Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Wacky series conclusion pits teamwork vs. winner take all.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
MR. LEMONCELLO'S FANTABULOUS FINALE finds the renowned, eccentric game inventor and library-supporting gazillionaire with a few more tricks, puzzles, codes, ciphers, facts, and quests up his sleeve. At stake, a very big prize: the entire Lemoncello business empire (games! theme parks! things that haven't been thought up yet!), as Mr. Lemoncello wants to retire and let someone else fly around in the banana jet. Gamer Kyle Keeley is (once again) determined to win (what could be better than his own gaming empire?), but he's up against fierce competition in a field of 13 13-year olds, most of whom are his friends. This time, there can be only one winner, and the fun takes a serious turn when Mr. Lemoncello disappears and villains who've been trying to take the fun out of his life work since Book 1 are back for more.
Is It Any Good?
Problem-solving, code-breaking, and fact-finding are essential skills as the wacky, fast-paced library-themed series draws to a close with 13 teens in one last winner-take-all contest. Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale brings back beloved characters and adds a few new ones, with wild cards and plot complications galore. Sometimes (not unlike the contest) it all feels a bit rushed, with a few characters introduced and quickly given the boot along the way. But all's well that ends well, as the teen characters grapple with issues of competition, friendship, teamwork, running a business, finding their true path, and dodging disinformation on the internet.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about libraries, and how they're similar to and different from the one in Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale. Are libraries good places to learn interesting stuff for you? Do books like the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series make you see your local library in a new way?
Have you ever been in a situation where all your friends were really into something, and you weren't—or you were really interested in something and they just didn't get it? How did it all work out?
If some people you knew, or maybe just people on the internet, started saying bad things about someone you cared about, what would you do? How would you find out what was true—or would that matter to you?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : STEM , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Curiosity , Empathy , Humility , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Random House Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : November 5, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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