From the Publisher
PRAISE FOR THE SERIES:
A New York Times bestselling series
44 state award lists and counting
"Discover the coolest library in the world." —James Patterson
"Lots of action and quirky humor." —The Washington Post
★ "A worthy successor to the original madman puzzle-master himself, Willy Wonka." —Booklist, starred review
★ "A winner for readers and game-players alike." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "A fun-filled, suspenseful intellectual puzzle." —Shelf Awareness, starred review
"Will have readers racing to pick up the next volume." —School Library Journal
APRIL 2016 - AudioFile
Kudos to narrator Jesse Bernstein for his spot-on portrayals of the myriad characters in this second Luigi Lemoncello story. Bernstein sounds resolute as eighth-grader Kyle Keeley, with his moments of snarkiness, dejection, and elation; “dweeby” as Andrew Peckleman, who is much more than that; and twangy as Texan Angus Harper. They are three of the 12 kids assembled from around the country to vie in a “duodecimalthon,” which features 12 library-related games. Bernstein effectively differentiates all the competitors. The story’s adults—the crafty Mr. Lemoncello and Uncle Woody—can’t match the collective smarts of the contestants, but Bernstein successfully plays them for laughs. Listen in for outrageous fun, book titles, and Dewey decimal numbers galore in this celebration of reading and libraries. A.R. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2015-09-16
Can the hometown champions defeat teams from around the country in a new contest at Mr. Lemoncello's fantastic library? Responding to millions of requests, the visionary library-builder organizes a new competition, a "duodecimalthon" of 12 library-related games. The action in this engaging sequel begins slowly with a stage-setting introduction of the characters and the incredible library in Alexandria, Ohio, for readers who didn't devour Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (2013). But once the contestants have gathered and the Olympics-styled games begin, puns, puzzles, and book references come thick and fast. Suspense builds: Mr. Lemoncello's dream is in danger, and Kyle Keeley and his eighth-grade teammates have formidable rivals. This celebration of libraries, librarians, books, and the right to read doesn't quite have the exuberance of the first, perhaps because it is so carefully constructed to make the author's point. But it has characters with encyclopedic knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System and popular children's books, and it has Mr. Lemoncello's lavish costumes, inventive games, and beyond state-of-the-art technology. The plot twists and turns before the appropriately satisfying end. Grabenstein obligingly provides a long list of good books to read (mentioned in the text) and challenges readers to find the sources of the quotations from banned books embedded in the narrative. Dewey like this? Of course, and so will upper-elementary and middle school readers and gamers alike. (Fiction. 9-14)
