We all like games. Some of us like puzzles, some outdoor games and many like video games. Escape from Mr Lemencello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein, depicts a story of game-loving kids.

Twelve-year-old Kyle Keeley loves games. If something has ‘game’ in it, he loves it. His inspiration is a little eccentric billionaire and master game-maker, Luigi L. Lemencello. He is the founder of Imagination Factory, which is the source of all types of games. Other then games, Lemencello is a big true lover of libraries and he has spent a fortune in building Alexandraiville’s new public library, a town which has been without a library for 12 years.

This new three-storey library has large video screens, touch-screen computers, holographic characters and Electronic Learning Centre. Everybody wants to see this marvel, but 12 essay-winners, seventh-graders are the first to get inside the library. These twelve essay-winners include Kyle Keeley and his classmates.

Apart from visiting the library before anybody else, they get a chance to play a thrilling new game. The goal of the game is to find the way out of the library using what’s in the library. The winner of the game would become the face of Imagination Factory.

Read the book to know what puzzles the characters in the book need to solve and the games they need to play so that they can work their way out of the library. This book sure has The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory kind of plot and Lemencello does feel like Willy Wonka, but the books, games and puzzles in the story make it different enough.

Chris Grabenstein, has done a great job and has described the story from many different characters’ perspectives. Most of the puzzles in this book are not so easy and some are really difficult. And the best thing about this book is that it has several references to other children’s books that will make you want to read them too. So this book is an excellent choice for book lovers and puzzle enthusiasts.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 4th, 2017