The Lost Library

Wendy Mass, Rebecca Stead — 2023

When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change. Evan and his best friend Rafe quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself. 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).

Reviews

Ayudisa Bestari@aksajiwa

Apr 29, 2025

Misteri Perpustakaan Yang Hilang menceritakan tentang misteri dari sebuah tragedi kebakaran Perpustakaan di Martinville. Terdapat 3 sudut pandang di buku ini yaitu Evan - seorang anak laki-laki yang berusaha memecahkan misteri perpustakaan tersebut, Al - seorang Assistant Library yang sangat mencintai perpustakaannya, serta Mortimer - seekor kucing orange yang selalu setia menjaga perpustakaan tersebut.

Cerita misteri fantasi yang dikemas dengan sangat lucu dan seru. Masing-masing dari tokoh tersebut mempunyai rahasia tersendiri terhadap perpustakaan itu, dan juga terdapat plot-twist didalamnya. Overall ceritanya sangat ringan dan konflik nya sangat sederhana, narasi terjemahannya juga mudah dimengerti dan terdapat ilustrasi lucu di setiap awal bab.

Sangat recommeded untuk kalian yang mencari cerita misteri yang sederhana namun tetap seru. Apalagi di buku ini terdapat sudut pandang dari seekor kucing dan tikus jadi semakin membuat cerita ini menggemaskan.

Ryan @ryandoesread

Jan 19, 2024

3.5 stars "The Lost Library" focuses on three integral characters in the small town of Martinville that's connected to the mystery of the library fire: Mortimer the cat that's overseeing the little free library, Al the ghost librarian, and Evan the human boy. Before he matriculates as a middle school student, Evan spends his last few days of 5th grade unravelling the mystery behind the cause of a library engulfed in flames years ago. As he explores the salvaged library books found in the little free library and slowly uncover clues in this mystery adventure, Al and Mortimer become the added perspectives on what exactly happened on the day of the library fire. A timeless story that amplifies the power of community simply through pages and pages of books. With the bulk of the narrative filled with books and libraries, it does tie to how the presence of librarians can bring a formidable effect to kids on how they put empathy towards others, even animals. Middle-grade readers will be delighted to read this whimsical mystery that evokes the ongoing message on how books can bring people and families together. I like the decision behind having multiple narrators for each respective POV in "The Lost Library." There needs to be a fair warning that I found myself lost in the few pages as I'm being introduced to the three characters, but each of these characters are thoroughly enjoyable that listeners can be engaged to the narration within the first few chapters. The narrator of Al's character, Jennifer Blom. did an exceptional performance visualizing her journey as a librarian and how her upbringing further portrays books and libraries being a large influence to young readers. While I don't dislike the other narrators for Evan and Mortimer, it was her personality and narration to the text was the most enjoyable of this audiobook experience. With the audiobook, I believe that "The Lost Library" is very digestible for elementary school readers that can cater perfectly for the younger MG audience.