Willie Wonka....in a library....with amazing games!

What a wild ride! Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, by Chris Grabenstein has something for everyone: book lovers, book avoiders, gamers, puzzle-solvers.  Imagine, if you will, that the world's most creative and innovative game inventor decided to donate millions to build the most awesome public library ever!  That is Mr Lemoncello.  

Our main character, Kyle, is NOT a reader, like is brainy older brother, nor a great athlete, like his all-American oldest brother, but he would do anything to beat them at one of Mr Lemoncello's board games.  So much so he gets grounded.  When he learns that he could end his grounding early by winning a prize lock-in in the brand-new library, he scrambles to write an essay that will get him in the door.  Once locked in, they are in for the ride of their lives.  Not only is it the coolest, most technologically advanced library, Mr Lemoncello has planned a series of puzzles to solve.  The person who finds the secret way out of the library gets to help promote Mr Lemoncello's Christmas campaign.  There are puzzles to solve, competitors that will do anything to win, and advanced problem-solving.  Will Kyle win, or will the super-competitive (and less-than-honest) Charles get the fame and fortune?  Solve the mystery and find out what the key to winning really is.

This book was great fun, and, I may need to read it again as there is a puzzle hidden within the book.  If you figure it out, e-mail the author.