When you’ve been a children’s librarian for years, it is easy to get burnt out on the material. For me, that also meant I got cocky. Can any kids book really hook me anymore as a bitter adult who has READ IT ALL? Are there any GOOD STORIES LEFT? Yes, of course, to both of those things. THE LOST LIBRARY by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass proved just that.
The last day of fifth grade is approaching, and Evan is pretty nervous about moving up to middle school. His best friend Rafe couldn’t be more excited, as his overprotective parents promised they’d lighten up once he graduated fifth grade. Before the last day can arrive, however, a mysterious little free library pops up, which Evan discovers walking to school. No one knows who built it, and it is the first time the town of Martinville has had any kind of library in twenty years, as the public library burnt down before that. The fire had fatal outcomes for both staff and patrons, and the institution was never replaced after that tragedy.
Not only is the appearance of the LFL a mystery, but the contents of it are as well. Evan discovers that all of the books in the library formerly belonged to the library that burned down, and each of them bears a check-in stamp marking the day of the fire. Evan is further intrigued when he discovers the names within two of the old library books: His father’s, and H.G. Higgins, bestselling mystery author. The questions don’t end there. What is with the big old orange cat who guards the little free library? Who built it? And why does it smell like applesauce?
The book is told from several points of view: Evan, the old orange cat, and Al, an assistant who worked at the old library who who now hides out in the historical house with the other ghosts whose lives were lost with the fire. As an adult reading a child’s book, one of the mysteries was quite plain. But a second twist surprised me. However, the mystery didn’t need to hook me, because the emotional storytelling behind it is so compelling. Everyone in town lost something when the public library was lost, but those most acutely affected are the people closest to Evan. In piecing together the mystery of the lost library, both the dead and the living will finally be able to move forward.