Video-game tournaments for kids and teens during International Games Day at Mentor Library

Mentor Library is hosting Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros tournaments on International Games Day.

Kids who come to Mentor Library on Saturday, Nov. 21, better be ready to play because it's International Games Day.

To celebrate, our Main Branch is hosting not one but two video-game tournaments that day.

Kids ages six to 12 can play in our Mario Kart tournament, which begins at noon.

Teens can compete in our international Super Smash Bros tournament from 2 to 4 p.m. One lucky gamer will even win a $25 gift card to Game Stop.

Both tournaments are free to play in. However, we ask that you register beforehand. You can sign up on Mentor Library's website—specifically at this link for Mario Kart and here for Super Smash Bros—or by calling 440-255-8811.

Want more? Mentor Library also has a monthly video-game tournament called Clashing Controllers at its Lake Branch. The next tourney is 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

By the way gamers, Mentor Library circulates games for PlayStation, Xbox and Wii consoles, as well. Feel free to check them out.

Are you game for Clashing Controllers?

Teens face off in the finals of our Mario Kart 8 tournament.

On the third Wednesday of every month, teens gather at our Lake Branch to face off in Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros and other games.

We call it Clashing Controllers, and we want to know if you're game enough to join in.

You don't have to be a hardcore gamer to have fun (though we get a few of those too.) All you need is to want to have a good time.

It's all in good fun until someone uses a blue shell.

The next Clashing Controllers session starts at 6:30 p.m. on, Wednesday, July 15. We'll be playing Super Smash Bros and you're invited.

While you're here, you can sign up for summer reading too.

For every book you read or library program you attend between now and Aug. 1, you get a raffle ticket and a chance to win cool prizes like Captains Tickets or gift cards to Panera, Target, Amazon and more.

You can even register online.

So if you're going to play video games, you might as well play with friends and possibly win something for playing.

See you at the library. We'll save a spot for you.

Earn your own Certificate of Awesomeness at Clashing Controllers.

Nine Christmas Specials You Can Watch for Free on Hoopla

The last time we talked about Hoopla, we were suggesting options for your Thanksgiving soundtrack.

Hoopla, in case you don't know, is the digital streaming service with more than 300,000 audiobooks, movies and albums that's free with your Mentor Public Library card.

Now we're listing nine different Christmas movies and TV episodes that you can stream onto your computers, tablets and smartphones.

Spend your Christmas with Madeline.

1. Madeline's Christmas
All lists that can include Madeline's Christmas should, including lists about holiday specials, beloved children's literature characters, and pandemics.

There's not a whole lot of plot to Madeline's Christmas (but since when has Madeline been about things happening.) Basically, Madeline must take care of her classmates who have fallen ill around holiday time.

That's right. Any cartoon character can save Christmas! Madeline saves the holiday and cures the common cold. Is there anything this adorable moppet can't do?

2. The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas
Ready to have yourself a Munster little Christmas?

Eddie is missing Transylvania so the rest of his family rallies around him in this holiday Munsterpiece.

3. Archie's Weird Mysteries, The Christmas Phantom
Speaking of holiday monsters...

We'll forgive you if you've never heard of Archie's Weird Mysteries. Simply put, some television executive somewhere thought it would be a good idea to turn the Riverdale gang into the Scooby-Doo Crew.

Consequently, in this series, Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead solve mysteries with a supernatural twist. It's every bit as awful/awesome as it sounds.

If you want a seasonal sampling, check out The Christmas Phantom. It's the best Christmas special about a specter lurking in a department store that we've ever seen.

4. The Night Before Christmas
Or if you're looking for something more traditional, you can watch as Anthony Edwards narrates this Christmas classic.

5. Strawberry Shortcake, Berry Merry Christmas
Just when you thought this shortcake couldn't get any sweeter, she made a Christmas special.

Get ready for some adorable. Strawberry Shortcake and her friends make Madeline look like Edgar Allan Poe.

6. The Story of Christmas
Christmas isn't just about mystery-solving teenagers and princess-saving plumbers. (Oh, we'll get to the Mario Christmas special later.) It's not just about Santa Claus or talking snowmen either.

The Story of Christmas recounts the tale of Jesus's birth simply and sweetly. Watch it with your kids if they start to forget the reason for the season.

7. Bah Humduck! A Looney Christmas
There are hundreds of iterations on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but this is the only one with Plucky Duck.

Ergo, it must also be the best. (Though we also acknowledge the awesomeness of A Muppet Christmas Carol.)

8. Christmas Kiss
Consider this the obligatory romantic comedy option.

On second thought, maybe you'd be better off borrowing one of our copies of Love Actually.

9. Super Mario World, The Night Before Cave Christmas
As is probably obvious by now, we have an enormous soft spot for Christmas specials that border on the ridiculous.

And what can be more ridiculous than Christmas with Mario and Luigi, especially when Mario is trying to stop King Koopa from stealing a bunch of cavemen's Christmas gifts?

Nothing. There is a not a single thing that can be more ridiculous than that.

If you want to watch any of these videos but don't know how to use Hoopla, you can check out this video tutorial that one of our librarians made.

And check out Mentor Public Library for more awesome holiday books, movies and music.

Get your controllers ready for International Games Day at Mentor Library

Teens compete in Super Smash Bros during Mentor Library's Wii Wednesday.

When you think of the library, you think of books, right?

There's nothing wrong with that. We love books.

We love music and movies too.

But we also love—and this is one that people forget—video games.

That's the big reason we're participating in International Games Day, which is Saturday, Nov. 16, at Mentor Public Library’s Main Branch. 

Gamers from 12 to 18 years old can come to the library from 1 to 3 p.m. that day and compete in Super Smash Bros Brawl and Mario Kart tournaments with teens from 1,400 libraries across the United States and world.

It'll be a lot of fun, and it will also give teens a chance to connect with people from around the world.

In addition to video games, there will also be board games—including Ticket to Ride, Gloom, Tapple, Cross Ways and Rodeo Rummy—throughout the library that people can play.

(If you love board games, but haven't really tried anything beyond the staples—Monopoly, Scrabble and the like—you owe it to yourself to try some of these newer games.)

By the way gamers, we circulate PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii games at the library. So after International Games Day, you can check a couple of cartridges out. (Do they still call them cartridges? I feel old.)

Teens can register for the Wii tournaments on the library’s website or by calling 440-255-8811 ext. 215.