Our middle grade book spotlight this week is on books that feature games (video, virtual, board, and so on), mazes, and puzzles because it is International Gaming Week!!! I love games and puzzles because there are so many choices, you can complete them either with others or by yourself, and there is always a bit of challenge that makes the victory that much sweeter. The titles we have this week will inspire you to take on some sort of gaming this week or you can just feel free to read about others and their gaming adventures. These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #youthgaming as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new middle grade book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein--12-year-old Kyle Keeley, whose winning essay lands him a spot at an overnight lock-in at Alexandriaville's new library. The library has been designed by Kyle's hero, the famous gamemaker, Luigi Lemoncello, and contains an assortment of technological gadgets that is bound to enthrall Kyle, who loves all kinds of games. Kyle and the other winners enjoy a night of game-centered fun, but in the morning the library's doors do not open. He and his new friends are presented one last challenge: They must find their "way out of the library using only what's in the library."
Homerooms and Hall Passes by Tom O’Donnell--In the fantasy realm of Bríandalör, Thromdurr the barbarian, Devis the thief, Vela the paladin, Sorrowshade the Gloom Elf assassin, and Albiorix the wizard take a break from their hectic adventuring to play the "fantasy" role-playing game Homerooms & Hall Passes in which they are average American eighth graders.
Jigsaw Jungle by Kristin Levine--Told through notes, emails, and a scrapbook, twelve-year-old Claudia Dalton starts an investigation into the disappearance of her father. When it turns out he isn't actually missing but has gone to “think things over,” Claudia reexamines all her evidence to determine why he left and what's happening to him.
Slacker by Gordon Korman--Cameron Boxer didn't mind being thought of as a slacker. He was happy to spend hours gaming with his friends and avoiding homework at all costs. When he starts a fake club at school to shift the general perception of his slacker ways, some kids think it's real, and he's stuck serving as the president. And Cam soon finds himself caught up in a battle to save a beaver named Elvis that will shift his own perception of what really matters.
Game On! by D.J. Steinberg--When Old Fogey escapes from prison and creates a video game that physically sucks the players into the game, it is up to Daniel, aka Loud Boy, and his friends to call upon their superpowers to rescue the captured players.
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder--A group of children entranced with Egypt play their own Egypt game, are visited by a secret oracle, become involved in a murder, and befriend the Professor before they move on to new interests, such as Gypsies.