I admit, when I heard that Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass had teamed up to write a book about a library, I was all in. Then I saw the blurb, "Told in turn by a ghost librarian named Al, an aging (but beautiful) cat named Mortimer, and Evan himself, The Lost Library is a timeless story from award-winning authors Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. It’s about owning your truth, choosing the life you want, and the power of a good book (and, of course, the librarian who gave it to you)." So I knew I had to read it.
The way in which Al, Evan, and Mortimer tell the story lets the reader try to puzzle out what is going on - just as Evan is trying to do. Where did the Little Free Library come from? Why are there books from the town library that burned down years ago? How did they survive the fire? Why is the name of Evan's father on one of the checkout cards; why is it the only name on the card? Al's relationship with the other ghosts in town, even the memories of Mortimer the cat's life in the library before its destruction all play a part in the larger mystery of what is going on in their town.
This is a great story about the power of books, about coming to terms with choices you have made, and about growing up and finding out that your parents were kids once who also had to grow up. Full of searching for answers, connecting with family, and seeing how the past shapes the present, readers will love this delightful tale.
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