where did he come from? Yeah, I know, he fell out of the book, I was kinda there remember? But still, I'm really curious, the book's title was so worn and dirty that you couldn't read it

Kitty: EPIC FLIP OUT

2010-05-01T13:52:00.005-04:00

I'm not going to sugarcoat this or anything, but I'm TOTALLY FREAKING OUT. We all are. I mean, what would you do if you just saw something fall out of the sky? Or, in this case, a book? We're all in chicken-with-the-head-cut-off mode, just a little less bloody. We're also really confused. Who the heck is this guy? Why is he here? Why did he fall out of a freaking book? By the way, I'm Kitty. In