Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein (review)

World-renowned game developer Luigi L. Lemoncello returns to his humble Al-exandriaville roots to reestablish a public library in his old hometown. The grand opening of the new building, renovated from a defunct bank, is initially limited to a group of twelve-year-old winners of an essay contest, and avid gamer Kyle Keeley is among them. The kids enjoy an overnight lock-in, which leaves them free to roam around the whimsical facility, but the real fun comes in the morning, when the kids take part in a massive game in which they must use library resources to find their way out of the building; the competition is stiff and alliances form and shift, as each player's personality and motivation is key to the game. There's more a reek than a whiff of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Mysterious Benedict Society (BCCB 5/07) in the air, and the blatant hints that libraries are the key to a wonderful world of learning are rather heavy handed. This is pitched to an age group that's prime for the pleasures of literary recognitions and library independence, however, and young readers may be less jaded about the tropes. Readers on the brink of readiness for Raskin's The Westing Game (BCCB 9/78) or Balliett's Chasing Vermeer (BCCB 6/04) may want to warm up their sleuthing skills with this title, or simply follow the referential clues to compile a solid reading list of kid classics.