(3.5 / 5)

After a grand escape game and a library-fied version of the Olympics, Mr. Lemoncello brings his favorite 12-year-olds (though I'd guess some are probably 13 by now) a game that sends teams on a much grander adventure--across town in bookmobiles and across states in his banana jet. But trouble is afoot when Kyle's team uncovers evidence that Mr. Lemoncello plagiarized his very first game. Will his newly honed research skills be enough to clear his hero's name?

After loving the first book in the series and enjoying the second one as well, this one didn't seem quite as good in the end. The required suspension of disbelief is much higher in this one, both because these kids are allowed to take private jets to other states and even NYC without any real adult supervision, and because my past observation of most of the kids just being over-the-top knowledgeable was ramped up in this one. Not only do some of these kids know just about every juvenile book ever written, plus have an extensive knowledge of the Dewey decimal system that they can mentally search whenever needed, but now some of those same kids know vast amounts of information about historical events and figures like the Wright brothers' first flight. It's all just a bit too much to swallow.

I did still like the puzzles and riddles along the way, though. I enjoy being able to solve some of the clues along with the kids, though that was certainly lighter in this one. The more of these grand-scale games Mr. Lemoncello dreams up, the bigger they seem to have to be, which is somewhat understandable from a fiction stand-point, but seems like it'll be difficult to sustain. And strangely, while the game itself is grander, the prize is...considerably less so, though that might just be from an adult's perspective.

The mystery that came up in the latter half of the book and stalled the great game was interesting, as it was quite the reflection of the way the general public will believe nearly anything if they're given a convincing enough presentation, no matter if the facts back it up or not. Parts of the mystery were predictable, parts not so much, and in the end, while I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did the first two, I know that the things that brought it down the most for me are going to be more noticeable to an adult than the age group the book is meant for. My 10-year-old daughter loved this book as much as the previous two, and I think it's safe to recommend it for kids around 8-12. ( )

Synopsis:
Kyle and other previous winners compete in the Lemmoncello Library Race to win a new video game. In the midst of the competition a rival game maker sets out to ruin Lemmoncello's reputation. Kyle and friends must fight to restore Lemmoncello's good name and assure the future of the library.

My rating:

4/5

I am a fan of this series and have read the books prior to this one. So far, this has been my least favorite. It is a fine middle grade book but I didn't love it as much as I loved the previous Lemmoncello books.

This book continued to have the fun and zany things I expect in a Lemmoncello book as well as clues and puzzles to engage me. I was not as interested in the books overall theme as I was in the past books. Also, for the first time this book crossed the line of believability for me (arguably this line was tenuous with the first two books). I could not suspend my disbelief far enough to be fully immersed in this novel.


While I know many other readers felt the past books were very "young" this was the first book I felt it was difficult to enjoy as an adult reader. The fact I am not a middle-grade reader has never been an issue with my enjoyment of the previous books.

All of these books are steeped in whimsy and are Willy Wonka-esk however that has rarely been an issue with my enjoyment of them. This book just nudged the line a bit too far for my taste.

Additionally, this book had fewer puzzles for the reader to solve and felt less interactive than the two previous.

It was still a brilliant book and I highly recommend the series. This book was just not my favorite of the ( )

Game-maker Luigi L. Lemoncello is testing his “Fabulous Fact-Finding Frenzy” game in which the players research to find information about famous Americans, Following clues, the players peruse library books, race around on foot, ride bicycles, travel in bookmobiles, and fly in Mr. Lemoncello’s own corporate banana jet. Kyle Keeley, naturally, wants to win. But when he uncovers some disreputable “facts” about Mr. Lemoncello, it looks as if his hero may just turn out to be a fraud.

Can Kyle find the answers before it’s too late to save Mr. Lemoncello and the great Lemoncello Library?

The third installment of the Lemoncello Library adventures doesn’t disappoint. [Although this enchanting tale stands perfectly well on its own, anyone who hasn’t read the first two adventures, “Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library” and “Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics,” is urged to consider remedying that oversight at the earliest opportunity.]

All the usual characters are in place once again along with the delightfully despicable game-making Krinkle brothers. The newest Lemoncello invention, the Nonfictionator, is on display as the riotous plot twists and turns and the story unfolds. Along the way, there are riddles to solve, puzzles to unravel, codes to crack, and references to a profusion of books any book-lover, young or old, will instantly recognize.

From the first page, readers will discover this lively tribute to libraries, reading, and research is completely unputdownable.

Highly recommended. ( )

Book 3 of 5 ( )