Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race

Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Before I get started with my actual review, a note. Although Kyle is the main character, let's be real, the two kids that start the race and leave part way through because they find a book sale, are the true heroes. They are me in book form.

In this third installment of the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series, the kids are given a chance to compete in another one of Mr. Lemoncello's crazy competitions. Those fighting against our heroes are of course Charles and his mother, but also a couple new characters, rival game makers who have struggled to compete with Mr. Lemoncello's games.

I have to admit, I was really annoyed by Kyle at the beginning of the book. He was so focused on himself and believing he was right without considering those he was working with. I wanted to knock some sense into him and make him act like a team player. While it was annoying, it did give him a chance to grow as a character, and I was glad to see that Chris Grabenstein took that opportunity.

I used to say that I wanted a library like the one in the books, but now that I've read about Mr. Lemoncello's house and plane, I kind of just want to be his friend and have access to everything he invents. If only he was not a fictional character.

I like that once again, readers cannot say for certain who is on what side from the start. As the book progresses, alliances seem to change as you learn more about someone. This gives the book an unpredictable quality that I enjoyed. I will say though, for a town that was determined to not be embarrassed again by making a huge mistake, especially when it came to Mr. Lemoncello, they were really stuck in their ways and so sure they were right. I think that was my one point that was hard to get past. To me, I would think they would actually want to try and look at all the facts before automatically believing someone.

As always, I loved all the literary references, and had to smile every time I found one.

All in all, an good read.

Author: Chris Grabenstein
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 10th 2017

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