The day Evan noticed the free little library guarded by the big orange cat was the day his life changed. When he dared take home two books from the free little library, the doors guarding community secrets began squeaking open. The books in the free little library were originally from the town library that had burned and tragically killed several community members, including the librarian. The library assistant, Al, feels like a ghost herself as she cares for spirits not yet departed from this world, and tries to figure out her place in the community while grieving her long ago losses. Evan, too, is trying to find his place in the community, and the books, the cat, the and Al also help him answer questions about his family's past.

Stead and Mass team together again to produce a book brimming with fantasy and "what if's." This book is a something of a juxtaposition for me - it is full of adventure, but slower-moving. It is fantasy, but realistically relatable. Two stellar authors whose worker is in the vein of Erin Entrada Kelly.

A beautiful middle grade mystery that is like reading a love letter to libraries! A ghost librarian, a cat who guards the free-library, and all the books. Loved this story! Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass are automatic reads!

This is the sweetest book. I must admit I did not think about how the 'ghosts' where living until I found out how they were. This book is about love, loss and how you can live again. Highly recommend it.

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass is a magical telling about a free library that appears one night in a small town that has lost it's library to a fire. Evan and Rafe, two young boys, take on the mystery of finding out more about the library and the books that are added on as people notice what is going on. With a ghost story, a live cat and two inquisitive boys, this is an excellent book for any child.

Reading this book as an adult, the final twists seem pretty clear relatively early on. These secrets are well seeded in the first half of the plot. But that's okay. This is not really a mystery. Not beyond the surface elements. This is a story about kids at a point of transition, about examining the larger world for the first time, fearing the future but recognizing it's inevitability. Its about trauma and the things that break us. And the things that make us whole again. It is populated by compelling, complex characters who are believable. It's a charming, quick read that holds up to repeats.

This is a book written by great authors, who know how to tell a story well. Engaging and somewhat mysterious, this will appeal to a wide audience with likable characters and a strong plot.

I loved this book! The twists and turns, the way the perspective shifted each chapter to reveal pieces of the puzzle, - it was delightful! Plus, bonus points for featuring 1) a library 2) a little free library 3) ghosts 4) a loveable cat.

A really great juvenile fiction book. A great coming of age story with positive parents and other positive adults in the community. Great examples of friendship!

This was such a delightful little book, I’m so glad that I read it! The authors obviously love reading and storytelling very much, and that comes through in the tender care that was spent crafting this story. Each character’s perspective brought something different to the story, yet they all wove together extremely well!

The Lost Library is a sweet little mystery that gives a nod to how much we love libraries, librarians, and their impact on us as we grow. Evan is intrigued by the LFL that pops up one day in his town that full of books from when his dad was younger. Full of friendly ghosts, mice, and an orange cat, this is a fun story. I think it would make for a fabulous read aloud.

“Take a book, leave a book. Or both.”

When a little free library appears overnight in a small town, an eleven-year-old boy, an aging cat, and a ghost librarian find their fates tied together as the truth about a town tragedy from many years ago is revealed.

I absolutely loved this book! I’m a huge Wendy Mass fan—sharing a first name helps too, of course—so when I saw THE LOST LIBRARY on NetGalley, I knew I needed to request it immediately. And boy, did I devour it! I didn’t mean to read it all in just a couple of hours, but I literally could not put it down! It’s short and sweet, but still manages to include an entire mystery, three points of view, and a whole lot of feels. Plus, as a steward of a Little Free Library myself, I loved the LFL inclusion in this book! I could go on and on about THE LOST LIBRARY (I even wrote a whole essay about it for grad school!), so I’ll suffice it to say that this will without a doubt be your next favorite book!

Content Warnings: Fire, death, mentioned death of a parent

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

A msyterious Little Free Library pops up in the night. It is guarded by a cat, normally only seen inside the "empty" house behind the new library, and known by different names by different neighbors. A boy finds a book last checked out by his father as a young boy and returned on the day the library burned down. A mystery about what happened to one library and a story about how another library brought the community together. Loved it!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really lovely book that I enjoyed a lot.

Synopsis

A little free library appears overnight in a small town starting off a series of events that will bring the townspeople together and spur eleven-year-old Even to dig into a town mystery from before he was born.

My Overall Thoughts

This is such a sweet, charming story. It has paranormal (though not scary) elements. Evan is just a compelling character. His interactions with his best friend, Rafe, his father, Al, and even the orange cat of many names are delightful.

This book is just a soft, cozy blanket with pages!

What I Didn't Love

The story was somewhat predictable (I won't tell you which part and ruin it for you)

Potentially Offensive Content

Paranormal (friendly ghosts)

What I Loved

Evan is the kindest child ever
Books!
Libraries!
Cats!
Such a heartwarming story

5/5 stars

“when rafe needed a hug, he asked for a hug. that was one of the things that made evan understand that rafe, unlike rafe’s parents, was actually brave.”

this might be the most bittersweet novel i’ve ever read. definitely my favorite non-illustrated middle grade novel i’ve read thus far.

this soft and intriguing ghost mystery, at its core, captures the transformative and connective power of books (and the people who read them!). the alternating points of view between our young mc evan, the librarian al, and the cat mortimer are both illuminating and engaging. the “slow and steady” plot pacing is made exciting by the details each of their perspectives sharpen. the mystery is well developed and balanced for its age range. always giving just enough but not too much. honestly, all of life’s little mysteries and lessons in this novel are so wonderfully drawn.

this book is for all the readers, all the library lovers, all the lifelong learners, all the community seekers, and all the people staring down major life changes with their fair share of trepidation. gentle and empowering, this is definitely the cozy mystery you want on your shelf! with such a focus on change and transition, the current progression of the seasons is also the perfect timing to read this novel.

What Children's Librarian would not love this book! A mystery about a library told through multiple viewpoints is a sweet homage to the power of libraries and reading.

I really like this book. The writing is among the best of the books I've read this year. Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass always write home runs. This was no exception. I love the connections to the book that was found by the main character and just overall everything about it.

This was such a sweet book that was the perfect cozy middle grade start to fall. I immediately fell in love with it the moment I read the description and the story did not disappoint.

If anyone is a fan of Katherine Applegate's books, this is definitely the book for them. Especially anytime the POV switches to Mortimer, the library cat. We had ghosts, cats, mystery, found family & the sweetest friendship.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC to review. :)

It was a cute and fast read and I enjoyed the mystery subplot. It reminded me of a TJ Klune book. I liked how the cat and mice also had a part to play in the story. In the reveal, the way the cat and mice performed seemed like a scene in a Cinderella movie. While I enjoyed my reading experience, the story wasn't enough for me. I think some of the side characters could have been fleshed out more. I also thought the story ended too abruptly and I wanted to read more of the mystery of the fire.

The Lost Library is a cute little book with a lot of heart. The story is told from three alternating perspectives: Mortimer, the displaced library cat; Evan, a 5th grader looking to solve a mystery; and Al, about whom little can be said without giving away some major (if fairly predictable) plot twists. Our story begins with the creation of a Little Free Library and is a love letter to books and the bonds they forge between readers. More specifically, this is an ode to the importance of libraries, and it is lovingly rendered.

I’m a big fan of middle grade novels, especially those that embrace a love of bookishness. This particular book skewed more on the younger end of middle grade, and thus I would recommend it more to 4th and 5th graders than I would to those nearing their teens. It came across as a bit simplistic, and I wish there had been a deeper dive into the meat of the story. That being said, I had fun in my time with it.