Kyle Keeley just doesn’t stand out. He’s not as strong as his brother Mike, and he’s not as smart as his brother Curtis. However, there’s one thing that can level the playing field between him and his brothers: board games—specifically, board games created by the famous Mr. Lemoncello. Winning board games depends on a good card, a lucky roll of the dice or some quick thinking. In Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, written by Chris Grabenstein, Kyle learns that his hometown’s new library was designed by Mr. Lemoncello himself, and he plans on doing whatever he can to get inside.
By using some quick thinking and ingenuity, Kyle is invited to the invitation-only lock-in at the new library, along with 11 other children. They anticipate an evening of snacks, books, games and fun. What they don’t expect is to be locked in the library and told that they must win a game created by Mr. Lemoncello himself to escape—with the winner starring in advertisements for Mr. Lemoncello’s games! If there is one thing Kyle is good at, it’s games, and he is determined to win this one. Kyle must decide, however, if he can win this game alone, or if he must work with others to decipher the clues, puzzles and tricks laid out for them.
Young readers will find themselves flying through the pages of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library wanting to know what happens next, all while jumping in surprise at what leaps off the page. A mix between playing a game of “Clue” and reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library is a fun, fast-paced story, filled with interesting characters and complex puzzles that will keep just about any reader rolling the dice, spinning the spinner and flipping the cards all the way to the end.
