[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
A young Luigi L. Lemoncello longs to fit in and find his place, but he was born to stand out. And he finds a kindred spirit at a travelling carnival where he meets Professor Marvelmous. Luigi is so good at the Professor’s carnival game that he gives Luigi a job there every day while the carnival is in town.
At the carnival, Luigi gets to practice being a showman. And the professor and Luigi’s friends encourage him as he works on his game ideas.
But two town bullies are determined to cause trouble for Luigi and his friends. Of course, one of them is a Chiltington.
Review
This was a fun prequel! Fans of the Lemoncello series by Chris Grabenstein will love all of the Easter eggs in this book. But newcomers could start here, too. I think it’s more fun to read the books in publication order, but that’s just my opinion. The story stands solidly on its own.
Luigi is a delightful character as a child (also as an older adult in other books). He’s sweet, clever, and kind. And the Professor is an excellent mentor who gives sage advice while also giving Luigi space to find his own path.
The bullies are the worst, just like in the earlier books. But Luigi is eventually able to outsmart them. The ending is a happily-ever-after for the Lemoncello family as well as Luigi’s friends.
This is a fun, feel good story, perfect for summer reading! This would also make a great classroom read aloud, but again I think it works best if the students have previously read (or heard) at least one of the other books.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.