Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

From the Publisher:  Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent 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 building of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

In this cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Night in the Museum, Agatha Award winner Chris Grabenstein uses rib-tickling humor to create the perfect tale for his quirky characters. Old fans and new readers will become enthralled with the crafty twists and turns of this ultimate library experience.


I was given this book at a conference, but I just had not taken the time to read it until about a month ago.  It just did not grab me at first.  I know...some might read that and be shocked because it has gained such critical acclaim.  My daughter devoured it and would not give up until I read it.  So...I did.

Boy, was my first impression wrong.  This book was really awesome from so many different standpoints.  Kyle is the youngest in his family, and he gets in trouble.  He finds a way to skirt his punishment.  Boy, I feel like if I had a nickel for how many times kids try to do that in the library...but that is a post for another day.

I loved the obvious nod to librarians in general from Mr. Lemoncello's childhood librarian to the awesomely odd librarian of this new and different library space.  He weaves in technology and gaming with knowledge of books.  Thank you, Mr. Grabenstein.

Here is a video that a student made at a different school.  
(Please ignore the typos in the video.  I liked how it was made and wanted to share that.) 

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