The Lost Library

About this book

A mysterious little free library appears overnight on a small-town lawn, watched over by a cat named Mortimer — and it holds the key to a decades-old secret about a library fire. Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass tell a gentle mystery in three voices: a boy, a cat, and a ghost. Nominated for the 2026 Sasquatch Book Award (grades 4-8), the Washington Library Association's statewide young-readers' choice award.

Similar grade-level books

• 
  To Kill a Mockingbird
  Harper Lee · 870L
  Get it on Amazon→
• 
  Of Mice and Men
  John Steinbeck · 630L
  Get it on Amazon→
• 
  The Giver
  Lois Lowry · 760L
  Get it on Amazon→
• 
  The Outsiders
  S.E. Hinton · 750L
  Get it on Amazon→

See all books like The Lost Library→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Mystery title, typically at grades 4–8. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on mystery and books; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.

Where this book is assigned

• Great Lakes Great Books Award

  • recommended·4th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
  • recommended·5th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
  • recommended·6th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
  • recommended·7th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
  • recommended·8th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.

• Kentucky Bluegrass Award

  • recommended·4th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)
  • recommended·5th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)
  • recommended·6th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)
  • recommended·7th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)
  • recommended·8th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)

• Washington Sasquatch Book Award

  • recommended·4th grade · Washingtonsource: 2026 Sasquatch Book Award Nominees (Washington Library Association)
  • recommended·5th grade · Washingtonsource: 2026 Sasquatch Book Award Nominees (Washington Library Association)
  • recommended·6th grade · Washingtonsource: 2026 Sasquatch Book Award Nominees (Washington Library Association)
  • recommended·7th grade · Washingtonsource: 2026 Sasquatch Book Award Nominees (Washington Library Association)
  • recommended·8th grade · Washingtonsource: 2026 Sasquatch Book Award Nominees (Washington Library Association)

The Lost Library by the numbers: pages, reading time and where it is listed, on Book Statistics.

Common questions

What grade level is The Lost Library?

The Lost Library is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8. It appears on 3 school reading lists across 3 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read The Lost Library?

It takes about 3h 5m to read The Lost Library (167 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 185 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign The Lost Library?

The Lost Library appears on reading lists for Great Lakes Great Books Award, Kentucky Bluegrass Award, Washington Sasquatch Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is The Lost Library banned in schools?

The Lost Library does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

What themes does The Lost Library explore?

Central themes in The Lost Library include mystery, books, secrets, friendship.