#Lemoncellos library

[why-are-all-the-users-taken]

Brb rereading all my comfort books/series' :3

[book--brackets]

[theboyatthebustop]

Would you believe me if I said all of these graphic novel adaptations (except for the whatever after one) came out in 2022?

[mollyhats]

If you liked The Mysterious Benedict Society, try...

Book rec post!

If you liked The Mysterious Benedict Society for...

...found family of kid spies, try

City Spies by James Ponti

Brooklyn, a hacker, is recruited into a family of orphans who handle missions for MI6 under the protective eye of the eccentric "Mother," an agent who started accidentally collecting orphans while searching for his own lost children. If you love TMBS for a bunch of kids (and peculiar adults) forming a tight-knit family against a background of espionage, this book is perfect for you!

...the world of Stonetown and it's slightly off-kilter worldbuilding, try

The Greenglass House by Kate Milford

Milo lives in a smuggler's hotel with his parents, but he expects a quiet family Christmas--until guests start piling in, each with their own secrets and hidden agendas. Milo and his new friend Meddy decide to investigate, using a TTRPG as their guide. The connection to TMBS is harder to pin down here, but there's a definite vibe. They feel like they could take place in the same world.

...the puzzles, riddles, and games, try

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

Before the grand opening of a new library, Kyle and several of his classmates are invited to a lock-in---but little do they know, they're in for a wild night of escape room puzzles that will require all of their gifts to solve. If you love the riddles and tricks of TMBS, as well as the ways the Society uses their different strengths to get through all kinds of puzzles, this is a great choice.

...a lonely kid passing strange trials to enter a new world and family, try

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Morrigan was cursed to die on her 12th birthday, but instead she's swept away to a magical world and offered a chance to participate in a series of trials to join the prestigious Wundrous Society and be safe from the curse. But there's so much she doesn't know, and the things she learns about this strange new world might pale in comparison to what she learns about herself. The trials she faces feel very similar to Mr. Benedict's, and there's plenty else to continue the comparison once we get past them (in either book): quirky mentors, lonely orphans, world-shaking plots, a strange school.

[fictional-library-tournament]

Prelims round 1, poll 13

Propaganda

Great Library of Zosma, Strange the Dreamer by Lainie Taylor:

None

Library of Alexandria, The Atlas series:

This is a freaking half-sentient all knowing wise library that got bullied by one half-insane drunk and depressed empath into giving him the information it was specifically supposed to withhold

What a pathetic mess of a Library

Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Cemetery of Forgotten Books series by Carlos Ruiz Zafón:

None

The Scholomance Library, A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik:

The library inside the Scholomance is so cool. It’s open to a void above, and is the safest place inside the entire school. The sections are mostly in the same place every time. But the shelves can stretch out and fill up with more books

Alexandriaville Public Library, Mr Lemoncello's Library series by Chris Grabenstein:

A Wonka-esque (minus the deadly traps) library renovated by a genius game designer. The middle grade book series involves kids who must solve reading related puzzles that are hidden throughout the library, including in their personalized library cards. All stacks have special hover machines to find the perfect book and a holographic librarian to help out.

[multifanidiot]

In my "read this book as a child an now as a teenager there's a movie " era

[psychicthepsychic-daily]

the very next line is "impossible. keeley doesn't have a mind for me to play with." which i feel is very much something psychic would say about boyfriend

[fandomsareforlife]

Also, if you don’t see your favorite here, check out this poll. And no, I never read Warrior Cats nor The Mysterious Benedict Society.

[historyhermann]

Librarians of Color on “Pop Culture Library Review”: A 2023 Assessment

From left to right, top row: Motofumi Mashiko in Libra of Nil Admirari, Hazel in Somali and the Forest Spirit, Praline in Somali and the Forest Spirit, Ms. Green in Young Love, and Kana Kishimoto in Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. From left to right, bottom row: Seiya Tsukishima in Whisper of the Heart, Nel and Rhea in Saving You (ep 36 #3: “Sometimes I Don’t“), unnamed librarian in Gradually…

[graphicpolicy]

Chris Grabenstein’s Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is now a graphic novel!

Chris Grabenstein’s Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is now a graphic novel! #comics #comicbooks #graphicnovel

[the-real-sigrid-borg]

and other times it's getting annoyed that a fictional ten year old made a dumb decision

Reading middle grade mysteries is fun until you're like 'yes i did it... i solved a mystery intended for 10 year olds'

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

Damar by Robin McKinley

This is the story of Corlath, golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the Lady Aerin.

And this is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became Harimad-sol, King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, that no woman had wielded since the Lady Aerin herself bore it into battle.

And this is the song of the kelar of the Hillfolk, the magic of the blood, the weaver of destinies...

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

In this much-loved children's classic first published in 1906, the comfortable lives of three well-mannered siblings are greatly altered when, one evening, two men arrive at the house and take their father away. With the family's fortunes considerably reduced in his absence, the children and their mother are forced to live in a simple country cottage near a railway station. There the young trio—Roberta, Peter, and young Phyllis—befriend the porter and station master.

The youngsters' days are filled with adventure and excitement, including their successful attempt to avert a horrible train disaster; but the mysterious disappearance of their father continues to haunt them.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Alone and lost—on the North Slope of Alaska

Miyax rebels against a home situation she finds intolerable. She runs away toward San Francisco, toward her pen pal, who calls her Julie. But soon Miyax is lost in the Alaskan wilderness, without food, without even a compass. Slowly she is accepted by a pack of Arctic wolves, and she comes to love them as though they were her brothers. With their help, and drawing on her father’s training, she struggles day by day to survive. In the process, she is forced to rethink her past, and to define for herself the traditional riches of Eskimo life: intelligence, fearlessness, and love.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

The Penderwick sisters busily discover the summertime magic of Arundel estate’s sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. Best of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, the perfect companion for their adventures. Icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is less pleased with the Penderwicks than Jeffrey, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Is that any fun? For sure the summer will be unforgettable.

The Harper Hall of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

For centuries, the world of Pern has faced a destructive force known as Thread. But the number of magnificent dragons who have protected this world and the men and women who ride them are dwindling.

As fewer dragons ride the winds and destruction falls from the sky, Menolly has only one to sing, play, and weave the music that comes to her so easily—she wishes to become a Harper. But despite her great talents, her father believes that a young girl is unworthy of such a respected position and forbids her to pursue her dreams. So Menolly runs away, taking shelter in a cave by the sea. Miraculously, she happens upon nine fire lizards that could possibly save her world...and change her life forever.

Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch

Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch.

As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn't want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret.

Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Caddie Woodlawn is a real adventurer. She'd rather hunt than sew and plow than bake, and tries to beat her brother's dares every chance she gets. Caddie is friends with Indians, who scare most of the neighbors -- neighbors who, like her mother and sisters, don't understand her at all.

Caddie is brave, and her story is special because it's based on the life and memories of Carol Ryrie Brink's grandmother, the real Caddie Woodlawn.

Pendragon by D. J. MacHale

BOBBY PENDRAGON is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby.

He is going to save the world.

And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he thought it was. And before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution.

If Bobby wants to see his family again, he's going to have to accept his role as savior, and accept it wholeheartedly. Because, as he is about to discover, Denduron is only the beginning....

Goodnight Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian

The gruff and surly Mr Thomas Oakley is less than pleased when he is landed with a scrawny little city boy as a guest, but because it is compulsory that each villager takes in an evacuee he reluctantly agrees. It soon becomes obvious to Mister Tom that young Willie Beech is hiding something, and as the pair begin to form an unlikely bond and Willie grows in stature and in confidence he begins to forget the past. But when he has to return to war-torn London to face his mother again he retreats into his shy and awkward ways once more.

[intothestacks]

So, the escape room I made for the Grade 4s & 5s works like this (1/2):

Firstly, I made it cooperative instead of competitive, in honour of the book I’ve read for the past 2 years to the Grade 4s (Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein), which is kind of like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but set in a library with an escape-the-room game that turns out to be cooperative.

The story for the game is that, one day during library time, the lights go out, and when they come back on, the grownups are gone and they’re locked in the library. The landline doesn’t work, and neither does the computer, so they can’t call for help. But an unknown voice speaks from the intercom telling them that they must figure out who’s behind this if they want the grownups to return and the library to unlock.

There are 4 teams, each of which must follow clues that culminate in a clue that must be used with the final clues of the other teams to solve the final riddle, which is the name of who’s behind the library lock-in (the final clues are the letters L-O-K-I).

Each team has envelopes with a different symbol on it which in itself are technically clues to who’s behind what’s going on: 

a green sugar skull (to represent Loki’s daughter Hella, goddess of death)

a green snake eating its own tail (to represent Loki’s Monstrous Child Jörmungandr)

a blue wolf (to represent Loki’s Monstrous Child Fenrir the Great Wolf)

a brown symbol of an eight-legged horse (representing Loki’s horse-child Sleipnir).

Each envelope also has a number so they know the order to open the envelopes in.

The clues are all Viking-themed and lead them to different areas of the library. The first clue for each theme is centered around an object (a Mjollnir necklace, a pop-up card of a Viking ship, my cellphone, and a box that looks like a fake book).

Every team has one activity where they have to decipher something and the other clues are more like a scavenger hunt style. 

For example, the clue leading to the religion section requires them to put magnets that I printed pics of gems on them in the correct order in order to place the corresponding coloured letter magnets to spell out RELIGION.

The order of the gems is based on a list I provide them of the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology, with each world name shaded as the corresponding colour of a gem.

Two of the other interactive clues are rebuses, and the final interactive clue is the word “languages” written in Norse Runes (I provide them with a list of the Norse alphabet).

[no-1-rosalind-lang-apologist]

What classic children’s books (like the magic tree house, box car children, babysitters club; etc) would the ss characters have grown up reading in modern day?

This is solely based on ones that I'm familiar with, and my mom didn't let me read a lot of very normal things for odd reasons. (Not bad reasons just odd. It's a long story.) So. Disclaimer. Also some of these are a little older this has mostly just become books that they would have read in elementary/middle school and liked.

Juliette: Not a book but she either hated Gnomeo and Juliet and said that Juliet stole her name or she loved it and was obsessed with it. As for books? Nancy Drew.

Roma: Wanted to read Rainbow Magic Fairies so bad but his dad wouldn't let him because his dad is a dick. Land of Stories maybe? Series of Unfortunate Events.

Benedikt: Spiderwick Chronicles. Frog and Toad.

Marshall: Animorphs. Also definitely a Percy Jackson kid. Goosebumps. Geronimo Stilton. Read Twilight at 11 or something and was traumatized.

Rosalind: Dork Diaries, Rainbow Magic Fairies. Sisters Grimm.

Celia: Horse girl books because I thought about it for some reason idk and I think she would have had a horse girl phase. Also the idea of her being able to read Melissa or something like that makes me very happy.

Alisa: Series of Unfortunate Events. City of Ember. Warrior Cats. I Survived. Artemis Fowl. Elatsoe.

Orion: Rainbow Magic Fairies, Fugde. Also anything Oliver read because he looked up to Oliver a lot. He read Magisterium in middle school and 100% thought Cal and Aaron were gay for each other.

Oliver: The One and Only Ivan (and various other horrible sad middle grade books that are really really good and make you cry). Also Alan Gratz books. Carl Hiaasen books maybe?

Phoebe: Deeply unfortunate KOTLC phase and was definitely a Linhella shipper. She and Silas were both weirdly obsessed with The Spider and the Fly when they were little and it freaked Orion out. She read Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World in middle school and was a sobbing mess.

Silas: I'm claiming him as a Magic Treehouse kid. Also Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Ivy and Bean. The Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus books made him irrationally angry. Also you cannot tell me that 7 year old Silas did not sit there meticulously searching through Where's Waldo books for hours. Series of Unfortunate Events.

[lesbian-foxmulder]

Holy shit dude ur so Westing Game Lemony Snicket Mysterious Benedict Society Blackthorn Key Pseudonymous Bosch Mr Lemoncello's Library ha ha ha