Tag: Chris Grabenstein

2023 Year In Review, Part 1

2023 Year In Review, Part 1

Posted on by Jaymie

2023 was a tough reading year for me. I read the fewest number of books that I have since I started keeping track on Goodreads. But even more than just numbers, I didn’t encounter a lot of books that left a lasting impression. When I tried to figure out what my top 10 books were, I struggled to remember things I read in the earlier part of 2023.  This makes me want to look deeper at my past reading numbers to see how this year measures up.

I read 145 books in 2023, and I feel good about that number, even if it’s the lowest of the last seven years. I set a one book goal on Goodreads for 2023, which was a brilliant idea I came across on Instagram – it kept me from obsessing about meeting a goal. And it freed me up to go with the flow a bit more this year with my reading. I’m looking forward to digging into some of my other reading stats later this year.

Now, let’s take a look at my favorites from 2023. Of the 10 books on my list, two are nonfiction. Half of the list are books I read from review copies this year. There are 3 YA books on the list and 1 middle grade book, and there are two graphic novels on the list.

Today we will cover books 10 through 6, plus an Honorable Mention. Then Friday we will pick up the rest. (You can see my lists from past years here.) Here we go!

Honorable Mention: The Labors of Hercules Beal – This was not a 5 star book when I read and rated it, which pushed it out of consideration for my Top Ten list. But the story, and the character of Hercules, really stuck with me this year, unlike a lot of other things I read that I loved in the moment but then forgot. So I had to make mention of this book for 2023. You can read my full review here.

 

 

10. A Letter to My Congregation – I didn’t post a full review of this on the blog in 2023, but this was a hugely influential read for the year. I rated this “5+++” when I initially read it. My Goodreads review reads: “This was exceptionally good and a perfectly timed read for me. I loved the tone of it which made it easy to plow through over a couple of days. I was underlining something on almost every page. While I thought the chapters on the author’s journey to acceptance and alliance were excellent, my favorites were the two chapters (4 & 5) on how the Church can disagree on this issue – and other issues as they arise over time – without splitting or tearing each other apart. I hope to get some people together to talk about those chapters in particular.” ♥♥♥♥♥+++

 

9. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library (Graphic Novel) – This is the one middle grade book on the list this year. I loved this adaptation of a “classic” middle grade novel. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

8. Manslaughter Park – This is the third book in the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series for teens and young adults – and I loved it! I read this on a retreat so I will always associate it with that whole experience which adds to its specialness. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

7. Summer Reading – I discovered Jenn McKinlay through her mysteries, but I have become an even bigger fan of her romance novels. You can read my full review of this one here.

 

 

 

6. Starter Villain – My husband and I both enjoyed this stand alone book from John Scalzi – it’s quirky and fun, and one I will happily read again. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

Be sure to come back Friday for the rest of the list!

REVIEW: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library Graphic Novel by Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Graphic Novel by Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! If you are looking for gift ideas on this Black Friday, be sure to check out my Holiday Hint List of book recommendations.

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Game designer Luigi Lemoncello builds a fantastical public library in his home town and then invites a group of kids to take a early peek inside by spending a night in the library. But the lock-in turns into a game when the kids have a chance to solve the puzzle of how to escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.

Review

Outstanding! I have been a fan of this book – really, of the whole series – from the beginning. And this is a fantastic graphic novel adaptation of the first book in the Lemoncello’s Library series. It’s been too long since I read the original for me to be able to comment on what was trimmed out for length. But the story here hangs together brilliantly.

This would be a great introduction for kids who aren’t familiar with the prose novel or kids who think the novel looks intimidating. Graphic novel adaptations can be a great onramp for some kids before they try out the full book. I also think this is a fun option for kids (and teens and adults) who already love the original and want to explore a visual version of the story and characters. Do not miss this one! Highly recommend.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game by Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game by Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

[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.

BONUS REVIEW: The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein

BONUS REVIEW: The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an 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

Once upon a time, a ruthless pirate entrusted his treasure to his cabin boy. He forgot he killed the boy’s father; the boy had no loyalty to the pirate. The cabin boy hid the treasure and left a trail for his descendants to follow to find it.

Riverview Middle School is a shabby, derelict building whose best days were long ago. The district will likely sell the building off at the end of the year rather than invest what it would cost to bring it up to snuff. At least, that is what a certain land developer and his cohort are counting on.

Jake McQuade attends Riverview. Jake is cool and popular. And he’s at school to hang out with his friends. He figures if he needs to know something, he can just look it up on his phone rather than put a lot of effort into learning things. He’s the poster child for apathy and slothfulness.

For example, one night when his mom is working late, she tells Jake he’s responsible for making sure he and his younger sister have dinner. Rather than cooking something from the fridge – too much work – he and his sister take a bus to the hotel where his mom works. She’s working a big banquet where there’s always extra food, cooked by someone else. While Jake waits, he eats a small jar of jelly beans from the hotel’s green room.

Jake has no idea that those were no ordinary jelly beans. They were a science experiment! By the end of the night, Jake is spouting random facts and speaking foreign languages. But he doesn’t know why.

When word starts getting out about Jake’s intelligence, everyone wants Jake for something. The scientist who made the jelly beans wants to study him. His crush at school wants him to join the quiz bowl team. His best friend wants him to use his brain to make money. And the FBI wants his help solving cases. All Jake wants, though, is to go back to his normal self and his old life.

Review

This was so fun! Jake’s a great kid – both the apathetic version and the brilliant one. I loved his friends and his relationship with them and with his family.

The villains were exactly right for the audience of the book. And I enjoyed the three distinct pieces of the story – the jelly beans and Jake’s intelligence, the missing treasure, and the school pieces (quiz bowl, the principal, etc.). Everything fit together like a perfect puzzle, well-balanced and well-paced. The short chapters added to the sense of adventure and urgency of the story. This would be a fun class read-aloud because of the story, but those short chapters would be an advantage for teachers as well when kids ask for “one more chapter.”

This is another fun, captivating story from the author of the Lemoncello Library books and many others, Chris Grabenstein. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: Shine! by JJ and Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Shine! by JJ and Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an 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

Piper’s life revolves around music, although she says she personally can’t carry a tune in a lunch box.

Her mother was a cellist and also a singer. At Piper’s age she had a full music scholarship to Chumley Prep. Piper’s dad has always dreamed of writing musicals and directing orchestras on Broadway, but he never caught a break like that. When Piper’s mom died, he started directing music at Fairview Middle School so he had a steady job to take care of the two of them.

And now, her dad’s a cappella group has won the Winter Sing-Off, beating the Chumley Prep group. It’s a huge achievement for Piper’s dad. And it gets him invited to take the director’s job at Chumley after Christmas. A “perk” is that Piper can go to the school for free. She’s less than thrilled.

At the Winter Sing-Off, Piper overheard the arrogant Chumley kids mocking her dad and his group, but she was too shy to speak up. What is she going to do now when she has to go to school with those kids every day?

Review

“The brightest stars don’t just shine for themselves.”

What a DELIGHT! This is the kind of book I want to hug. I loved this – the characters, the plot, the message. It was a treat to read!

Piper is my favorite sort of middle grade character. She’s bright and sweet and over time she gets comfortable in her own skin. She finds a fantastic crew at Chumley which offsets some of the social issues at the school. Piper’s not perfect. She struggles with the pressure to be a star at Chumley and with her expectations of herself, and that leads her to vent that frustration onto a friend. But she finds her way back, on her own, given some time and space – exactly what you hope kids can do.

The story was almost as excellent as Piper. It’s a new kid story combined with an identity story as Piper is trying to figure out who she wants to be in this new setting. As an outsider, she catches glimpses of what the pressure of a school like Chumley can be like for kids, especially kids with parents who have sky-high expectations and the money to make things happen. And while Piper puts up with some taunting and some unfair treatment, she mostly has the freedom to find her place and be herself while she figures out the Chumley system and competes for an all-school award.

This would be terrific for a classroom read aloud, for book groups, or for family/bedtime reading. Don’t miss out on this one. You can check out my reviews of some of Chris Grabenstein’s other books here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game by Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello’s All-Star Breakout Game by Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Mr. Lemoncello is at it again. This time, his latest game is going to be televised on Kidzapalooza, a station “where kids rule.” It’s the station where Haley Daley’s TV show broadcasts.

Mr. Lemoncello has created a game where teams of kids enter fictional stories in motion capture suits and play out stories from different genres. Each story contains a puzzle to be solved. Solve 5 to get to the final puzzle to win the game and “breakout” from the Alexandriaville library.

Charles Chiltington is determined to beat Kyle Keeley once and for all. He puts together a crack team of 8th grade book fanatics to compete against Kyle and his 7th grade friends. But when the game gets started, all of the teams are in for some surprises!

Review

This was another fun Lemoncello adventure. There are tons of book references in this one, just like in earlier books. But specific books are not the focus of the game itself which gives this a little different “flavor” from the other books in the series.

Kyle and his friends are as delightful as ever. As usual, Kyle is a normal pre-teen – never perfect but always well-intentioned. And in this story he gets to experience some empathy-building tasks that help him grow as a hero for the series.

I was disappointed by some of the adults in this one – Kyle’s parents and the teachers who apparently buy the baloney Charles is still shoveling. As a teacher – and a parent – my “spidey-sense” would have been tingling at all the sucking up Charles does. Add in Charles’ behavior from the previous books, and there should be no adult outside Charles’ own family who would take him at his word. The author puts some effort into making Charles somewhat sympathetic, but I wasn’t buying it. Sure, he has some terrible influences at home, but Charles still makes the choice to be a bully and/or a cheat every time. And those choices are on him. Maybe it’s time for a new nemesis for Kyle to square up against.

Kids will love this new Lemoncello adventure. Character qualities, motivation, and empathy are great discussion topics for group reading.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Mr. Lemoncello has a new game for Kyle Keely and the other members of the Lemoncello Library board of trustees. The winners – and there will only be two of them – will get to travel to libraries across North America and share new holographic exhibits with them. The game is Mr. Lemoncello’s Fabulous Fact-Finding Frenzy.

Twenty-four kids in two-person teams will compete for five slots for the Frenzy. In the Frenzy, those players will research five historic figures who are going to be honored with special exhibits at the library. The winners will also get the first copies of Mr. Lemoncello’s newest holographic game!

While the kids are competing for fun prizes, rival game makers have come to Ohio to stir up trouble for Mr. Lemoncello. The kids will need everything they are learning about research if they have any hope of saving their library and their friend.

Review

I can’t think of a better middle grade series to hand to any and every kid you know than the Mr. Lemoncello books. When I was teaching, these books clicked with a variety of readers (including adults). This is the third installment of a book- and library-loving series that I would recommend for home, classroom and library use across the board.

This book shakes up some of the usual characters. Kyle is still front and center – and I love him. He’s a flawed character, but earnest and teachable. Fans of the series will recognize other kids in the story from previous books. But Kyle gets a new partner in puzzle-solving this time around. It’s a great way to see him grow!

The story reminded me of book two in this series and a little of the Harry Potter books in that Mr. Lemoncello is in danger but he steps back to let the kids work to save the day kind of like Dumbledore often does in Harry Potter. Mr. Lemoncello trusts the kids with his livelihood, his reputation, and his future. And the kids rise to the occasion. I thoroughly enjoyed this, especially the final conversation Kyle has a the very end of the book. So fun!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥