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  • Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game by Chris Grabenstein book cover
  • Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game by Chris Grabenstein book cover
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Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game

by Chris Grabenstein

A carnival clue leads to the beginning of Luigi Lemoncello’s games

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Awards & Recognition

  • Series recognition

    More than two million copies sold

    The series is reported to have sold more than two million copies.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A carnival clue leads to the beginning of Luigi Lemoncello’s games

This prequel introduces thirteen-year-old Luigi Lemoncello before he becomes the game maker at the heart of the series. When a carnival comes to town, Luigi gets an opportunity to work for Professor Marvelmous; after the carnival closes, a puzzle box and a clue set Luigi and his friends on a treasure hunt. Codes, puzzles and a hidden bonus puzzle make solving part of the book’s premise, while the story explores how Luigi’s knack for games develops. The adventure offers an origin story for the series’ signature puzzle-solving, with the library’s earlier history framed through Luigi’s childhood.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children ages 9–12 who enjoy mysteries and detective stories.
  • Readers who like puzzles, codes and interactive clue-solving.
  • Fans of the Mr. Lemoncello series curious about Luigi’s earlier story.

Themes

Puzzles and gamesFriendshipCuriosity and ingenuityOrigins and discovery

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

THE PREQUEL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES WITH MORE THAN TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD!

Discover the origins of what James Patterson calls "the coolest library in the world." Follow along and solve the clues in this interactive adventure to reveal how Mr. Lemoncello became everyone's favorite game maker! From the co-author of Murdle Jr.: Sleuths on the Loose...

"An 'awesometastic' lead-in."--Booklist, starred review

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 solve the hidden puzzle inside?!

The Lemoncello books are laugh-out-loud, puzzle-packed must-reads for classrooms and homes across America. Look for the whole series!
Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game (the prequel)
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (also available as a graphic novel)
Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics (also available as a graphic novel)
Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race
Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game
Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket
Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale
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