Kid Konnection: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you a wonderful new middle grade novel!

Summary: 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. -- Random House

I don't read all that many middle grade novels now that Booking Daughter is a teenager and Booking Son is still a little young for them; however, I made an exception for the new book ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY by Chris Grabenstein. I admit I was intrigued by the unique premise, but then I saw a comparison to one of my all-time favorite books THE WESTING GAME. Sold!

Quite honestly, all of the accolades I've seen for ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY don't do it justice. This book is so good and ideal for middle grade readers -- even those reluctant ones. It's funny, interesting, intriguing, imaginative, original and thought-provoking; and better yet, it's a page turner.

ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY tells the story of twelve sixth graders who are locked into a brand spanking new library for a night of adventure, food and fun. The brainchild behind this event is Luigi Lemoncello, the most famous gamemaker in the world. However when the kids wake up the next morning, they discover that they are locked into the library and can't leave until they figure out the escape route.

This middle grade novel is so clever. It's filled with puzzles -- ones that the characters in the book figure out and another one that is hidden in the novel specifically for the reader. In addition, it takes place in a state-of-the-art library with so many imaginative features that, hopefully, will encourage kids to realize just how amazing libraries can be. Furthermore, I appreciated that this novel had so many references to books and even some familiar quotations.

I just adored ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY and I think it's perfect for schools and/or book clubs. There is a wonderful website with so many fun activities and ideas. There are even cute mugs and tee-shirts. I especially appreciated that there is a reading guide as well as comprehensive questions, activities and vocabulary words.

One last thing... the book trailer:



Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!