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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library



Last updated Friday, September 28, 2018

Author: Chris Grabenstein
Date of Publication: 2013
ISBN: 037587089X
Grade Level: 5th    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Sep. 2018

Synopsis: 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.

Note to readers:
•  This book is part of a "Mr. Lemoncello" series.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Do you play board games? Which ones?
•  What is your favorite board game?
•  Before reading the full question on page 3 (or the answer), ask the kids, "What are 2 coins that add up to 30 cents.
•  What libraries have you been to? Where?
•  Have you heard of any famous libraries? (such as Huntington Library)

Vocabulary

•  scavenger hunt (p. 2) - a game, typically played in an extensive outdoor area, in which participants have to collect a number of miscellaneous objects.
•  casement window (p. 4) - a window set on a hinge so that it opens like a door.
•  covert (p. 8) - not openly acknowledged or displayed.
•  corinthian columns (p. 8) - Corinthian columns are the most ornate, slender and sleek of the three Greek orders. They are distinguished by a decorative, bell-shaped capital with volutes, two rows of acanthus leaves and an elaborate cornice.
•  goslings (p. 10) - goose chicks
•  punch list (p. 11) - a document prepared near the end of a construction project listing work not conforming to contract specifications that the contractor must complete prior to final payment.
•  gloat (p. 16) - express one's own success or another's misfortune with smugness.
•  baffling (p. 42) - impossible to understand; perplexing.
•  iron horse (p. 44) - a train or a steam locomotive.

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  Do you know any other tongue-twisters?

Craft ideas:
•  Draw a bookshelf with titles of your favorite books or books you would like to read.
•  Draw a board game.
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/september-2018-back-to-school-fun/

Special activities:
•  Practice tongue-twister on p. 37. "If 2 witches were watching 2 watches, which witch would watch which watch?"
•  Another popular tongue-twister, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?"
•  Practice fist bumping, like on p. 15.

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!