Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics

Reviewed by: Carla McAllister - New Gloucester Public Library, New Gloucester, Maine, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 20, 2016

Review

Often the sequel to a wonderful book turns out to be not so wonderful. In fact, sometimes they are a disappointment. In this case, the extreme opposite is the case. This one surpasses the first in the series, hands down. Kyle and his teammates are set to defend their title of the winners of the Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library contest by competing with regional teams from all over the country. The team that wins will all glean a paid college education. There are those who would like to bring Kyle's team down and some local folk who are wanting to take over the library and run it with a board of trustees. These folks do not think that the library should be a place to have fun, to play video games, interact with holograms of famous librarians and others, have shelving and book cart races, and use those fabulous hover ladders that whiz one up to the correct book or section that one is looking for. And, of course, there are those books in the library that simply should not be there, that should be banned! Following clues and solving puzzles involving the dewey decimal system and lots of great children's books keeps the reader extremely enmeshed in the story. This tale delves into many serious topics including patron confidentiality, the right to information, and the fact that is often difficult to, ultimately, do the right thing. An unexpected twist at the end wraps this reading experience up in a perfect bow! Get it! No question about it. PLEASE CONSIDER FOR CREAM!!

Overall Book Score: excellent