Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale: Mr. Lemoncello's Library, Book 6 Book Review (2024)

Violence & Scariness

very little

Mr. Lemoncello disappears, and there is fear that he's come to harm. The quest to find him is foiled by assorted sleazy-seeming adults, whose mystery employer has an unknown agenda that doesn't bode well for Mr. Lemoncello and his happy gaming empire.

Language

very little

Mr. Lemoncello is fond of fart humor.

Positive Messages

a lot

"Knowledge unshared remains unknown." "Sometimes, Simon, you have to break the rules and do what's right." Learning to regard research as a game where you're on a quest, not a crushing task. Strong messages of teamwork, perseverance, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills—and how to avoid falling for mis/disinformation on the internet. Friendship is a strong theme, as is appreciation for each person's particular skills and how they come in really handy at just the right moment. Also, having the wisdom to recognize that an incredibly cool prize might not be the thing for you, and pursuing what you like even better. Doing the right thing even when everyone expects you to do the wrong one. Loyalty to your friends and loved ones in good times and bad.

Educational Value

a lot

As with the previous books in the Lemoncello series, the brain-teasing puzzles, codes, and problems to be solved never stop and keep all the young characters (and readers) happy. Lots of vocabulary-building words like "formidable," "analytics," "ludicrous." Author Chris Grabenstein has gone to a lot of (successful) effort to show libraries as lively, fun places to pursue your interests instead of gloomy places where you're always being shushed (which was often his own childhood experience). Mentions of famous historical figures, as when a character quotes Helen Keller. Various books including The Land of Stories, and other old and new classics are important to the story and the solution. One challenge involves inventing a Rube Goldberg-style alarm clock, which a character does brilliantly. Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox make a cameo appearance.

Positive Role Models

a lot

As Kyle notes, people can be much more unpredictable than a board game, especially since they come without an instruction manual. This adventure reunites him and his friends from the previous installments—now all serving as board members of Mr. Lemoncello's company—in one final winner-take-all contest that pits them against assorted newcomers. Some of the new kids aren't around for long, and some are cartoonish—but Teddy, cousin of the villainous (and banned from the contest) Charles Chiltington of previous adventures, is harder to figure out. Like whose side is he on, and what's he up to? Not all is what it seems.

Diverse Representations

a lot

As in previous books in the series, lead character Kyle is white; his friends, fellow board members, and other contestants are drawn from many life experiences, skin tones, ethnicities, family structures—and skill sets. Here Gloria, who's Latina and comes from Florida, where her dad's a TV sports reporter, is a business wizard, while Betina, from Los Angeles, is part of a large, warm-hearted, food-loving Filipino family with a genius for making a game of anything. Frequent opportunities to look beyond the stereotypes and labels to see who people really are—for example, lots of characters here are fabulously wealthy, from Mr. Lemoncello himself to the villainous, scheming Chiltingtons, and while some of them soon reveal themselves as shallow and self-serving, others turn out to be a lot more complex, and possibly helpful.

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