The Lost Library
“Friendship and the idea of new and exciting possibilities open wide the imagination and the idea that if there is something you want to learn, it can be discovered through reading.”
Moving can be stressful for children, but for Oliver, it’s an adventure of a lifetime. When a fluttering book behind his bedroom door beckons, Oliver is only too happy to return the book to its home— The Lost Library. The problem is, he has no idea where that might be. When everyone in his life is too busy to help, his new neighbor, Rosie, offers her assistance and they head to the library. This is where the exciting journey begins.
At the library, Oliver slips the book through the returns slot. This unlocks their imaginations and soon Oliver and Rosie find themselves inside the belly of the Lost Library. The only problem is that now they’re the ones who are lost. However, they do not let the opportunity slip by. After all, they are surrounded by hundreds of books waiting to be read.
They discover all sorts of thrilling stories, but it’s the one about boats that sets them on a voyage in their very own boat. When the waters turn choppy, Oliver nervously declares, “I’m not a very good swimmer.” Luckily, Rosie finds a book that will help the situation. Oliver reads the book and learns how to sail. At once, they find themselves safely on shore. Here, they’re surrounded by a forest of books with no path leading them out. Just as Oliver loses hope, Rosie discovers another helpful book. “We need to stay calm and stick together,” she reads. It is then that the forest begins to thin.
At last, at the very top of a bookshelf, Oliver spies the way out—only the bookshelf has spied them, too! This bookshelf is like no other as it is a Bookshelf Dragon, and he is not happy with the visitors. He snaps and snarls, and just when Oliver thinks he’s going to become dragon food, Rosie begins to read a story to the furious dragon. Soon, cuddling a teddy bear, the dragon falls asleep.
Exiting the library, Oliver asks the smiling librarian if she’d ever heard of a Bookshelf Dragon, to which she replies, “That’s a story for another day.” This ending just might encourage the reader to imagine what that story might be.
The Lost Library is an exciting book that will appeal to children ages four to seven. Friendship and the idea of new and exciting possibilities open wide the imagination and the idea that if there is something you want to learn, it can be discovered through reading.