Cover of The Lost Library

The Lost Library

by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass is assigned in US schools at grades 4–8. It appears across 2 curriculum references and 2 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Lost Library is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 4–8
Age range
Ages 9–13
Pages
167
Reading time
about 3h 5m (est.)
First published
2023
Genre
Middle Grade Mystery
ISBN-13
9781250838827
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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.

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 2 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

mystery · books · secrets · friendship

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

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

Common questions

What grade level is The Lost Library?
The Lost Library is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
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 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. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 4–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 2 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.