Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library

I love books with creative, new concepts and Chris Grabenstein's  recent book certainly has that. The author obviously has a creative imagination.

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library is about some kids who win a prize, participation in the opening night celebration of the town's new library.

The town has been without a public library for twelve years and the billionaire who built the new one is the world's most famous maker of video games. Kyle, the main character, really wants to go to that event, but so do most of the town's twelve year olds, the only kids who can participate in the competition.

I hope it's not a spoiler to say Kyle does get into the library.

But he and the other kids who got inside are locked in and must win a live game with themselves as the characters in order to get out again.

The book includes puzzles for the reader, too.

But that's not all that makes this book a good one. What happens to the kids inside the library is scary and challenging. The characters and conflicts between them are realistic and, especially for Kyle, the stakes are high.

And, without being the least bit teachy-preachy, this book sneaks in information about libraries and is likely to inspire young readers to spend time in the real libraries where they live.