Libraries, adventures, games and puzzles in one book

Libraries, adventures, games and puzzles – Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein has them all! This light-hearted, fast-paced library adventure tells of a group of a dozen 12 year old children set a scavenger hunt by a magical impresario game master Mr Luigi Lemoncello. The children, winners of a competition, are invited to be locked in the amazing, state of the art, new Alexandriaville library overnight. Their challenge is to explore the library - fiction and non-fiction, decipher clues and find answers in order to find their way out of the library by morning time.

As well as an exciting story, this book is a celebration of all the discoveries and delights a wonderful library has to offer. Along with some surprising facts, and useful skills and strategies, it also has recommendations to some wonderful stories to read along the way.

This title brings to mind Charlie and the chocolate factory (with the characters meeting with various fates befitting their strengths and faults), along with a touch of Night at the Museum and maybe a bit of E L Konigsburg’s From the mixed up files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler thrown in.

It is an easy read, with short cliffhanger ending chapters, and would be a great read-aloud for upper primary / intermediate classes. It could also be a great library activity for your own library, even if you don’t have holographic librarians and hover platforms!

The game

Have your kids read this book before attending a sleepover or library lock-in, then mimic Mr. Lemoncello’s games and trivia at the event. Author Chris Grabenstein offers a full-scale Lemoncello-style scavenger hunt game for libraries on his website.

You will need to e-mail Chris to get the code (done to bypass smart kids googling the answers!) to gain access to the accompanying PDFs:

• Set Up and Game Play Instructions

• Game MasterGuide

• Answer Sheets for players to fill in

• Clue Cards

• Less Challenging WORD Answer Cards

• More Challenging PICTOGRAM Answer Cards

The Agatha Award – and cozy mysteries

Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s library has won many awards, and luminaries such as Amazon, The Washington Post (and Chris’s own mother!) chose it as Best book of 2013.

It also won the 2013 Agatha Award in the Children’s / YA category, the third time Chris Grabenstein has won this award. Named for Agatha Christie, these are awards for “traditional mysteries”, sometimes called the “cozy mystery” sub genre - amateur detective and not too violent.

This is a genre of adult books I enjoy reading myself (Sweetness at the bottom of the pie, One for the money, The Siren sang of murder, A is for alibi…).

For more titles of this ilk check out the Wikipedia list of past winners and Malice Domestic.

Into your library buying plan

The title is not yet in New Zealand (or the National Library Collection) so you may not have seen it in the bookshops, but will be available here in August in paperback.

I loved this book for the way it linked to other titles, inviting the reader to join the literary world, make connections with the scope of libraries, books they have read already and to note Mr Lemoncello’s enthusiastic recommendations to find and read as well.

And, if you need another recommendation, Kids’ Lit Quiz Quizmaster Wayne Millswas raving about this book at the quiz heats this year.

Further information

Kiddo Read website has a good, full review of Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s Library along with other recommendations and booklists aimed at enticing reluctant readers.

Chris Grabenstein's website includes a list of fast paced high interest reads Chris wrote with James Patterson and ideas for other activities.

Image: Seattle Library Atrium Lookover by Rachel Ludwick.