Al the librarian and Mortimer the cat long for the days before the Martinville Library burned down. One day, they come up with a solution: make a little free library with the books that were spared from the disaster. Mortimer now spends his days next to the little box, watching the people of Martinville take and leave books just like before. Well, almost like before.

Evan is as pleased as anyone in Martinville when the little free library, guarded by a fluffy orange cat, appears. But when he takes home two books, he doesn’t expect to become entangled in a mystery about how the old library burned down. A mystery that involves a pseudonymous writer, Evan’s own father, and some mischievous rats…

Rebecca Stead is one of my absolute favorite writers, and I loved Bob, the other book that she collaborated on with Wendy Mass. So naturally I was very excited to read The Lost Library! This heartwarming novel is full of the appreciation of books and librarians, with sweet and earnest characters. I really related to Evan’s anxiety around starting middle school–I remember feeling similarly reluctant to leave the safety of elementary school when my time came. And Mortimer! He truly turns the predatory, cynical cat trope on its head with his nostalgic and kindhearted nature. A library, a mystery, and a cat–what more could you ask for in a book?