Tag: Mr. Lemoncello

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale by Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale 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

Kyle Keeley is back, and this time he’s hoping to win it all! Mr. Lemoncello is giving away his entire empire to a 13-year-old kid, and Kyle wants to be that kid.

Kyle isn’t the only kid hoping to win. There’s Simon and Soraiya in New York and Gloria in Florida as well as Betina in California. As Kyle gets to know the other contestants – 13 in all – his confidence starts to waver. Most of his closest friends chose to sit this one out, and he could have too. He’s not sure his gaming skills are best in the group. And running the Lemoncello empire requires more than game skills. But he also knows that Charles Chiltington is up to no good. Kyle has to stay in the game to keep Charles from ruining the Lemoncello legacy.

Review

A lovely send-off for, as Chris Grabenstein says in his acknowledgements “this particular arc of the Lemoncello universe.” While there are new stories – and graphic novels – still to come, this is a satisfying conclusion to the initial book series. The games are fun, and the contestants for the most part are endearing kids who hope to succeed. I loved that there was space for several series regulars to sit this one out. They set a boundary for themselves and pursued their passions – it was great!

Thankfully the Chiltingtons did most of their scheming off-page because I have been over Charles since the All-Star Breakout Game. But he got to make a final appearance and close out his arc while Kyle and Mr. Lemoncello closed out theirs. At least for now.

Teachers, librarians, and series fans will want to finish the series and pick this one up. There’s tons here to love!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

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.

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: ♥♥♥♥