X Marks the Spot

Scavenger hunt books are a trend in children's/middle grade lit lately, and I am loving it! I love suspenseful books, mysterious books, and books with cases you can try to solve along with the characters, à la Encyclopedia Brown. I've included short reviews of some of my favorites below. I have NOT read the latest Mr. Lemoncello, though, so no spoilers!

It kind of looks like an X!

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
If you never read any other book I recommend, please read this one. I love this book SO much, I already want to re-read it. Codes, hidden books, visiting landmarks in an historical city - what’s not to love? Emily has been an active Book Scavenger for years, so she’s excited when her family moves to San Francisco, even though she’s tired of moving once a year. Now she’s in the hometown of the man who created Book Scavenger, and he’s about to release a new game! But when he’s mugged in a subway station, no one knows if the game creator will make it, and Emily is worried her family will move again before she can participate in the game.

RE-READ: I read this book in May 2016 but wanted to re-read it so I could read the second one and be in the Book Scavenger mindset. I LOVED re-reading it! I had also just met the author at ALA Annual, so it was really cool to kind of immerse myself into this world. This book is so good and solid, and I can’t stop recommending it to people of all ages.

The Unbreakable Code by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

The second Book Scavenger book - so good! I had just met the author at ALA Annual and re-read the first book, so I was totally immersed in this world. I loved the twists in this book, and can’t wait for more! Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein I was sucked in to this book from the beginning - books and riddles and codes and a super-cool library?! I’m in. It was a really good story, and I appreciate how it will get younger kids, especially those who aren’t readers and are more into games, into reading. There were book titles and references galore in this book, so it was fun to place those. It reminded me of Book Scavenger. Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein I liked this second book a lot… maybe even more than the first? I felt like the puzzles and games were more involved, or perhaps just better written than the first book, because I felt very into the story. There was some suspense, and it will definitely engage middle grade readers. Happy hunting!