Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-02 01:21:55
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Chris Grabenstein
- ISBN：059348083X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Before Mr。 Lemoncello became everyone's favorite game maker， he was a kid who liked to roll the dice 。 。 。Discover the origins of Mr。 Lemoncello's Library in this PREQUEL to Escape from Mr。 Lemoncello's Library。
Go back to the START and meet thirteen-year-old， PUZZLE-obsessed Luigi Lemoncello！
Luigi has a knack for games and puzzles。 But sometimes it feels like the cards are stacked against him。 UNTIL a carnival arrives in town and Luigi gets the CHANCE OF A LIFETIME: the opportunity to work for the world famous Professor marvelmous， a dazzling， banana-hat-wearing barker who puts the SHOW in SHOWMAN！ When the carnival closes， Professor Marvelmous leaves behind a mysterious puzzle box along with a clue。 A clue that will lead Luigi and his friends on a fantastical treasure hunt to a prize beyond anything they could imagine--if they can find it！
Can Luigi crack the codes and unlock the box's secrets？ Will there be puzzles？ Of course！ Balloons？ You bet！ Will it be fun？ Hello！ It's a Lemon-cello！ BONUS！ Can YOU crack the hidden puzzle inside？！
Go back to the START and meet thirteen-year-old， PUZZLE-obsessed Luigi Lemoncello！
Luigi has a knack for games and puzzles。 But sometimes it feels like the cards are stacked against him。 UNTIL a carnival arrives in town and Luigi gets the CHANCE OF A LIFETIME: the opportunity to work for the world famous Professor marvelmous， a dazzling， banana-hat-wearing barker who puts the SHOW in SHOWMAN！ When the carnival closes， Professor Marvelmous leaves behind a mysterious puzzle box along with a clue。 A clue that will lead Luigi and his friends on a fantastical treasure hunt to a prize beyond anything they could imagine--if they can find it！
Can Luigi crack the codes and unlock the box's secrets？ Will there be puzzles？ Of course！ Balloons？ You bet！ Will it be fun？ Hello！ It's a Lemon-cello！ BONUS！ Can YOU crack the hidden puzzle inside？！
Reviews
Alley W。
，
Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game was a thrilling adventure。 In the book the reader is introduced to thirteen year old Luigi Lemoncello one of the ten Lemoncello children。 All his siblings have lofty dreams one wants to be a lawyer another a doctor and Luigi is the odd one out。 None of those things interest him his imagination is fascinated with games and puzzles， how to solve them and how to create them。 He has two best friends， Bruno and Chester， who accept his friend for who he is and are also Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game was a thrilling adventure。 In the book the reader is introduced to thirteen year old Luigi Lemoncello one of the ten Lemoncello children。 All his siblings have lofty dreams one wants to be a lawyer another a doctor and Luigi is the odd one out。 None of those things interest him his imagination is fascinated with games and puzzles， how to solve them and how to create them。 He has two best friends， Bruno and Chester， who accept his friend for who he is and are also fascinated with their friend’s lively out of the box character。 Luigi’s older sister Mary sees no value in Luigi not pursuing interest of education her point is all the more proven when Luigi’s game antics bring misfortune to the Lemoncello household。 Luigi’s life is changed forever when he decides to go to a carnival where he happens to meet an eccentric barker named Professor Marvelmous。 The professor offers Luigi a job but in doing so also helps Luigi hone his showman abilities and encourages Luigi to be who he is and not hide his true self to fit in。 Loved the back story of Mr。 Lemoncello， there are a lot of moments in the book that connect to the previous Lemoncello books from his top hat to his rhyming which make this book a fun read all around。 The man Luigi Lemoncello becomes is shown in the character development that takes place in this book。 Luigi learns that games need rules， winning is not everything and working together as a team makes the game and life better。。 。。。more
Melissa
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Unfortunately， I didn't enjoy this prequel as well as the rest of the series。 It was a bit harsh in spots which curbed my overall enjoyment of the read/listen。 Unfortunately， I didn't enjoy this prequel as well as the rest of the series。 It was a bit harsh in spots which curbed my overall enjoyment of the read/listen。 。。。more
Jill
，
fun prequel I don’t always love prequels but this one was fun。 There were bad guys and good guys and it’s always fun when you can recall relationships between characters in the current books and tie them together in the prequel。My 8 yo loved this book too （she started it at 7 but had a birthday）。 We have all the Lemoncello’s Library books and were excited to read this one too。 I would love to hear more about Maggie and Kyle’s Keely relatives in future books！
Bethea
，
I read Escape From Mr。 Lemoncello's Library years ago as a coach for a fifth grade book bowl team。 I loved the story and wished that a library like that could exist in real life！ I then read the sequel， Mr。 Lemoncello's Library Olympics and I read his novel The Island of Dr。 Libris。 I loved those books as well。 When I saw that there was a prequel to Mr。 Lemoncello's Library， I just had to read it to discover the story of how it all began！ It did not disappoint！！Mr。 Lemoncello's Very First Game i I read Escape From Mr。 Lemoncello's Library years ago as a coach for a fifth grade book bowl team。 I loved the story and wished that a library like that could exist in real life！ I then read the sequel， Mr。 Lemoncello's Library Olympics and I read his novel The Island of Dr。 Libris。 I loved those books as well。 When I saw that there was a prequel to Mr。 Lemoncello's Library， I just had to read it to discover the story of how it all began！ It did not disappoint！！Mr。 Lemoncello's Very First Game is a fun story about Luigi Lemoncello， at age 13， and his life as one of ten children。 Luigi is fascinated with games and loves to create his own。 His older siblings feel that it's foolish while his younger siblings adore it。 Luigi starts to doubt himself until he comes upon a carnival in town and is offered a job at a balloon popping， puzzle solving booth run by Professor Marvelmous。 That summer sets the stage for the rest of his life。 This story is full of clues， riddles， and a variety of puzzles to solve。 It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of the games and adventures that the characters have。 Middle grade children will love this story - especially if they have already read Escape From Mr。 Lemoncello's Library。 If they haven't read it， they will want to after reading this book that tells how it all began。 I can't wait to reread that novel and others in the series that I didn't realize existed。Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC of #MrLemoncellosVeryFirstGame by #ChrisGrabenstein in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Rachel Kokes
，
Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game was written by Chris Grabenstein， and is the sixth book in the Mr。 Lemoncello’s Library series。 It is a prequel to the previous five books， but I wouldn’t recommend reading it before the others。Summary: This book follows Luigi Lemoncello as a child， and brings the reader along as he discovers his love for games and showmanship。 He meets amazing people along the way， and learns how to rely on his quick wits and personality to escape bullies， solve puzzles， and bec Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game was written by Chris Grabenstein， and is the sixth book in the Mr。 Lemoncello’s Library series。 It is a prequel to the previous five books， but I wouldn’t recommend reading it before the others。Summary: This book follows Luigi Lemoncello as a child， and brings the reader along as he discovers his love for games and showmanship。 He meets amazing people along the way， and learns how to rely on his quick wits and personality to escape bullies， solve puzzles， and become the greatest game designer of all time。My Thoughts: I read this book aloud to my kids。 At first， we were disappointed at the idea of reading a different story line。 Book five was a bit of a cliffhanger， and we wanted to know what happened。 A prequel didn’t sound nearly as fun。But BOY， were we wrong。This book is delightful， and our new favorite from the series。 We learned about Luigi’s past and what influenced him to do what he does as an adult。 We kept stopping the book and saying， “Oh， THAT’S where that came from！”There are also lots of fun rebus puzzles spread throughout the book that kids can actually solve as they read-such a clever addition to a book， and really upped the interactive nature of the story。This book is well-written， highly entertaining， has wonderful characters， and will have you quoting Lemoncello sayings in your daily life。This is one of the best children’s books I have read in a long time， and my kids agree。 I really couldn’t recommend this book more highly。If you are looking for a series to hand to your kid， or choose as a read aloud for the whole family-this is the one。 Why？ Because， it’s a Lemoncello！ （You will get that once you read the books。）I would like to thank Random House Children’s for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review。 Thank you！ 。。。more
S Tondra
，
What a fun prequel into the Lemoncello book series。 We get to meet a 13 year old Luigi L。 Lemoncello， his big family and best friends and how it all leads to Luigi's first game。 I think many readers will enjoy getting to know a young Luigi and see how it mold him into the Mr。 Lemoncello we know from the other books。 What a fun prequel into the Lemoncello book series。 We get to meet a 13 year old Luigi L。 Lemoncello， his big family and best friends and how it all leads to Luigi's first game。 I think many readers will enjoy getting to know a young Luigi and see how it mold him into the Mr。 Lemoncello we know from the other books。 。。。more
Histrio
，
A bit predictable， but an enjoyable ride along the way。 It's fun to see the beginnings of the style that is later so recognizable as "A Lemoncello"。 A bit predictable， but an enjoyable ride along the way。 It's fun to see the beginnings of the style that is later so recognizable as "A Lemoncello"。 。。。more
Amanda Novak
，
If you are a fan of the Lemoncello series， then you might have wondered what was Mr。 Lemoncello's Very First Game？ Overshadowed by his siblings， Luigi Lemoncello isn't sure where he fits in。 However after a carnival comes to town his summer is filled with games， friends and his first job。 It was a delightful glimpse into the beginning of a wonderful inventors life！ If you are a fan of the Lemoncello series， then you might have wondered what was Mr。 Lemoncello's Very First Game？ Overshadowed by his siblings， Luigi Lemoncello isn't sure where he fits in。 However after a carnival comes to town his summer is filled with games， friends and his first job。 It was a delightful glimpse into the beginning of a wonderful inventors life！ 。。。more
Awjtf
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I loved it！
Kristens。reading。nook
，
Thank you to PRH Audio for a complimentary audiobook。 Before Mr。 Lemoncello had a library， he was 13 year old Luigi from a large family who was struggling to make ends meet。 During the summer carnival， Luigi meets Professor Marvelous， the witty and boisterous proprietor of a balloon game。 Luigi is enthralled with the balloon game and soon becomes Professor Marvelous’ apprentice， learning all he can about the art of attracting crowds and entertaining people， not to mention how to create clever cl Thank you to PRH Audio for a complimentary audiobook。 Before Mr。 Lemoncello had a library， he was 13 year old Luigi from a large family who was struggling to make ends meet。 During the summer carnival， Luigi meets Professor Marvelous， the witty and boisterous proprietor of a balloon game。 Luigi is enthralled with the balloon game and soon becomes Professor Marvelous’ apprentice， learning all he can about the art of attracting crowds and entertaining people， not to mention how to create clever clues。 This middle grade novel is a great prequel to the series。 It is a stand-alone so can be read without knowing anything about the other books。 It is full of humor， courage， and some heart-warming quotes that I will be adding to my commonplace journal。 。。。more
Diana N。
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Mr。 Lemoncello is back for more fun！This book is a prequel and takes the reader to the carnival。 This book is easy to follow and a good level for elementary school readers （was a good level for my 3rd grader） 。 This book fits nicely into the series and is good for reluctant readers due to the fun and whimsy。 My daughter loved this book and has really enjoyed the series！ She didn't want to put this book down！Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for my honest Mr。 Lemoncello is back for more fun！This book is a prequel and takes the reader to the carnival。 This book is easy to follow and a good level for elementary school readers （was a good level for my 3rd grader） 。 This book fits nicely into the series and is good for reluctant readers due to the fun and whimsy。 My daughter loved this book and has really enjoyed the series！ She didn't want to put this book down！Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for my honest review！ 。。。more
Kayla Rae
，
I am a huge fan of Chris Grabenstein and the Mr。 Lemoncello series！ When I saw that there was a new book in this universe I knew I needed to read it asap。 This is the story of the famous Luigi L Lemoncello’s first game and how he got started in his big adventure that will lead to the storyline in the other books。 Luigi was a kid was such a delight to read about and this book felt essential to the universe。 Seeing how he got started was fun。 It really shows how the people around you and that you I am a huge fan of Chris Grabenstein and the Mr。 Lemoncello series！ When I saw that there was a new book in this universe I knew I needed to read it asap。 This is the story of the famous Luigi L Lemoncello’s first game and how he got started in his big adventure that will lead to the storyline in the other books。 Luigi was a kid was such a delight to read about and this book felt essential to the universe。 Seeing how he got started was fun。 It really shows how the people around you and that you look up to can help shape how you continue with your dreams。 I think that kids will find this book and the entire series so valuable。 If you need books to add to your school library， child’s at home library， or just want them for yourself I highly recommend getting this and reading it！4。5 stars 。。。more
April
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Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game is a prequel to the fun Mr。 Lemoncello’s Library series。 The reader meets Luigi when he is in middle school， the middle son of 10 kids。 His dad works three jobs in a small town mostly owned by two men - Chiltington and Willoughby。 Their sons make life difficult for Luigi and his friends。The story is creative and teaches kids to be kind and inventive even in the face of bullies and discouragement。It was fun to learn the story behind the man who created all the fun Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game is a prequel to the fun Mr。 Lemoncello’s Library series。 The reader meets Luigi when he is in middle school， the middle son of 10 kids。 His dad works three jobs in a small town mostly owned by two men - Chiltington and Willoughby。 Their sons make life difficult for Luigi and his friends。The story is creative and teaches kids to be kind and inventive even in the face of bullies and discouragement。It was fun to learn the story behind the man who created all the fun games that are part of this series。 （Fictional games in fictional stories， but that doesn’t make them any less fun）I would recommend this book for middle grade readers of all types but especially those who love games。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book。 。。。more
Carissa
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Exceeded expectations， although I'm not sure what my expectations were for this prequel。 My expectations are always high for the Mr。 Lemoncello books， so it even went beyond exceeding my expectations and has forced me to expand my expectations so I don't get too blown away。12 balloons instead of five stars。 The prequel to the much beloved （at least by me） Mr。 Lemoncello's Library series was unique to the other books with different characters and a different setting， but begins to tell the story Exceeded expectations， although I'm not sure what my expectations were for this prequel。 My expectations are always high for the Mr。 Lemoncello books， so it even went beyond exceeding my expectations and has forced me to expand my expectations so I don't get too blown away。12 balloons instead of five stars。 The prequel to the much beloved （at least by me） Mr。 Lemoncello's Library series was unique to the other books with different characters and a different setting， but begins to tell the story before the story begins。 I mean， Mr。 Lemoncello didn't just pop up （although I'm sure he could have。 He pops a lot）。 He has a history of how he became the mysterious Mr。 Lemoncello and gives a peak into what led this "trouble making" kid into the world's most beloved game maker and a huge， fun library where playing games and solving puzzles are key to winning the overall game。 As with the sequels， there are a lot of puzzles， games， and clues to be discovered throughout。 There are lessons。。。yes， I said lessons， but don't let that deter you。 They are good and happy lessons which are so critical！ I listened to and read the book on release day。 I always buy two versions。 I buy the audio version to hear the excellent narration， and the book to see the text and puzzles。 I will bet you one copper penny if you don't think at least one version scores！ It certainly seems like the prequels aren't done， woohoo， as he left some openings where there could definitely be more content， plus。。。perhaps a suggestion at the end？ So， surround yourself with balloons， get a cake made out of jellybeans， and forget about your surroundings for a few hours。 Consider necessary bathroom breaks to be commercial breaks for TV， only more exciting to return to and it will wait for you。 。。。more
Sarah Flood
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I received a copy for review through Net Galley。 A fantastic addition to an already delightful series。 I loved seeing a glimpse into Mr。 Lemoncello's history and how he became the man we meet in the other books。 I love the idea that if you have an idea you should go try it， even if it gets thwarted or "fails" you'll learn something that will lead you to your next great move。 This book really drives that home for children。 I think this is a great way to lead a younger reader who is ready for some I received a copy for review through Net Galley。 A fantastic addition to an already delightful series。 I loved seeing a glimpse into Mr。 Lemoncello's history and how he became the man we meet in the other books。 I love the idea that if you have an idea you should go try it， even if it gets thwarted or "fails" you'll learn something that will lead you to your next great move。 This book really drives that home for children。 I think this is a great way to lead a younger reader who is ready for some middle grade novels to a great series that will open a new world of reading to them。 My patrons are going to love this as much as they love the rest of the series。 。。。more
Annie
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Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 Mr。 Lemoncello's Very First Game is a prequel/flashback to the popular Mr。 Lemoncello middle grade reader series by Chris Grabenstein。 Due out 3rd May 2022 from Random House on their Children's imprint， it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout。 I've really become enamored of eb Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 Mr。 Lemoncello's Very First Game is a prequel/flashback to the popular Mr。 Lemoncello middle grade reader series by Chris Grabenstein。 Due out 3rd May 2022 from Random House on their Children's imprint， it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately; it makes it so easy to find information with the search function。 This is such a richly imagined world with a cast of colorful and engaging characters。 Despite the fun and fast paced action， the author manages to convey some really important points about honesty， loyalty， integrity， family， friendship and generosity without ever once sacrificing fun or being preachy。 The writing is accessible and warm with a lot of humor and carefully engineered plot arc。 The resolution and denouement were satisfying and well done。 It's enhanced by the inclusion of puzzles and rebus illustrations which are integral to the plot and move the story along。 This would be a good selection for public or school library acquisition as well as for the home library。 It would also make a fun choice for book club discussion or buddy read。Four and a half stars。 Definitely one for fans of the series and can be read as a standalone。 Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
A Reading Nest
，
Escape from Mr。 Lemoncello's library was a fun， engaging read， and I was excited to read the prequel。 In this prequel。 The prequel， Mr。 Lemoncello's Very First Game， brings you back to where the magic started。 When Luigi Lemoncello was 13， he was obsessed with puzzles and would constantly make games; similar to his older self。 He feels like the universe is against him until a carnival comes to town。 Luigi begins working with Professor Marvelmous and finds his true calling。 After the carnival com Escape from Mr。 Lemoncello's library was a fun， engaging read， and I was excited to read the prequel。 In this prequel。 The prequel， Mr。 Lemoncello's Very First Game， brings you back to where the magic started。 When Luigi Lemoncello was 13， he was obsessed with puzzles and would constantly make games; similar to his older self。 He feels like the universe is against him until a carnival comes to town。 Luigi begins working with Professor Marvelmous and finds his true calling。 After the carnival comes to an end， he begins trying to solve puzzles that Professor Marvelmous left behind to find a spectacular prize。This prequel was marvelously written。 I loved how all of the threads intertwined and you really understood how it related to the first book。 There were some ah-ha moments， where the pieces came together。 The prequel made me love Mr。 Lemoncello even more。 I felt that knowing his childhood story is important for character development and empathy from the reader。 Sometimes the book was a little overdone， but that is to be expected because it is Mr。 Lemoncello afterall。 I can see this being used in my classroom for literature circles and comparing to the first book。 I would recommend reading the 1st one and then the prequel It will allow readers to get a full picture of why Mr。 Lemoncello does what he does。 I highly recommend reading this fast-paced， fun， and magical book with readers of all ages。 This would make a wonderful read-aloud for 2nd or 3rd graders。 。。。more
Sara Wise
，
** “Keep striving to do things for other people。 Not because of who they are or what they might do in return。 Do it because of who you are！” **Take a journey to where it all began with “Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game，” a prequel to Chris Grabenstein’s Mr。 Lemoncello’s Library series。Thirteen-year-old Luigi L。 Lemoncello’s creativity and love for games always seem to get him in trouble。 When he meets the fabulous Professor Marvelous at the summer carnival， his life is forever changed。With the h ** “Keep striving to do things for other people。 Not because of who they are or what they might do in return。 Do it because of who you are！” **Take a journey to where it all began with “Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game，” a prequel to Chris Grabenstein’s Mr。 Lemoncello’s Library series。Thirteen-year-old Luigi L。 Lemoncello’s creativity and love for games always seem to get him in trouble。 When he meets the fabulous Professor Marvelous at the summer carnival， his life is forever changed。With the help of his best friends Bruno and Chester， as well as Professor Marvelous and his niece Maggie， Luigi discovers his true self and the path he wants to take in life — creating fun for everyone， no matter who they are — all while matching wits with the town bullies。Grabenstein does a great job of revealing how the story of Mr。 Lemoncello began and what made him the quirky adult he became。 Using fun puzzles and riddles， he reveals great characters full of courage， compassion and pluckiness。 He also filled “Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game” with a lot of great themes， like families grow in different directions， but common roots remain; the importance of doing good things for others; showing compassion （“We must have compassion for those who have not yet journeyed as far as we have along this twisty， turny path we call life”）; the importance of libraries and knowledge （“Knowledge not shared remains unknown。 A public library’s mission is to democratize information。 To make it available to all who walk through our doors seeking it”）; and to be who you are meant to be。Children of all ages will enjoy this book， which is due out May 3， as well as fans of authors like Lemony Snicket。 You could read this book as a standalone， but I highly recommend checking out the rest of this seriously fun series！ Five stars out of five。 Random House Books for Young Readers provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest， unbiased review。 。。。more
Barb
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Thirteen-year-old Luigi is the sixth of ten Lemoncello children， and is trying to find his place in the family。 He has a knack for games and puzzles， but that doesn't seem like anything special – and it sometimes lands him in hot water。 When a carnival arrives in town and he gets a chance to work at the balloon popping booth， he learns a lot from Professor Marvelmous， and proves that solving puzzles can be more than just a way to pass a few hours。 I started reading the Mr。 Lemoncello books so I Thirteen-year-old Luigi is the sixth of ten Lemoncello children， and is trying to find his place in the family。 He has a knack for games and puzzles， but that doesn't seem like anything special – and it sometimes lands him in hot water。 When a carnival arrives in town and he gets a chance to work at the balloon popping booth， he learns a lot from Professor Marvelmous， and proves that solving puzzles can be more than just a way to pass a few hours。 I started reading the Mr。 Lemoncello books so I could share them with the young patrons at our local public library， and because I was a fan of Mr。 Grabenstein's John Ceepak series for adults。 I was eager to read this prequel to those stories， and was not disappointed。 It was fun getting to know Luigi as a young teen， meeting his family and friends， and even the backstory of some of the bullies from the later books in the series。 I loved the character of Professor Marvelmous， the lessons he taught Luigi and the others， and the *way he taught those lessons。 If this book is ever made into a movie， please cast Christopher Lloyd as Professor Marvelmous！ I hope there are more Lemoncello books to read in the future。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Pam
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I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishers through NetGalley。A delightful opportunity to move back in time and see where Mr。 Lem0ncello's ideas began。 Readers meet Luigi when he is thirteen。 They see his family and friends and the world where he grew up。 They also meet Professor Marvelmous and figure out who first encouraged Luigi to celebrate his gifts。 Grabenstein offers hints and revelations about the stories to come after Luigi grows up。 We even learn where the bana I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishers through NetGalley。A delightful opportunity to move back in time and see where Mr。 Lem0ncello's ideas began。 Readers meet Luigi when he is thirteen。 They see his family and friends and the world where he grew up。 They also meet Professor Marvelmous and figure out who first encouraged Luigi to celebrate his gifts。 Grabenstein offers hints and revelations about the stories to come after Luigi grows up。 We even learn where the banana shoes come from。 A joy filled novel with serious overtones - job loss， bullying， not accepting differences。 These experiences mold Luigi Lemoncello into the joyfully unique business owner in the rest of the series。 。。。more
Ms。 Yingling
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E ARC provided by NetgalleyWorth looking at if only for the 1968 Christmas card with Chris and his four brothers。 The 1960s Ohio setting， and Luigim Lemoncello's large family， are interesting， and there are enough puzzles to keep fans of the series interested。 Enjoyed the shout out to period literature-- The Book of Three and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs。 Basil E。 Frankweiler I loved the first book， but have been unable to convince students to continue on in the series， so will probably not pu E ARC provided by NetgalleyWorth looking at if only for the 1968 Christmas card with Chris and his four brothers。 The 1960s Ohio setting， and Luigim Lemoncello's large family， are interesting， and there are enough puzzles to keep fans of the series interested。 Enjoyed the shout out to period literature-- The Book of Three and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs。 Basil E。 Frankweiler I loved the first book， but have been unable to convince students to continue on in the series， so will probably not purchase this prequel。 A must red for fans of the series。 。。。more
Brenda
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I really like this series！ It was nice to go back and see how Mr。 Lemoncello got started with games and puzzles。 The setting was great and the characters were a lot of fun。 I also liked the connection between Kyle and Mr。 Lemoncello。 :）
Josh Newhouse
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Hello， it’s a Lemoncello！ Another great read from Chris！
Elizabeth Seibel
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Thanks to #netgalley for the advanced copy of this stupenderiffic continuation of the Lemoncello series。 I enjoyed seeing how Luigi gets his start and the throwbacks （throw forwards？） to the first book。 The ups and downs he goes through with his friends kept up the suspense as much as the problems with the antagonists。 The family dynamic was sincere and insightful。 It has all the fun and whimsy of the other books。 I can never get enough of Lemoncello。
Crys Bauermeister
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Thank you。 Net galley， random house children’s， but mostly to Chris Grabenstein。 This book is another special one。 As a librarian and a mom I love that your books are so relatable to kids。 Sometimes prequel‘s are disappointing but this one is splendifersome！ The book is fantabulous， a quick read！ Kids （and adults） will love this！
Leigh
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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title。 I really enjoyed this prequel to the Mr。 Lemoncello series， and know one reader who is exceptionally jealous that I had。a sneak peek。 I think she'll love it and will undoubtedly be ordering her a copy！ Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title。 I really enjoyed this prequel to the Mr。 Lemoncello series， and know one reader who is exceptionally jealous that I had。a sneak peek。 I think she'll love it and will undoubtedly be ordering her a copy！ 。。。more
Amy
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Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game is the perfect prequel to the fantabulous Mr。 Lemoncello series。 It has it all: fun-loving Luigi as a young teen， puzzles， wordplay， misled bullies， family feuds， fun foods， quotable quotes， timeless wisdom， character lessons， and even balloons。Chris Grabenstein has created the perfect blend of fun and learning with this series， and he really knocks it out of the park with Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game。 He traces Mr。 Lemoncello’s witticisms， character traits， Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game is the perfect prequel to the fantabulous Mr。 Lemoncello series。 It has it all: fun-loving Luigi as a young teen， puzzles， wordplay， misled bullies， family feuds， fun foods， quotable quotes， timeless wisdom， character lessons， and even balloons。Chris Grabenstein has created the perfect blend of fun and learning with this series， and he really knocks it out of the park with Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game。 He traces Mr。 Lemoncello’s witticisms， character traits， and unique style back to his thirteenth summer and shares how they were each formed。 This makes for a fun story， but the thoroughness and signature flair with which he does so is awesome。 The story is tight， the characters true to the series， and there’s depth that can really be mined in multiple ways。Which is one thing I really love about Grabenstein’s stories in this series。 Many authors writing for the middle-grade audience and younger water down the content or resort to lame jokes that involve bodily functions or sound like something from a locker room – but while he definitely has a unique sense of humor， he clearly respects kids enough not to talk down to them。 He pays attention to issues that kids have at this age and writes stories that address them while still being fun – and that can’t be easy。 Grabenstein writes with strong sentence structure and good vocabulary while keeping the stories easy to read， as well – it’s obvious that he’s a good writer in both skill and content。Each book in the Mr。 Lemoncello series has a ‘moral of the story，’ if you will: some type of life lesson wrapped up in fun， puzzles， and balloons。 Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game takes that concept a few steps further， however， and shows how Luigi L。 Lemoncello’s character is formed during that all-important thirteenth summer – and then how those lessons shape the man that he becomes and the lessons he teaches in the other books。 This not only shows off Grabenstein’s character， but it makes these lessons accessible for the kids reading these books – and gives adults everywhere the opportunity to have fun sharing these with kids。These are crucial character lessons like:- What do you do when you don’t fit in？- How should you handle bullies？- How far should you go to help a friend – or your family？- What is a gift – and how can you identify it？- How can you tell where your future path leads？- How should you handle betrayal？- What things in life are valuable？- How can you tell truth from lies – or jealousy？Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game is a book that belongs on every bookshelf in America – along with the rest of the series。 We need more examples of wisdom， kindness， and understanding。 In a culture that tries to shove everyone into the same box of expectations， we need more people who understand that everyone has different gifts and talents and that it’s okay to be good at your own thing。 We need people who are good at solving problems and good with people and good at building things and good at critical thinking and good with literature and good with kids and good with business – and nobody can be good at everything。 The Lemoncello series shines through with scientifically researched， educational wisdom with a Superman-sized dose of character and wisdom， and I highly recommend that parents， teachers， and librarians snag their own copies of this series and read it with the kids in their spheres – starting with Mr。 Lemoncello’s Very First Game。I received a copy of this book from NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Michelle
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