Chris Grabenstein

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About Chris Grabenstein

CHRIS GRABENSTEIN is the multiple award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the MR. LEMONCELLO books, the HAUNTED MYSTERY series, the WELCOME TO WONDERLAND stories, THE SMARTEST KID IN THE UNIVERSE, DOG SQUAD, THE ISLAND OF DR. LIBRIS, SHINE and NO MORE NAPS. He is also the coauthor of fun and funny page-turners with James Patterson, including the I FUNNY, MAX EINSTEIN, TREASURE HUNTERS, and JACKY HA-HA series as well as KATT VS. DOGG, WORD OF MOUSE, and more. Chris lives in New York City with his wife (and SHINE! co-author) J.J. and two cats. You can visit Chris at ChrisGrabenstein.com.

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Titles By Chris Grabenstein

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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library Jun 25, 2013

by Chris Grabenstein

( 2,896 )

$7.99

Now a Nickelodeon Original Movie!
Over 100 Weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List!
44 State Award Lists!

Discover what James Patterson calls “the coolest library in all the world” in this fun-filled, action-packed bestseller from the much-loved co-author of I Funny and Treasure Hunters!

“A worthy successor to.…Willy Wonka.” —Booklist, Starred Review

When Kyle learns that the world's most famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the town's new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night, he's determined to be there! But the tricky part isn't getting into the library—it's getting out. Because when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route!

Don't miss bonus content in the back of the book—extra puzzles, an author Q&A, and more! And look for the puzzle-packed sequels—Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics and Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race!

“Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at …this solid, tightly plotted read is a winner for readers and game-players alike.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game (Mr. Lemoncello's Library) May 3, 2022

by Chris Grabenstein

( 19 )

$10.99

Before Mr. Lemoncello became everyone’s favorite game maker, he was a kid who liked to roll the dice . . . Discover the origins of what James Patterson calls “the coolest library in the world” in this PREQUEL to the New York Times bestselling Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.

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 crack the hidden puzzle inside?!

* "A worthy successor to . . . Willy Wonka." —Booklist, starred review of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics Jan 5, 2016

by Chris Grabenstein

( 819 )

$7.99

The New York Times bestselling, puzzle-packed sequel to the award-winning Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein, coauthor of I Funny, Treasure Hunters and other bestselling series with James Patterson!

Welcome, boys and girls, readers of all ages, to the first-ever Library Olympics! Kyle and his teammates are back, and the world-famous game maker Luigi Lemoncello is at it again!

This time Mr. Lemoncello has invited teams from all across America to compete in the first-ever LIBRARY OLYMPICS. But something suspicious is going on . . . books are missing from Mr. Lemoncello’s library. Is someone trying to censor what the kids are reading?! Now it’s not just a game—can Mr. Lemoncello find the real defenders of books and champions of libraries? In between figuring out mind-boggling challenges, the kids will have to band together to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Packed with puzzles, clues, and thrilling surprises, this is a deliciously fun, action-packed sequel to the New York Times bestselling Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. Let the games begin!

Praise for Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics

* An ILA-CBC Children's Choice

“Discover the coolest library in the world.” —JAMES PATTERSON

“This sequel is just as much of an adventure as the first entry. Lots of action and quirky humor will lead kids to do just what libraries encourage them to do: keep reading.” —The Washington Post

“This action-packed sequel is sure to delight. Another winning love letter to libraries and librarians that is sure to leave readers looking at their own library in a new light.” —Booklist

“Dewey like this? Of course, and so will upper-elementary and middle school readers and gamers alike.” —Kirkus Reviews

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Library Binding , Paperback , Mass Market Paperback , Audio CD

The Smartest Kid in the Universe Book 2: Genius Camp Nov 30, 2021

by Chris Grabenstein

( 89 )

$9.99

"Chris Grabenstein just might be the smartest writer for kids in the universe." —James Patterson

The Smartest Kid in the Universe goes to genius camp in book two of this action-packed series from the New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library!

Jake McQuade is the smartest kid in the universe—and he's back to defend his title! This time, he is heading off to a camp for geniuses sponsored by billionaire tech mogul (and brilliant inventor) Zane Zinkle.

But genius camp is not like regular camp. There are limo buses, robot polar bears, and high-tech cabins with high-tech toilets! But it isn’t all fun and brain games at camp, especially when Jake goes up against the artificially intelligent Virtuoso quantum computer—the smartest machine in the universe—which also happens to be Zinkle’s latest genius creation! It's boy versus bot in this epic showdown packed with s'mores, puzzles, action, adventure, and hilarious, jelly bean-fueled fun! Bonus puzzle included!

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback

The Smartest Kid in the Universe Dec 1, 2020

by Chris Grabenstein

( 300 )

$7.99

"Chris Grabenstein just might be the smartest writer for kids in the universe." --James Patterson

What if you could learn everything just by eating jellybeans?! Meet the Smartest Kid in the Universe and find out in this fun-packed new series from the Bestselling Author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library and coauthor of Max Einstein!

12 year old Jake's middle school is about to be shut down--unless Jake and his friends can figure out how to save it. When Jake spies a bowl of jellybeans at the hotel where his mom works, he eats them. But those weren't just jellybeans, one of the scientists at his mom's conference is developing the world's first ingestible information pills. And THAT'S what Jake ate.

Before long, Jake is the smartest kid in the universe. But the pills haven't been tested yet. And when word gets out about this new genius, people want him. The government. The mega corporations. Not all of them are good people! Can Jake navigate the ins and outs of his newfound geniusdom (not to mention the ins and outs of middle school) and use his smarts to save his school? BONUS! Includes extra brainteasers to test your smarts!

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback

Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race (Mr. Lemoncello's Library Book 3) Oct 10, 2017

by Chris Grabenstein

( 590 )

$7.99

#1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Grabenstein is back with the third fantastically fun, puzzle-packed MR. LEMONCELLO adventure!

On your marks. Get set. Lemon, cello, GO!

Everyone’s favorite game maker, Mr. Lemoncello, is testing out his new FABULOUS FACT-FINDING FRENZY game! If Kyle can make it through the first round, he and the other lucky finalists will go on a great race—by bicycle, bookmobile, and even Mr. Lemoncello’s corporate banana jet!—to find fascinating facts about famous Americans. The first to bring their facts back to the library will win spectacular prizes! But when a few surprising “facts” surface about Mr. Lemoncello, it might be GO TO JAIL and LOSE A TURN all at once! Could Kyle’s hero be a fraud? It’s winner take all, so Kyle and the other kids will have to dig deep to find out the truth before the GAME is OVER for Mr. Lemoncello and his entire fantastic empire!

Filled with brand-new puzzles and games (including a hidden bonus puzzle!), this fast-paced read will have gamers and readers alike racing to the finish line because, like Mr. Lemoncello’s commercials say, IS IT FUN? . . . HELLO! IT’S A LEMONCELLO!

* “An ode to libraries and literature that is a worthy successor to the original madman puzzle-master himself, Willy Wonka.” —Booklist, Starred, on Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

“Just as much of an adventure as the first.” —The Washington Post, on Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

I Funny: A Middle School Story (I Funny Series Book 1) Dec 10, 2012

by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein, Laura Park

( 1,325 )

$7.99

In James Patterson's heartwarming #1 New York Times bestseller, middle schooler Jamie Grimm faces bullying and self-doubt as he chases his dream to become the world's greatest comedian.
Jamie Grimm is a middle schooler on a mission: he wants to become the world's greatest standup comedian--even if he doesn't have a lot to laugh about these days. He's new in town and stuck living with his aunt, uncle, and their evil son Stevie, a bully who doesn't let Jamie's wheelchair stop him from messing with Jamie as much as possible. But Jamie doesn't let his situation get him down. When his Uncle Frankie mentions a contest called The Planet's Funniest Kid Comic, Jamie knows he has to enter. But are the judges only rewarding him out of pity because of his wheelchair, like Stevie suggests? Will Jamie ever share the secret of his troubled past instead of hiding behind his comedy act?

Following the bestselling success of the hilarious Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life, James Patterson continues to dish out the funnies in another highly-illustrated, heartfelt middle school story. (Includes more than 175 black-and-white illustrations.)

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket (Mr. Lemoncello's Library) Aug 25, 2020

by Chris Grabenstein

( 526 )

$7.99

Welcome! For the first time, you are invited INSIDE Mr. Lemoncello's one-of-a-kind Gameworks Factory in book five of the fun-filled, action-packed bestselling series from the much-loved coauthor of the I Funny and Max Einstein series!

Now with a brand-new look packed with shelf and kid appeal!

Far away from his magical library, everyone's favorite game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, is building something new. Something SECRET. And he's about to let the world see it. He'll reveal that hidden deep within the Lemoncello-tastic new building is a single ticket. A titanium ticket.

Four lucky boys and girls are about to win the chance to go inside the building on a spectacular scavenger hunt that will take them through bigger-than-life live-action games--towering, skyscraper-size Jenga; dizzying real-life Chutes and Ladders; death-defying games of Rush Hour; plus ball pit moats and more! Each game will get the players closer to the titanium ticket. But the real secret? Mr. Lemoncello is thinking about his legacy, and whichever player finds the ticket will be the first to win a spot in an elite group of kids who will compete in the next books to win Mr. Lemoncello's ENTIRE EMPIRE!

* "A worthy successor to . . . Willy Wonka." --Booklist, starred review of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

Treasure Hunters (Treasure Hunters Series Book 1) Sep 16, 2013

by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein, Mark Shulman, Juliana Neufeld

( 1,262 )

$7.99

From #1 New York Times bestselling author James Patterson comes a brilliantly original adventure series, jam-packed with action, humor, and heart!
The Kidd siblings have grown up diving down to shipwrecks and traveling the world, helping their famous parents recover everything from swords to gold doubloons from the bottom of the ocean. But after their parents disappear on the job, the kids are suddenly thrust into the biggest treasure hunt of their lives. They'll have to work together to defeat dangerous pirates and dodge the hot pursuit of an evil treasure hunting rival, all while following cryptic clues to unravel the mystery of what really happened to their parents-and find out if they're still alive.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

I Even Funnier: A Middle School Story (I Funny Series Book 2) Dec 9, 2013

by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein, Laura Park

( 900 )

$7.99

In James Patterson's follow-up to I Funny, middle schooler Jamie Grimm is ready for the national comedy semi-finals. . . but when his family and friends need his help, will he have to put his dreams on hold?
In this follow up to the #1 New York Times bestseller I Funny, middle schooler Jamie Grimm has big dreams of being the best stand-up comic in the world-and he won't let the fact that he's wheelchair-bound stand in his way. After winning the New York state finals in the Planet's Funniest Kid Comic Contest, Jamie's off to Boston to compete in the national semi-finals.
But when one of his best buddies runs into trouble at school and a sudden family health scare rears its head, Jamie has to put his comedic ambitions on hold and stand by the people he cares about. Can Jamie pass up the big competition for the sake of his friends and family?

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game (Mr. Lemoncello's Library Book 4) May 7, 2019

by Chris Grabenstein

( 549 )

$7.99

Mr. Lemoncello is going live with a brand-new televised BREAKOUT game! Discover what James Patterson calls "the coolest library in the world" in the fourth puzzle-packed adventure in Chris Grabenstein's New York Times bestselling MR. LEMONCELLO series!

Greetings, boys and girls, gamers of all ages--are you ready to play Mr. Lemoncello's BIGGEST, most dazzling game yet? After months of anticipation, Mr. Lemoncello is taking his games out of the library and going LIVE across the nation on the world-famous Kidzapalooza Television Network! Everyone's invited to audition, but only a lucky few will be chosen to compete in front of millions of viewers in a brand-new, completely immersive live-action breakout game--with real kids as the playing pieces! Kyle Keeley is determined to be one of them.

Each of the winning teams must make it through five different rooms in Mr. Lemoncello's fantastic new Fictionasium by solving a puzzle to unlock each room and, in the end, break out of the library! But nothing is ever as it seems with Mr. Lemoncello, and the surprises in store just might stump even the game master himself. Can Kyle break out of his own expectations--and win Mr. Lemoncello's ultimate game show?

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Preloaded Digital Audio Player

I Funny TV: A Middle School Story (I Funny Series Book 4) Dec 14, 2015

by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein, Laura Park

( 393 )

$9.99

Jamie Grimm has hit the big time in book four of the #1 bestselling I Funny series!

Jamie Grimm has finally accomplished his dream of proving himself the Planet's Funniest Kid Comic, and the sky's the limit from there. Enter a couple of TV executives with a huge plan for Jamie: a new show about Jamie and his oddball friends! But when Jamie struggles to learn the acting ropes, will it be an early curtain call for the biggest show of the decade?

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

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