The Apartment House on Poppy Hill and Mr. Lemoncello's Graphic Novel

LaCoer, Nina and Albert, Sònia (Illustrator)The Apartment House on Poppy Hill

November 7, 2023 by Chronicle Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Nine-year-old Ella is the self-appointed expert on the building that she lives in in San Francisco with her two mothers, and people who doubt this do so at their own peril. Leo and Cleo, new tenants, ignore her when they are busy moving in, but soon seek out her help with the tricky stove and lights. Ella is very friendly with all of the residents, including Matilda, who invites her to tea, and Jacques and Merland, who count on her to walk their dogs and even had her in their wedding when their flower girl got sick. The only two that Ella doesn't know are the mysterious eldery people on the top floor, Gertrude and Archibald Robinson. She has never seen them, although she has written them notes and gotten notes back from them. This is even more mysterious since they seem to manage to make it to the laundry room without detection, and even provided roses for the wedding without getting caught. Ella has a busy time around the building, but is super excited to get a note from the Robinsons, who need her help. They want to give everyone in the building a gift, and know exactly what everyone needs, since they seem to spend an inordinate amount of time spying on everyone. Ella helps them, and is glad to make new friends. 

Strengths: Well, I totally want to like at 1106 Wildflower Lane! What is it about reading about old houses that is so very appealing, especially to elementary school readers? Ella is an engaging characters, although I could completely understand Cleo and Leo's reaction to her when they were trying to get a sofa into their apartment. Ella's tour of the residents and facilities would have been especially appealing to me when I was young; the gardens are a nice touch. This has some diversity in that there are two same sex couples (Ella's mothers, as well as Jacques and Merland), although all characters read as white, although Jacques and Archibald are depicted with slightly darker skin. Albert's illustrations are absolutely charming and give a good feel for the building and the neighborhood. A quick, fun read. 
Weaknesses: As an adult, I found the Robinsons and their reclusiveness rather creepy, but that won't occur to the target demographic. Also, all of the elderly people these days are named Bob and Kathy. Gertrude and Archibald came straight out of a children's book from 50 years ago, with their rose filled apartment, but again, young readers won't know that. 

What I really think: This is a great book for elementary readers who enjoyed early chapter books like Absolutely Alfie, Turtle and Twig or Haydu's Hand-me-Down Magic, but wasn't quite the apartment building tale I need for middle school. I'll have to look forward to the next installment of Graf and Patterson's Minerva Keene's Detective Club for that. 

Grabenstein, Chris and Holgate, Doug (illustrations)

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library: The Graphic Novel 

November 7, 2023 by Random House Graphic Language English

E ARC provided by Netgalley

The first thing that struck me about this graphic novel adaptation was the fact that the illustrations really make the setting pop; the bright colors add a layer of fun, it's easier to tell the multiple characters apart, and being in this magical library is even more of a treat. The second thought I had was "I NEVER want to go into an escape room!" Just no. This is true to the original, although I feel like the interesting backstory of Mr. Lemoncello is not explored as much. I remember really liking this book when I first read it, and it was popular with my students until about 2017; I never bought book four or five because they stopped being read. Three books is usually as long of a series as is sustainable with my population.

I'm very glad that I moved the graphic novels into the fiction section; if I buy this one, it might improve readership in the other books. I could tell that it was ten years old (don't know that Grabenstein would have used books by Rowling, Seuss, or Dahl in the story today), but it will still seem fresh to young readers. 

 

From my review of the original:

25 June 2013, Random House Books for Young Readers 

Copy provided by Raab Associates 

Kyle isn't brainy or athletic like his brothers-- he just likes to play games. In school, this usually gets him into trouble, but when there is an essay contest to win a $500 gift card and an overnight stay in the new town library, his slacker ways and gaming ability work to his advantage. Luigi Lemoncello, game maker extraordinaire, feels that the town library in Alexandriaville, Ohio, and the librarian there, were instrumental in his his success, so he has donated a state-of-the-art library. Since the old library was torn down twelve years previously, he wants to introduce the young people of the town to the wonders of a public library by giving twelve of them the opportunity to use the library resources... to figure out a way out of the library! There are challenges, contests, and not everyone will last the entire time. Kyle and his friends band together against the evil, khaki and blazer wearing Charles Chiltington to solve the puzzles and win the reward. 

Strengths: Holographic librarians from the 1960s, a Wonder Dome of HD screens displaying Dewey divisions, and staff picks that are the keys to the clues-- how could I not like this book? Fans of The Westing Game and other clue oriented mysteries will love this one, especially if they are avid readers and get the literary references. The interactions of the children on the teams is also fun, and the best part was all the details about the fantastical library. Grabenstein is a great writer; I particularly like his Haunted Mystery series. 

Weaknesses: Kyle is portrayed as a goof at the beginning of the book but changes the minute his essay wins. I would have liked to see a more gradual change. Also, games of all kinds irritate me, so I didn't work through the clues, which would have made this more fun!