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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

The cover for Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources

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Use Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to turn your read aloud or small group work into a time to improve comprehension and talk about the text in purposeful ways.

Meet twelve year-old Kyle who, along with a few of his classmates, has won a chance to spend the night in the town's new library before it opens to the public. What this group of students doesn't realize, is that the over-night is really a race against the clock to solve numerous riddles and see who can get out of the library first. This engaging, relatable mystery is perfect for a Book Club focused on making inferences to learn more about the setting, characters, and author's purpose, and to solve the riddles and figure out how to escape the library.

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Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library in the drop down below.

Instructional Overview

The instructional overview includes instructional background for making inferences, instructional objectives for each of the Book Club meetings, and a list of the materials and preparation necessary to host the Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library Book Club.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

TEKS Alignment

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Management Resources

The management resources include a Book Club Calendar, conversation prompts, Student Self-Evaluation forms, Reading Response Board (with optional Common Core alignment), and an Expectations for Book Club anchor chart.

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Meeting 1

When readers add clues in the text to their related background knowledge, they have a recipe for making logical inferences. This first Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library Book Club meeting draws parallels between the inferences that students make in their everyday lives, and inferences that they make while reading.

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Meeting 2

Author Chris Grabenstein's Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is perfect for practicing making inferences about the setting of the story. Specifically, readers will look for clues the author provided in the language that the characters use and the items that he put in the environment (computers, video games, etc.).

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Meeting 3

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library has a varied cast of characters; each with his/her own unique personality. Author Chris Grabenstein does a remarkable job of using each character's thoughts, dialogue, and actions to "show" the reader who each character really is. When readers pay attention to these important clues, they can make meaningful inferences that allow them to become more involved in the story.

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Meeting 4

Because logical inferences are more than just a guess at what is happening in the story, readers need to be able to cite the evidence in the text that is shaping their thinking. This Escape form Mr. Lemoncello's Library Book Club meeting introduces students to sentence starters to use when making inferences. This handy bookmark can be used by readers not only with this text, but also with with any book they read in the future.

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Meeting 5

Beyond understanding the setting and characters better, readers make inferences to determine the author's purpose. The strong messages that author Chris Grabenstein included related to friendship, teamwork, and bullying are all easily identifiable when readers follow the clues in Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library.

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Meeting 6

As the reader tries to escape the library with the characters, he/she must make inferences about how all the clues fit together to solve the mystery. When readers make the same type of inference repeatedly, they can use this recurring information to draw conclusions about the characters, setting, author's purpose, or how to escape and win the race.

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Meeting 7

This final Book Club meeting provides an opportunity for students to showcase the knowledge they gained related to making inferences while reading Chris Grabenstein's Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. The culminating activity encourages students to write an essay to the selection committee about why they should be chosen for the next great escape!

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The first page of Asking Questions with A Bad Case of Stripes

Vocabulary Connections with Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

This set of vocabulary development resources for Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book. Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

L.5.4a,L.5.5,L.5.6

TEKS Alignment

5.7E,5.7F,5.3A,5.3B

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Focus Assessment and Rubric

Use this six-question assessment to determine whether or not students understand the key concepts associated with Making Inferences & Drawing Conclusions.

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Comprehension Assessment with Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

This 9 question Common Core aligned assessment can be used to determine students' overall comprehension of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library and their mastery of the Common Core State Standards.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

TEKS Alignment

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Management Resources - Spanish

The management resources include a Book Club Calendar, conversation prompts, Student Self-Evaluation forms, Reading Response Board (with optional Common Core alignment), and an Expectations for Book Club anchor chart.

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About the Book

The cover for the book Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Title: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

Author: Chris Grabenstein

Genre: Mystery

Themes: Adventure

ISBN: 9780141387673

Publisher's Summary:

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein is a lively and inventive mystery perfect for middle grade classrooms. The story centers on Kyle Keeley, a game-loving twelve-year-old who idolizes the eccentric game-maker Luigi Lemoncello. When Mr. Lemoncello unveils a dazzling new library in Kyle's town, he invites a select group of kids to attend an overnight lock-in to celebrate its grand opening. But the event quickly turns into an extraordinary challenge: the children discover they are part of a high-stakes game, racing to solve puzzles and riddles hidden throughout the fantastical library. The first to escape will win a coveted prize and national fame.

This book is a celebration of reading, teamwork, creative problem-solving, and the joy of libraries. It seamlessly weaves together references to classic and contemporary children's books, making it a treasure trove for young readers. The fast-paced plot, clever clues, and engaging characters make it an excellent choice for sparking discussion and critical thinking in the classroom. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library encourages students to look at books—and libraries—in new and exciting ways, offering ample opportunities for interactive activities, group projects, and reading challenges. It's a delightful adventure that will leave students eager to turn the next page and teachers inspired to bring the magic of libraries into their lessons.

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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library