Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is a children's novel by author Chris Grabenstein. It was on the New York Times bestseller list for Middle Grade novels for 111 weeks between 2013 and 2016, peaking at #8 in hardback and #2 in paperback.[1][2]

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
AuthorChris Grabenstein
Original titleEscape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
Cover artistDavid Kyle
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SeriesMr. Lemoncello's Library
SubjectMystery
GenreChildren's
PublisherRandom House
Publication date
June 25, 2013
Media typePrint (Hardback)
Pages288
ISBN037587089X

Grabenstein has stated that the book contains a secret puzzle that readers can decode. To solve it, he offers some advice given by Mr. Lemoncello in the book: "Forget the Industrial Revolution, my first idea might be your best solution."[3]

Plot

Twelve-year-old Kyle Keeley is obsessed with the board games of Mr. Luigi L. Lemoncello, the world's most renowned game maker. Big news hits his town when Mr. Lemoncello transforms Alexandriaville, Ohio's old bank into a state-of-the-art, into a technologically advanced library, and he's holding an essay contest where twelve students from the middle school can spend one night in a lock-in before the library's opening. Although Kyle misses the essay deadline, he rewrites his essay to email it to Mr. Lemoncello despite a reply that the sending had been unsuccessful. But Kyle's knowledge of games and his friends' knowledge of books and libraries are put to the test when they have to play the biggest game yet; having to escape from the library using only their wits and the clues scattered around the library's different sections.

Awards

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library was a New York Times bestseller for Children's Middle Grade and received positive reviews. Giving it a starred review, Kirkus Reviews praised the book as a "solid, tightly plotted read" full of puzzles and puns.[4] Publishers Weekly called it "that perfect book that isn’t girly or boyish, but is just a good book for any middle-grade reader."[5] Reviewers (including author James Patterson, a frequent collaborator of Grabenstein's) also compared the book favorably to Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.[6][7]

The novel was also the 2013 winner of the Agatha Award for Best Children's/Young Adult Novel.[8] This was the fourth time that Grabenstein won this award, the first for his novel The Crossroads.

It has also won several Children's Choice State Book Awards:

Arizona, Grand Canyon Reader Award; Delaware, Blue Hen Book Award; Florida, Sunshine State Young Readers Award; Indiana, Young Hoosier Book Award, Intermediate; Kansas, William Allen White Children's Book Award; Maine, Student Book Award; Maryland, Black-Eyed Susan Book Award; Minnesota, Maud Hart Lovelace Award; Mississippi, Magnolia Award; Missouri, Mark Twain Readers Award; Nebraska, The Golden Sower Award; New Hampshire, Great Stone Face Book Award; New Jersey, Garden State Book Award; North Dakota, Flicker Tale Children's Book Award; Ohio, Buckeye Children's and Teen Book Award; Oregon, Reader's Choice Award; Pacific Northwest Library Association, Young Reader's Choice Award; Rhode Island, Rhode Island Children's Book Award; Tennessee, Volunteer State Book Award; Vermont, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award; Virginia, Virginia Reader's Choice Award;

In 2016, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library was awarded the Mark Twain Readers Award by the Missouri Association of School Librarians.[9]

Sequels

A sequel titled Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics was released on January 6, 2016. There is also a third book, Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race, which was released in October 2017. The fourth book is entitled Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game, which was released in May 2019. The fifth sequel, Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket, will release on August 25, 2020.

Characters

Kyle Keeley, a huge fan of Mr. Lemoncello and Lemoncello Games who doesn't read a lot of books, but learns to keep a must-read list. (Captain of Team Kyle.)

Charles Chiltington, a selfish and hostile genius who'll do anything to win, even if it means sabotaging the rules or his fellow middle-schoolers. (Captain of Team Charles.)

Akimi Hughes, Kyle's wise-cracking best friend who's one of the dozens of people that are super excited about the new secretive library. (Team Kyle.)

Miguel Fernandez, the intelligent and enthusiastic president of a book club at school and another one of Kyle's friends. (Solo, then Team Kyle.)

Andrew Peckleman, Miguel's friend-turned-enemy and an easily tempered book-lover who knows his way around the Dewey Decimal System. (Solo, then Team Charles.)

Haley Daley, a sometimes snobby spokesmodel, but is soft deep down in her heart and is competing in the competition to aid her financially struggling family. (Solo, then Team Charles, then Team Kyle.)

Sierra Russell, a quiet and shy bookworm whose parents are divorced, but learns to loosen up during the competition. (Team Kyle.)

Mr. Luigi L. Lemoncello, the eccentric and humorous creator of Lemoncello Games and the Lemoncello Library dropping scripted clues throughout the escape game. (Creator)

Dr. Yanina Zinchenko, the world-famous head librarian of the Lemoncello Library who is the only one that knows the way out of the library.

Mrs. Gail Tobin, Mr. Lemoncello's former librarian and the new holographic assistant of the library. (Deceased)

Clarence & Clement, the heads of security at the Lemoncello Library and twins.

Curtis Keeley, Kyle's older brother and a mastermind.

Mike Keeley, Kyle's oldest brother and a sports expert.

Mr. & Mrs. Keeley, Kyle's witty parents.

Bridgette Wadge, A headfirst competitor of the escape game who wants to get a "jump start on things". (Solo.)

Yasmeen Smith-Snyder, another eager competitor who misinterprets the rules. (Solo.)

James F. "Uncle Jimmy" Willoughby III, the Librarian of Congress and Charles' busy uncle.

Mrs. Dana Cameron, a middle school teacher.

Mrs. Yunghans, the middle school librarian.

Rose Vermette, a soccer player and an early viewer of the library.

Kayla Corson, another early viewer of the library who doesn't interact much and is very shy.

Sean Keegan, a viewer of the library who thinks the competition is lame, boring and supposedly dumb.

Uncle Woody, Andrew's fake uncle who owns the Blue Jay Extended Stay motel, otherwise known as the Olympia Village.

Adaptation
Director, McAboy and Writer, Grabenstein

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library was optioned by Nickelodeon as a movie, and filming was done in Vancouver BC, Canada.[10][11]

The film was directed by Scott McAboy Produced by Amy Sydorick and stars Casey Simpson as Kyle Keeley, Breanna Yde as Akimi, Klarke Pipkin as Sierra, A.J. Louis Rivera Jr. as Andrew Peckleman, Ty Nicolas Consiglio as Charles Chiltington, Russell Roberts as Mr. Lemoncello, Kari Wahlgren as the voice of Charlotte from Charlotte's Web, and Dana Snyder as the voice of the Troll from Three Billy Goats Gruff.[12][13]

The movie was released on October 9, 2017.[14]

References
  1. "Children's Middle Grade". The New York Times. August 11, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  2. "Children's Middle Grade". The New York Times. July 27, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  3. Dowling, Brendan (August 14, 2013). "A Thank You Note to Librarians: A Conversation with Chris Grabenstein". Public Libraries Online. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  4. "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library". Kirkus. June 25, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  5. Grossenbacher, Emily (May 7, 2015). "Galley Talk: 'Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library'". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  6. "Recommendations from the mind of James Patterson". The Washington Post. December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  7. Westmoore, Jean (July 28, 2013). "Summer Reading for Young People: Adventures at 'Lemoncello's Library,' Buckingham Palace and more". The Buffalo News. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  8. "The Agatha Awards". Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  9. "2015-2016 MASL Readers Awards Winners".
  10. "In Production". www.creativebc.com. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  11. "'Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library' Optioned by Nickelodeon (Exclusive)". The Wrap. February 19, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  12. https://ew.com/tv/escape-from-mr-lemoncellos-library-nickelodeon-photos/welcome-to-escape-from-mr-lemoncellos-library
  13. https://deadline.com/2016/09/nickelodeon-escape-from-mr-lemoncello-library-tv-movie-cast-breanna-yde-casey-simpson-1201823254/
  14. New Movie Trailer 'Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library' 📚 | Premieres October 9th on Nick
Awards
Preceded by
Wonder		 Mark Twain Award
2016		 Succeeded by
The War That Saved My Life
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