• Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (Mr. Lemoncello's Library #1)

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
(Mr. Lemoncello's Library #1)

Publication Date
June 25, 2013
Genre / Grade Band
Fiction /  4th − 5th
Language
English
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (Mr. Lemoncello's Library #1)

Description
Twelve-year-old Kyle gets to stay overnight in the new town library, designed by his hero (the famous gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello), with other students but finds that come morning he must work with friends to solve puzzles in order to escape.

Kyle Keeley is the class clown and a huge fan of all games--board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the construction of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot as one of twelve kids invited for an overnight sleepover in the library, hosted by Mr. Lemoncello and riddled with lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route! 

Publication date
June 25, 2013
Genre
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780375870897
Lexile Measure
720
Guided Reading Level
T
Publisher
Random House Books for Young Readers
Series
Mr. Lemoncello's Library
BISAC categories
JUV047000 - Juvenile Fiction | Books & Libraries
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
Library of Congress categories
Libraries
Books and reading
Games

Kirkus

Starred Review
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children's book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read is a winner for readers and game-players alike.

ALA/Booklist

Starred Review
An ode to libraries and literature that is a worthy successor to the original madman puzzle-master himself, Willy Wonka.

Publishers Weekly

Librarians and English teachers will happily recommend this adventurous romp from Grabenstein (the Riley Mack books), which pays playful homage to books and libraries while engaging readers in a fast-paced competition involving research and reasoning skills. Twelve seventh-graders win a chance to spend an overnight lock-in previewing their town's new public library--it's a marvel of technological delights conceived by Luigi Lemoncello, the Willy Wonkalike founder of Mr. Lemoncello's Imagination Factory, which is a source for every kind of game imaginable. During the lock-in the winners, who include game-lover Kyle Keeley and a group of multicultural classmates with a mix of aptitudes and interests, are offered a further challenge: "Find your way out of the library using only what's in the library." The winner will become spokesperson for the Imag-ination Factory. Book lovers will relish the lavish sprinkling of book titles and references while puzzle fans will enjoy figuring out the clues. A lighthearted parody of reality survival shows, the book reinvigorates the debate over the Dewey Decimal system and traditional library skills while celebrating teamwork, perseverance, and clever wits. Ages 9-12. Agent: Eric Myers, the Spieler Agency. (June)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7--Bibliophiles unite! Melvil Dewey is alive and well and residing within Mr. Lemoncello's new library. Billionaire game-maker Luigi Lemoncello wants to pay homage to his childhood library by constructing a technological marvel in his hometown that went without a library for 12 years. He invites a dozen 12-year-olds to a lock-in at the new building, and when they arrive they find the eccentric game-maker has offered them a further challenge-if they can find their way out using only what's in the library-they will become the new spokesperson for Mr. Lemoncello's company. Kyle Keeley teams up with other students as unlikely alliances form, some children's true (not so nice) personalities emerge, and suspense builds while the kids enlist the aid of Mr. Lemoncello's childhood librarian, an Electronic Learning center, and book clues and references galore. The story feels like a cross between a reality show, an online game, and a tightly woven mystery. Dewey Decimal clues will hook librarians and teachers, while book lovers will delight at myriad references from Mr. Lemoncello, such as, "And now, I must return to my side of the mountain... I have great expectations for you all!" Book and game lovers alike will delve into this delicious tale and put on their thinking caps.--Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
So much fun!

Chris Grabenstein
Chris Grabenstein is the New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular Mr. Lemoncello series, the Welcome to Wonderland series, and many other books. He is also the coauthor of many page-turners with James Patterson, including the Max Einstein series, and also of Shine!, which he cowrote with his wife, J.J. Grabenstein. Chris lives in New York City. Visit Chris at ChrisGrabenstein.com and on Twitter at @CGrabenstein. Look for the latest Mr. Lemoncello books--Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game (available now!) and Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket, coming in 2020!
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