The Lost Library

The Lost Library

Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

Feiwel & Friends, 224 pp. ISBN: 978-1-25083-881-0

Grade 4 and up

A mysterious little free library, guarded by a large orange cat, appears one night outside the burned ruins of the old town library. There 11-year-old Evan finds a book that holds a clue to the mystery of the library fire. Soon Evan and friend Rafe, with the help of Mortimer, the cat, and Al, a ghost librarian, make discoveries about the library fire that will change not just his future, but that of the entire town.

Rebecca Stead

Rebecca Stead is a bestselling author of seven novels for young people: When You Reach Me, Liar & Spy, First Light, Goodbye Stranger, Bob (with Wendy Mass), The Lost Library (ditto) and The List of Things That Will Not Change.

Her books have been awarded the Newbery Medal, the Boston Globe/Horn Book Fiction Award and Fiction Honor, and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize; shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, Waterstone’s Book Prize, Barnes & Noble Children’s Book Award, and Premio Strega Ragazze e Ragazza; and named New York Times Notable Books for Children, NPR’s Books We Love, and a Time magazine Top Ten of the Year.

She’s not a fast writer but has learned to embrace her process and urges you to do the same.

author website

Wendy Mass

Wendy Mass is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-one novels for young people (which have been translated into 32 languages and nominated for 92 state book awards). She was named the New Jersey Association of School Librarian’s 2018 Author of the Year. 

Odd hobbies include geocaching,  virtual reality, and magic tricks. She lives with her family in northwest New Jersey. 

author website