Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library Review

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is by Chris Grabenstein. It is the first in the series Mr. Lemoncello's Library and is juvenile mystery.

"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."~Goodreads

Whenever I want to discuss the cover, I think I always put it first in my review. And I'm going to say a few words about it: it's so fun and colorful. I even like the colors that are under the book jacket. Anyway...

It had the word library in the title along with the word escape so I picked it up and decided to read the synopsis. What did I find? Something that sounded different unlike anything else I had read. What book lover wouldn't want to read about kids using knowledge to escape from a library (and a really cool one at that)? Plus the kids aren't trying to solve a case but rather find the mystery to getting out of the building.

"'Ah, yes. The boy who proved what I've always known to be true: The game is never over till it's over.'"

I was happy for Kyle because he found an area where he could make his mark since he's the youngest of three brothers. The other characters' personalities I felt were depicted very well. My favorite was Sierra Russel, the book lover. We all different sorts of people: the encouraging friend, the popular girl, the guy who tries to flatter everyone. I liked how even though they were in it to win it, some of them actually were trying to have fun while attempting to beat others. Mr. Lemoncello was the perfect sort of crazy brilliant (he invented shoes that make strange sounds and cookies that you spell with). Dr. Zinchenko is right there with the brilliant considering she helped orchestrate the lock in.

I want to know how much planning it took to make sure all the clues and riddles lined up. If one was out of place, the whole game wouldn't have worked. It's so intricate and well thought out what the clues were and where they would be and the connections. And the games Mr. Lemoncello created! Some of those deserve to be real like the bibliomania one. (He creates words during the book and I love that.)

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is a perfect read for those who like reading and mystery and want to go on a different sort of adventure.

Rating: 

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