Welcome back to Mr. Lemoncello’s library. A new batch of games are about to begin. The kids from the original game arel back, but some people in the nation are upset. They are upset that they did not get a chance to take place in the original escape, because they know for sure that they could have won. Why should the Hometown team get all the accolades, commercial contracts, and special libraries?

There has been so much public comment, that Lemoncello brought the games back and made it a national effort. Now 8 teams of 4 from across the national will converge on Alexandriaville, Ohio, to prove once and for all, who is the best librarian olympian. Even better? The winner gets an all expenses paid college scholarship to anywhere they want to go (and new girl Marjory Muldauer knows exactly how much her Harvard tuition will be).

But all the teams better be careful. The League of Concerned Library Lovers (headed by Chillington’s mommy) is out to stop the games, and turn the library into a stuffy place full of only “approved” books and silence. And there are some team members who think that is how it should be as well. A library shouldn’t have fancy technology, holograms, or educational video games, only books that fit into what certain people think should read.

Overall I really like this book and enjoy the adventure. Kids appreciating books and learning. Plus the author name drops other authors like they are his best friends (and all us readers know that books can be your best friend). The book is pretty predictable. If you have read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or seen the Gene Wilder version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, you pretty much know how this will play out. This story is all about the ride and this ride is enjoyable.

The only things I don’t really care for is that part about the League of Concerned Library Lovers and their views. It’s not for their views, its for their supposations. As a librarian, I realize that library law in other states differs from that of Illinois and Colorado, but I can tell you this. If this library was in Illinois, the LCLL would be easy to handle. Since Mr. Lemoncello pays for everything in the library, the staff, etc, himself, the library is a publicly open private business or non-profit. That means that a group like the LCLL would have no chance to take it over and make it how they want. Just because “public” is in the name, does not in essence make it a “public” library. This would be a privately endowed library, that can create its own rules and be as crazy, and fun as it wants to be.

That is the only thing I can think to say bad about this book. And it’s not wrong, it just may be that I am adult in the library world, who knows that not all states have the same rules, payment scheme, etc for libraries. So therefore I am grieving adult stuff, and this book is meant for kids.

But hey, just because it’s meant for kids does not mean adults will not enjoy it too. This would be a great read aloud for any age. And with a full list of every book mentioned within in the pack, you will have plenty of suggestions to keep you and your little readers busy all year long.

Plus, don’t you want to find out if the Hometown Heroes win?