The Lost Library is full of a cast of characters that readers will love. A little free library appears overnight in Martinville. Evan and his friend soon discover a connection between a book and an event that happened in their town a long time ago that no one wants to discuss. The duo attempt to uncover the mystery. Evan learns more about his family and town by investigating. This story is told in alternating points of view between Evan, a ghost librarian, and a cat. As the mystery unravelled, it was pretty easy to discover the direction it would take. I still enjoyed getting to know these characters.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Teachers and librarians are asking for some shorter books. This one delivers - more than being shorter at 140 pages, it’s entertaining. It feels more like magical realism than fantasy, perhaps mystery fantasy fits better. The characters are a mixed bag. One narrator is Evan, a fifth grader who is dreading middle school. Another narrator is Al, a ghost who is caring for two other ghosts and a cat. Said cat, Mortimer aka Sunshine is the third narrator. Evan and his friend Rafe decide to solve the 20 year old mystery of how the Martinville Library fire started. Along the way they uncover secrets and ultimately heal the past. This is a very sweet, enjoyable read

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Library is such a lovely book. The intertwined stories (narrated by a boy, a young woman, and a cat) weave together tales of the past and the present in ways that should really connect with young readers. The mystery component of the book reveals itself nicely, and the authors do a marvelous job of having things revealed to the reader before they become clear to the characters. Mortimer (the cat) is such a gem, especially in his enduring longing for Petunia and his gruff protectiveness of both the books and the mice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the early reader of this book.

The Hatch kids will love this book and it will be very popular in the library. Short, magical, a book about books, a mystery, a fun and sweet 5th grader… it checks many boxes. Recommend to those who enjoy Kate DiCamillo or any adjacent-like books. Rebecca Stead and Wendy Maas are a real power duo, and I can’t wait to read more of what they write.

Talking cats and mice, ghosts , little libraries and a big mystery - who could ask for more! A devastating fire at the library years ago leaves this small community lost but then out of nowhere a little free library appears watched over by the library cat. Suddenly everyone realizes what they have been missing but questions over who set the fire that night resurface. Evan knows it wasn't his dad who set it even though he was an intern and in the room where it took place. Following the clues in an old book and his heart, Evan must navigate what happened then and why his dad is withdrawing from the family now. Also speaks to friendship and every middle grade kid's fear of going to a new school with the big kids. This is a winning duo that I hope we see more collaboration from in the future. I listened to the audiobook as well and would recommend it as a wonderful family read or roadtrip pick. My thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the advance copy.

This is a lovely children's chapter book about a special little library, its elderly cat caretaker, ghost librarians, and a young boy determined to discover the secrets of his small town. Although listed in some places as middle grade, I think this is better suited for older elementary school age children, but I, as a 49-year-old, still thoroughly enjoyed it as well. A heartwarming ode to books, libraries, and librarians with a nice mild mystery and several laugh-out-loud passages. Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends for a digital review copy.

What a sweet book! I figured most of the mystery stuff out pretty quickly, but considering it’s middle grade that’s not surprising.

When Evan picks out a couple of books from the new little library in his town he never expected all that would happen after. He soon found that a popular author had lived in his town and had checked the same books out of the town library and returned them on the very day the library burned down. Evan and his friend Rafe start investigating the mysterious old library books in the little library and the fact they were all turned in on the day the library burned down and why it seems Evan’s dad is blamed for burning down the library.
This book it has a bit of everything including a big cat that mice think is grumpy and some ghosts that help take care of things. When you put it all together with the suspense you get one great book that you just cannot put down.

This was a great listen! Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC.

Release date is said to be late August, and I would recommend this book for lovers of Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys!

Evan, Mortimer, and Al. These are the three you will follow throughout the book, and hearing the perspective from a cat, and maybe some mice... well. You're in for a treat.

A small town without a library seems unreasonable. But a rising 6th grader seems to figure out more than most when a little free library shows up overnight in the town square.

There's humor, mystery, and learning how to be oneself, regardless what others think you may or may not have done. Learning to be okay with your past to help the present, and finding your reason for being. Well, that makes all the difference.

This book is a real catch, especially due to its quick pacing and its special twist near the end. I admit to being a little confused at the switch from first-person to third-person narration for Al towards the conclusion, but that may be me exercising an unnecessary degree of pickiness. Character growth is fabulous and story is as engaging as can be. Perfect for cat-lovers, too (and, if you're like me and Evan's dad, for mouse-lovers as well)!

A boy, a cat, and a little free library that mysteriously appears one night start the reader on the journey of discovering what happened to the lost library. Told from 3 different perspectives, Evan's, an eleven year old boy, Mortimer the Cat, and AL (the former assistant librarian of the lost library) the story unfolds. Late one night AL decides to take a cart of books, the last one left, and create a little free library in the center of town. Mortimer becomes the guardian of those books, and Evan becomes their first customer. When Evan shows his dad the two books he selected from the library his dad starts acting very weird. This in turn spurs Evan, and his best friend Rafe, to discover the significance behind the library, the books he chose, and his dad's response, or lack of one. The authors, Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass to a fantastic job of tying the stories together and revealing the story that needs to be told. A fantastic addition to any children's library!

I loved this charming, sweet story! Of course, I can't resist a story that is about a library and I am so glad that I picked this one up. With a cast of characters that will tug on your heartstrings I highly recommend this story for everyone. While it may seem like it is a story about a lost library, it is really about so many lost things, lost friends, lost life, lost siblings and lost stories. Stead and Mass did an exceptional job weaving a story that will put a smile o your face.

I thoroughly enjoyed this ode to libraries, Little Free Libraries, and the power of reading. Although the mystery isn't very mysterious, I appreciated the themes of friendship, family (including "found" families at work), and forgiveness. Evan and Rafe are likable characters, and the magical realism of Mortimer the cat and the ghost librarians are wonderful additions to the story. Told in various voices, this story will be a hit, and I can't wait to get it in the hands of our middle grade readers.

4.5 stars! This book was so sweet and wholesome. I absolutely loved getting Mortimer’s POV and so many of his internal thoughts really tugged at my heartstrings. The same can be said for Al’s perspective. I also enjoyed the mystery of what happened to the library. It was awesome to see how everyone’s story came together and I really enjoyed this book! Wendy Mass was a favorite author of mine as a kid so it was really fun to read this book by her and Rebecca Stead as an adult!

I could not have loved this story more. Books, cats, a library? The golden trifecta for me. I know plenty of middle grade readers will have a new favorite book this fall!

Gosh, 1999 is in the past?!? Aside from that reality check, really enjoyed this one. Read it all in a day, which isn't typical for me, but I had the sort of day that permitted this luxury. Gripping mystery, clearly! I love how this author duo writes together. Keep it up!

So any great characters to meet! I enjoyed following Evan on his quest to uncover the mystery of old library. It was a blast to try to figure out how all of the characters were involved! Super fun book!

Loved this sweet mystery! The point of view goes between a boy who finds his father's old library books in a little free library, ghosts, and animals. You really get a wel rounded view of what's going on and how the mystery came to be. This was a fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 30% of the way through.

I really could not get past the writing style. It was definitely going for dreamlike writing but it was just driving me nuts. It's a shame since it's pretty sweet but I just could NOT get past the writing nor the characters.

This book was so fun! I loved the triple perspective and discovering the mystery of the Lost Library. This was a good ghost story with very polite ghosts, a mouse sympathetic cat, and a some adventure seeking fifth graders - well soon to be sixth graders. This is a great story for kids to read by themselves or out loud. I can't wait to share it!