Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein, 278 pages

This book is a sequel to Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, which was a great book.  I wouldn't have thought it possible, but the sequel is at least as good as the first book.  In this story, many kids throughout the country are angry that they didn't have a chance to play in the first set of library games so Mr. Lemoncello has begun a new competition and teams of middle schoolers will have the chance to compete in the Library Olympics.  The winners will get a free ride to the college of their choice.  Kyle and his friends are excited to have a chance to compete again but Kyle is nervous about what will happen if they lose.  This book is full of fun puzzles and plenty of action.  I would highly recommend it to almost any kid who enjoys reading at all.

Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, 227 pages

I guess I was just in a "classic" mood.  Or in a "quick, what's something available on Overdrive right now" mood.  But this is another one that's a classic for good reason- it holds up with timeless concepts and questions of truth, censorship, conformity, and technology (among many others).  Guy Montag is a fireman, who sets fires.  Burns books, to be exact.  But he questions 'why,' and like all great dystopias, that's where the story starts getting interesting.  The characters aren't all that appealing and the story may even feel a bit didactic- but it's an important book that I will probably try to revisit in another decade or so.