Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

The city of Alexandriaville, Ohio has not had a public library for the past twelve years. Naturally this means when one is built it needs to be celebrated with much fanfare. The futuristic library, built by the eccentric game maker Luigi Lemoncello, becomes a fun filled escape room where 12 twelves year olds will have a night to make it out to win a life changing surprise!

The story reads as part Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and part escape room. It had me flipping pages so quickly due to the non-stop action and trying to figure out the clues along with the kids. I loved how they had to learn to work with each other... well most of them. I also loved that this whole game was created to introduce the concept of a public library to a group of kids that never had one.

I mean being trapped in a library sounds like a grand idea! Add in fun games, food, and obviously the plethora of books I'd be a happy camper. I related to Sierra, always has a book in her hand, so much. She made my heart smile. Was I rooting against a 12 year old? You betcha and I am looking at you Charles...

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. It will be on my recommendation lists.

It was really fun to see one of my favorite series in graphic novel format. I loved seeing how the characters were depicted even if that isn't how I might picture them.

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library: The Graphic Novel by Chris Grabenstein was a silly and fun middle grade graphic novel about a kid obsessed with games who gets to participate in a new library competition. This was adapted from the middle grade novel and has serious Willy Wonka vibes but with books and games instead of candy. It has all the good feels of teamwork and friendship and there was trivia and many great and popular kids classics mentioned by name. This was a fast, quick read that I think would prove helpful for many kids to get into reading easily if they're intimidated by the novel. Recommend for the older elementary/middle school age range.

This book is wonderful as a graphic novel. The comic strip like illustrations really bring the whimsy and fun of the game inside the library.

This book starts with a contest to spend a night in the new library designed by none other than famous game maker Mr. Lemoncello. Once in the library, the students realize it is a big game to escape the library and need to look through various book clues.

This story seems like a mash-up of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and an escape room. The best part was all of the mentions of many classic books.

My elementary school daughter read this and really enjoyed it since graphic novels have really been her entry into loving reading. This book did not disappoint.

Thank you to Random House Children's and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

To start, I haven't read the original, so I lack a point of comparison. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this adaptation and eagerly anticipate the next one. It's a delightful read, akin to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but set in a library. I loved that there were literary Easter eggs throughout the story. My only critique is that the story dragged towards the end. Aside from that, it's a fantastic read for Lemoncello fans and those new to the series."

This is a great retelling of the original book. The illustrations are great and the story was just as fun this time. Kids will love it!

My kids thought the illustrations could have been better. They are huge fans of graphic novels and Chris Grabenstein. The graphic novel was the same story as the book. My kids really enjoyed this whole series of books.

ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO’S LIBRARY tells the story of a group of students who are selected to participate in a lock-in in their town’s new library. This library—and lock-in—aren’t anything ordinary. The library has been designed by legendary gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello and he’s created an elaborate series of puzzles for the students to solve to win an amazing grand prize. As the students race to solve the clues, the message that teamwork, collaboration, and playing fair matter is repeated throughout the story. With its vibrant colors, quick pace, and lots of adventure, this graphic novel adaptation of Chris Grabenstein’s book will bring a new group of readers/patrons to Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. I know it will be a hit in my school’s library!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of the book to read and review.

Book 185 of 200 ~ 2023

🌟🌟🌟🌟

If Roald Dahl decided to go this route instead of the chocolate factory route...

Not bad, but not going to be on my top five faves - this was my review when I first read this.

As a graphic novel, though, it is way more fun:) i still feel like it is a Wonka rip-off, but at least it promotes libraries, so yay.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I read and reviewed the original book (and loved it!), so this review is less about the story and content than it is about the graphic novel format. I was so excited to see that there was going to be a graphic novel of this book, because if there was ever a book (and series) that was crying for a graphic novel to be made for it, it's the Mr. Lemoncello's Library books. The amazing library and all of its high-tech features are just too big for the imagination (not that I'm saying the author didn't do well describing it all in the original novel). Plus, puzzles that the kids need to solve are often shown in the book, and they fit in much better in a graphic novel. The characters are distinctly different, which helps when you're talking about an original 12 kids that get pared down along the way, and Mr. Lemoncello himself really came to life for me in this format.

On top of all of that, there is a 11-clue rebus puzzle hidden throughout the first 46 pages of the book, which, knowing about in advance, forced me to pay close attention to the background while I read. In the end, I had to go back and look really hard for one I'd missed (and throw out one that turned out to not be a clue). Maybe I'm too old to send my answer and be in the running for the prize, but as a puzzle-lover, it was a lot of fun to work it out after I'd finished the book.

I don't know if the rest of the series will follow this graphic novel, but I do know that I sincerely hope that Mr. Grabenstein will continue the main series, since the last book definitely set up more to come. As for this book, though, I think that fans of the series will enjoy this new format, but I'd imagine that the idea for it is more to encourage kids who don't care to read regular books to pick up this illustrated version and enjoy the story. Since I had already read the original book, I can't say for sure how the story will come across to a newcomer, but I think it would be a fun read for 8-12-year-olds!

It was a treat to read this sweet graphic novel version of Chris Grabenstein's "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library". I enjoyed the literary references and the Wonka-esque story. The characters were especially charming as they spouted historical facts and literary details much the same as my own son, who loves to read. What a great way to encourage more readers!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Graphic for my advance e-galley!

This was a really sweet retelling of the novel. I really enjoyed the visuals that drew me into it more then the movie ever did. Just a great read.

5 stars = Outstanding!

This exceeded all of my expectations. I loved having visuals for this amazing story. And the adaptation into a graphic novel is done so well - I didn't feel like there were big gaps in the story, even though I knew there were parts trimmed out for the format. The artwork is excellent. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Fans of the prose novel will love having the visuals, and newcomers can fall in love with the basic story before diving into the full novel.

I immediately fell in love with Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library when I read the first version so I was so excited to discover that Grabenstein created a graphic novel version. Escape Games are popular for kids and adults and what a fun version of an escape game, finding your way out of a new and exciting high tech library. This is an adventure that book lovers and gamers alike can enjoy! I love how the graphic novel adapts the story to keep a fun pace throughout the book. The pictures and shortened text really bring the adventure to life. Sometimes I wonder if a graphic novel will be able to fully capture the full experience of a book, but I was impressed with how this was done in Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. And if your kids enjoy the graphic novel, it might just be a great way to introduce them to the entire exciting Mr. Lemoncello series.

This graphic novel adaptation of Mr. Lemoncello's Library was fantastic. This Wonka-esque world was brought to life in the illustrations, making the story even more inviting than it was in the prose version. I highly recommend that anyone who loved the original, pick up this version right away!

These chapter books are very popular at my library, and I have no doubt that this graphic novel adaptation will be popular as well. It preserves the fun puzzle solving aspects of the novel with brightly colored panels that are very satisfying to look at.

Such a fun new addition to the series! I think this will be a great way to get kids interested in the series if they've been hesitant to try the novel, I've got several copies in my classroom!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is a phenomenal graphic novel adaptation of an already great book! The illustrations and story are wonderfully done. My 8. year old son and I both really enjoyed this! The illustrator added so much to the story and created a detailed world to go along with the story. The story and games are so fun. There are great examples of students making the right choices in the book and clear consequences for those who don't. It sets a great example.

An incredible and incredibly fun adaptation of what is already a hugely popular series for elementary and middle grade readers. This graphic adaptation is a must-read for anyone looking for a clever adventure mystery, whether that reader is avid or reluctant. This one will grab on and get readers excited about the myriad other books that serve as clues throughout the story. And all of those literary references are wonderful Easter eggs for readers in the know.