Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

This month, our book club read Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. We met shortly after starting the book to discuss the beginning AND to take part in our own library challenge/scavenger hunt. It was awesome!!! Later this month, we will meet to discuss the rest of the book.

In Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, a new and amazing library has just been built in an old bank building in Kyle Keeley's town, Alexandriaville. Picture this: holograms of famous writers, a rotunda dome lined with high-definition screens, robots, interactive displays--this sounds like an amazing place!!! There has not been a library in Alexandriaville in 12 years--the library in town was torn down for a parking lot. Mr. Lemoncello, a very famous game maker has decided to open a new library and has created an essay contest for all 12 year-olds. Twelve 12 year-olds will be chosen to be the first to visit the new library for an all-night lock-in event. Kyle, motivated by the opportunity to play with the state-of-the-art video game equipment, decides he must be one of the kids chosen. However, getting in the library is the easy part. Getting out will be more difficult. Mr. Lemoncello has actually created a game...the kids in the library have to figure out how to get OUT of the library using clues and working together.

I enjoyed trying to figure out the clues along with the kids in the library. This book reminded me of those reality-TV shows where the participants have to meet challenges and work together. The kids have to work together and use each other's strengths to figure out the challenges. This book was satisfying from beginning to end...and it made me wish there really was a Mr. Lemoncello's Library.

P.S. There is a sequel, too--Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics.

Heart of a Dolphin

Dear Student,

Thank you for recommending that I read Heart of a Dolphin by Catherine Hapka. I enjoyed this story of a young girl and her friendship with a bottle-nose dolphin. This story reminds me a story I wrote when I was about your age about two young kids and an orca they befriended. I remember being really upset when the movie Free Willy came out because it was so similar and I would never get it published now! :-) 

Annie is the main character in this book, and she is feeling a little left behind. Her parents are always busy with work and her best friend has recently started making new friends and is more interested in boys and fashion magazines all of a sudden. One day, she and her brother find a dolphin tangled in fishing line and Annie is able to save him. The dolphin, who she names Squeak, seems to trust her and begins to visit her in the cove near where she lives. Squeak is a blessing to Annie during this unsure summer as she deals with friendship and family situations. 

I am so glad you recommended this book to me. I really liked it! Since you loved this book so much, I have a recommendation for YOU. Be sure to check out Seaglass Summer by Anjali Banerjee. 

Sincerely, 

Mrs. Marquardt

Sam the Man and the Chicken Plan

My sons and I recently finished reading Sam the Man and the Chicken Plan by Frances O'Roark Dowell. Everyone in Sam's money has income--both of his parents work and even his sister has a lawn-mowing job that pays 20 bucks a pop! Sam wants a job, too. He is too young to mow lawns (Sam is seven), so he goes on a quest to find a job. After he earns $20 watching his neighbor's chickens, Sam decides he wants to be an expert on chickens. The best way to become an expert at something is to do it, so Sam decides to get a chicken. He also lands a job to help him pay for the chicken.  Along the way, Sam learns a lot more than just how to be a chicken expert.

We really enjoyed this book, and we were able to make a lot of connections to this story because we have chickens as well. Both of my sons especially enjoyed when Sam was blowing the egg out of the shell because they have both done that as well.

This is a funny story with some delightful illustrations. I would recommend this book for anyone, but especially 2nd-3rd graders as a wonderful chapter book. AND there is another Sam book--Sam the Man and the Rutabaga Plan. 

Tuesdays at the Castle

I will admit...fantasy is not generally my genre. With that said, I LOVED the Harry Potter books. I am wildly excited about the day I start reading these with my children. I am pretty picky about the fantasy books I read. I read about Tuesdays at the Castle on a blog I LOVE, which you can find here. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George is about Princess Celie, the youngest daughter of King Glower. Celie lives in Castle Glower, a quite unique castle. Every Tuesday, the castle adds rooms, changes rooms, adds hallways or makes some other change to itself. Celie especially loves the castle and is in the process of recording all of the rooms of the castle in a book. When her parents and oldest brother go missing, inside and outside forces threaten the throne of King Glower. Celie, along with her brother and sister, try to save the day. The good news is that if you like this book, it is a series!!

I enjoyed the excitement of this book. I also enjoyed the family relationships and personalities of the royal family. It was also really fun to see how the castle reacted to the events taking place within its walls. I encourage you to read this book--whether you love fantasy or aren't sure about fantasy. It's great!