4 stars = Great! Might re-read.

This is fun, especially for readers who have read the rest of the series. Tons of "Easter eggs" to enjoy. I could have done without a Chiltington in this book, but I get the choice as just one more connection to the previous books. The ending is triumphant and I truly enjoyed it. There are some fantastic identity elements to the story, which is a theme I always enjoy, as well as a fantastic mentor for Luigi.

This would be a fun read aloud in a classroom, but I do think there's more to enjoy when the group has read at least one of the previous books. (Bullying)

A charming introduction into Lugi's life and what makes him tick. The vibe is a bit different than the rest of the series but fans will instantly fall in love with the young gamemaker, his family, and his friends.

As far as prequels go, I thought this was an excellent one. It really set the stage for the series, introducing some of the predecessors of our favorite families, like the Keeleys and the Chiltingtons. I also loved the insight into the younger Luigi's family and how they influenced his puzzle-solving and game creation. There are also great tie-ins to the series, such as the librarian, Mrs. Tobin, who we only know in holographic form in the series, but is a really-life person in this prequel, and some of the events from Alexandriaville's history, which we learn about in the series, but which actually take place in the prequel. It had everything that a fan of the series has come to expect - good guys and bad guys, friends working together, fun puzzles to solve, and a zany game-maker who heavily influences and inspires the person Luigi Lemoncello is to become. There were a couple of unexplained storylines that I wish had been expanded upon, such as the attitudes of both Luigi's sister, Mary, and his friend, Bruno, but overall, this is a great addition to the Lemoncello series that I think kids will love.

Chris Grabenstein has done it again! Mr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game is an enthralling tale of how Luigi Lemoncello came to love games so very much and the people who had the most influence on him during his formative years. My 12-year-old introduced me to this series and I’m so glad she did! They are all so fun to read, the characters are entertaining, and the storyline keeps the reader enchanted from the first page. The book ends with a puzzle to solve and an invitation to email the author with the answer. I can’t recommend this book enough to readers of all ages!

Many thanks to RandomHouse Children’s, Chris Grabenstein, and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for an eARC of Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game in exchange for an honest review.

Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game is the prequel to the Lemoncello series. The story follows Luigi Lemoncello as a middle schooler as he navigates school bullies, new and current friendships, his family and their financial situation, and discoving his true passion and path in life.

This book has everything in it you love from the original books: rebus puzzles, marvelmous word combinations, and amazing onomatopoeias. The reader has the pleasure of learning of Luigi Lemoncello's childhood and how he became the amazing game inventor readers fell in love with in the original books. There are even some names readers of the other books will remember, including Chiltingon and Keeley, that make the universe of Alexandria, Ohio feel so realistic and familiar. 

Learn how Luigi Lemoncello got his start, from his amazing ideas to his wacky banana shoes. This book has everything from the original, and yes, there are balloons.

Luigi Lemoncello has a love of games and puzzles. Being one of ten children can have it’s drawbacks, and in Luigi's case he seems to get the blame for any problems that happen in the home. Summer allows him to spend time outside with his friends and at the library using the quiet to think up new games. This summer proves to include the added enjoyment of working at the carnival with Prof. Marvelmous and his rebus dart game. He also makes new friends who play a part in his fabulous summer.

This is a prequel to the Mr. Limoncello’s Library series. I have not read those books but I absolutely enjoyed this book. The author does a fabulous job of portraying the ups and downs of friendships and bullying. I will definitely be recommending it to my students and other young people in my life.

It was nice being back in the world of Luigi Lemoncello. I enjoyed learning what made Mr. Lemoncello tick; what motivated him to create such a fantastic library and so many exciting games. This is a book that middle grade readers will enjoy.

I loved it! It was so neat to see Mr. Lemoncello as a kid. He was just like I imagined him. I hope this becomes another series. I would love to see his further adventures.

5 wonderful stars!! This book (like all books from this author) was So Much Fun! I absolutely ADORED getting to revisit the Lemoncello world, and learning about how Luigi got his start. There were lots of new characters that I really enjoyed, and some relatives to characters from the earlier books (Chiltington!!).

I should note that my 7 year old also loved it. We are never disappointed with a Chris Grabenstein book!!

I loved Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game! I have enjoyed the entire Lemoncello series and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed seeing where Luigi got his style and his start. I was properly annoyed with the villains and enamored with the new characters.

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 is 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..

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.

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!

Hardy and Splendiferous Salutations,

This was the book I didn't know I needed, but loved. If you have read the Mr. Lemoncello series you will love this book. If you have never read the Mr. Lemoncello series you will love this book. This book follows a young Luigi Lemoncello navigating the waters of family life and young adulthood. When a carnival comes to town he gets more than he bargained for. This is an excellent book!

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.

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!

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!

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

Ever wonder why Mr. Lemoncello decided to create puzzles and how he got started? This is the book for you! Luigi Lemoncello is the 6th of 10 children. This story takes place when Luigi just turned 13. He is trying to invent a game with the help of his friends Chester & Bruno. They do some of their best thinking in the local library. The carnival comes to town. Luigi meets, Professor Marvelmous who runs the balloon concentration and his neice, Maggie. The kids work together creating games, solving puzzles, and outwitting the local bullies.

This was a great book! I enjoyed reading about young Luigi. I routed for him and his friends thoughout the book. It had great puzzles to solve! I couldn't put this one down. A definite must read!!

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.