I could not stop listening to this book. It might be because I am a librarian and also the steward for my neighborhood’s Little Free Library that those being central themes of this book spoke to me. It might also be the inclusion of multiple mysteries and the determined kids who solve them. Perhaps it was the multiple narrators and the fact that one of them was a cat. It could be the unexpected, but satisfying, twist at the end. For all these reasons and more, I devoured this book and will be getting several copies for my library!

A charming preteen-age book, however the audio did not feel as successful as it could have been. I wish there had been a single narrator, as the different narrators varied in quality of recording and that was distracting. Particularly I would have preferred the voice actor who read Maurice the cat's chapters to have been the narrator for the whole book, as I think it would have provided more cohesion for the audiobook.

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.

In The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead, the story begins with Mortimer, a loyal and protective orange tabby cat, guarding a little free library that springs up in the small town of Martinville. This library holds secrets, and when young Evan plucks two old books from its shelves, he unwittingly embarks on a journey that will uncover a long-buried mystery. With the help of his best friend Rafe, Evan starts asking questions that the adults in town seem determined to avoid. As the story unfolds, it's revealed through the perspectives of Evan, Mortimer, and a ghost librarian named Al, weaving a tapestry of truths and discoveries.

The Lost Library is a heartwarming and enchanting tale about the power of books, the importance of truth, and the impact of a little free library on a community. The book's charm lies in its slower pacing, which allows readers to savor the cleverly woven mystery and delightful characters. It's a story that reminds us of the magic hidden within the pages of a book and the connections that can be forged through storytelling. This charming read is a testament to the joy of libraries, both big and small, and is sure to captivate book lovers of all ages. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

THE LOST LIBRARY by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass is a middle grade book that gently delves into loss and suspicion.

A library fire in the town years ago under mysterious circumstances. The appearance of some of the salvaged books in a little free library. Middle schoolers investigating the past. A former library employee with her own ghosts to face, both literal and figurative.

Various characters narrate the different chapters, and they can each offer their own insight into the mystery of the fire and the possible involvement of a famous author. Little free libraries are replete in Wisconsin, where they originated, and they've gathered popularity elsewhere, but in short, anyone can set one up, creating a public box for the community to take and leave titles. I loved seeing one at the heart of this story.

I listened to this as an audiobook, which was excellently narrated by Christopher Gebauer, Jennifer Blom, and Rob Dircks, each with their own ways of bringing the story to life.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

The Lost Library is a super cute, magic read for kids who love books. I love the multiple points of view; they lend a delightful charm to the storytelling. Perfect for middle grade readers.

Synopsis:
11-year-old Evan grabs two books from the shelf of the new little free library in town. It's an innocent enough action until Evan notices all the books were returned on the same day, and many of them by his dad. Turns out that day was also the day that the library burned down. But surely his dad wouldn't have done it. He loved to read. But if not Evan's dad, who? He and his best friend, Rafe, start asking questions whose answers will reshape not only their futures but the town itself.

My thoughts:
I love the multi-POV format of this story. It's told in turn by a ghost librarian, a cat who protects the little library, and Evan himself. This has elements of the Hardy Boys and lovely examples of family, friends, community, and a love of literature. Never doubt the power of a good book or the importance of a safe haven to be yourself. A delightful read for kids and pre-teens.

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass is an imaginative tale that any booklover or library fan would adore! This story is all about the library that was lost to a tragic fire many years ago. The narrators are Mortimer the cat, Al a ghostly librarian, and Evan the elementary school boy. The different perspectives give depth to the tale as Evan works to unravel the mysteries of the old library and the newer one that is popping up in the middle of town. Al and Mortimer work to help Evan and his friend with his sleuthing and he ends up finding out that he is more connected to the library than he thought. The supernatural elements of the story are interesting and not spooky at all. I think this would be a wonderful read for anyone who likes a good mystery and is midgrade or above. The narrators did a terrific job of bringing the characters to life and adding a bit of intrigue to the plot.

this book is a charming fun mystery for kids. I love the inclusion of the free little library; in my neighborhood they pop up overnight and to live out every kid dream of discovering a mystery and going on a journey to solve it in this book was so fun and heartwarming. I loved the characters even the cat.

*Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.*


The Lost Library is a charming coming of age novel about a young boy on his last day of elementary school. He finds a mysterious Little Free Library, guarded by an orange cat with 5 toes. He grabs two books on his way to school and so begins his journey of discovering family secrets and a mystery about what happened to the town library.

I thought this was such a great story. I enjoyed the three POVS and I was very invested in Mortimer the cat! While some of the mysteries seemed a little predictable (except for that last one) I think they would be perfect for a middle grade audience. The story was face paced and I was eager to see what happened next. The audiobook narration was really well done, the three narrators made it a treat to listen to!

I haven't read the Sammy Keyes books in years but this book kept making me think about them!

This sweet middle grade mystery features a curious boy, a brave friend, a cat who is the guardian of the books, and ghosts! Love the story from three perspectives.

The narrator chosen for this story was a good choice. I liked the way they told the story and voiced the characters in the story.

For the audience this story is intended for it is engaging and interesting. The main character sets out to solve the mystery of why his town no longer has a library. The story does include multiple POVs from characters and overall the transition to each character is easy to follow. Each character has a part of the story to tell and the readers sees how it comes together. There is even a perspective from a cat who loved that library as much as anyone.

Thank you Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this story.

Rebecca Stead is one of my all-time favorite middle grade authors, so as soon as I saw this book was available to request on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it.

What I enjoyed:
- The potential to adapt this specifically for Language Arts curriculum; this is a book about books, about reading, about writing, and as such, there are so many potential educational connections and opportunities
- The multiple narrators and points of view
- The mystery genre

All of my 5th and 6th graders will be reading this text for their first trimester book this school year, and I'm looking forward to writing curriculum around this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and the advanced listener copy.

Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead are a winning combination as always. Young readers will love this charming, sad, heartfelt story about solving a mystery around a little free library in his town and maybe around his own father. It involves some challenging topics, but they are handled gently and I would not be too concerned in recommending it to sensitive young readers. There is a bit of twist that as an adult reader I was able to see coming easily, but I think the target audience will be surprised and delighted. The audio is charming as well with several narrators, including a a large orange cat! Would be a great listen for the whole family.

Interesting. Though the twists weren't really twists and the ending was a little unsatisfying with how everybody got a happy ending.

The Lost Library was such a fun little story for me. Evan picks two books from a free library that appears out of nowhere, not knowing it's about to change his whole world. He should have known since it was being guarded by a cat named Mortimer. Along with his best friend Rafe begins searching for more about the books and soon everything starts to piece together.
This was a great story I was expecting. I love how the authors included the importance of the librarian. The story is told by that librarian, the cat and by Evan. It tells a heartfelt story and shows the importance of a book.
Wonderful writing and great characters make this adventure a must read. Even for those book loving adults looking for a little adventure this book is just what you need. Worth 5 stars for sure.
I really enjoyed the audio version of this story. It really made me feel like I was part of the adventure.

This was an adorable middle grade novel about the power of friendship and community.

Since a devastating fire in 1999, the town of Martinville has been without a library until one day when the residents wake up to a mysterious little free library being protected by a large cat. Fifth grader Evan eagerly takes two books, not realizing one of them was checked out by a well-known mystery author. But how is the author related to the town and does he know more about the fire that destroyed the library?

This was a fun read with cute characters and the narration was perfect.

THE LOST LIBRARY by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass is a new story written for late elementary age students in grades three through five. In fact, a major character is 5th-grader Evan who "loved making free time and then spending it however he wanted." Another narrator is Mortimer, the orange cat who is struggling with changes to his library and missing his sister, Petunia. A "ghost" librarian named Al also narrates some chapters. Young readers will enjoy the mystery element involving old library books, a polaroid picture, and library fire that occurred decades ago. Both Rebecca Stead (Goodbye Stranger) and Wendy Mass (A Mango-Shaped Space is a personal favorite) are so very talented at writing for middle grade students that it was fun to see another collaboration from them. The audiobook – narrated by Christopher Gebauer, Jennifer Blom, and Rob Dircks - is very well done, too, and will hold listeners' interest. The voices convey the varied characters and their personality traits quite well.

And, if you are curious and want to learn more about creating a Little Free Library, check out these rather whimsical versions made from all kinds of recycled materials:
https://littlefreelibrary.org/little-free-libraries-shoestring-budget/

As a Little Free Library steward, I found so much connection to the first part of the story. I believe in the accessibility of books to neighborhoods and the power of imagination through reading! This book has a delightful cast of characters- a cat, some mice, a young boy, a few ghosts, and a library! We adventure through their different perspectives as the boy attempts to solve a town mystery inspired by a book he found in the LFL! Perfect for mystery fans, avid readers, kids or adults looking to be inspired to read, cat lovers, and so many more!

I enjoyed the audiobook version having a cast of readers to give each perspective more depth.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and authors Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Lost Library was a captivating middle-grade mystery. Characters were realistic and fun. The premise was just enough mystery with just enough surprise--I'd recommend it to middle-grade readers, but also to adults or teens looking for a fun read.