The Lost Things Club

by J.S. Puller

Fans of Rebecca Stead and Lynda Mullaly Hunt will embrace this heartwarming story about the effects of grief, the power of friendship, and learning that sometimes not all lost things are meant to be found.

When twelve-year-old Leah goes to spend the summer in Chicago with her little cousin TJ, she's shocked to discover that he's gone mute after surviving a school shooting. She knows there isn't a "right way" to deal with his pain, but when she learns that he's sneaking out to visit a laundromat at night, it seems all wrong.


Determined to discover why the laundromat brings her cousin to life, Leah and her new friend Violet follow him, unwittingly falling into an imaginary world called "The Land of Lost Things," home to the socks and coins and buttons that disappear in the dryer. And when TJ hears about the wonders beyond the portal in the back of the dryer, he actually speaks!

Eager to keep him talking, Leah and her new friends populate the world with characters, performing elaborate puppet shows that grab the attention of YouTube viewers everywhere. Soon Leah realizes that there's something in this special world that TJ has to find and get back. But as the Lost Things Club works together to try and make TJ's dreams a reality, they learn there are some lost things that can't come back.

Genres: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary, Childrens, Grief

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2021

About the author

J. S. Puller is a playwright and author from the Windy City, Chicago. She has a master's degree in elementary education and a bachelor's degree in theatre from Northwestern University. She is an award-winning member of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education and has written about the social-emotional benefits of arts education with the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. When not writing, she can usually be found in the theatre. She is the author of two novels, CAPTAIN SUPERLATIVE and THE LOST THINGS CLUB, both published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. She also has several published plays, including: WOMEN WHO WEAVE (Playscripts, Inc.), PERSEUS AND MEDUSA - IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME! (Lazybee Scripts), THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD (Stage Rights), and four titles with Plays for New Audiences.

Website: www.pullerwrites.wordpress.com
Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/pullerwrites

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Youtube videos starring sock puppets help bring healing to a young boy who suffers from PTSD from a school shooting. T.J. does not speak a word at home and only picks at his food. When older cousin, Leah, discovers him sneaking out at night she follows him. His visits to a laundromat are a mystery until neighbor Violet joins her and they find out what T.J. has been doing. He has been helping his new friend, Michelle, with her collection of lost things from the dryers. They turn lost socks into puppets and Leah decides they need to upload the show to Youtube. T.J. feels free to speak and eat at the laundromat, but a crisis is building. He wants to actually visit the Land of Lost Things. What will happen when he realizes he can't? This book does a great job of revealing the details of the traumatic event and how it has affected T.J. There is also a veteran who gets some much-needed affirmation through the videos. Finally, the repurposing of socks and other lost things are an inspiration. Well done! Another must read from the author of Captain Superlative.

Thank you to Little, Brown Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friendship story about three twelve-year-old girls; one who wants to be special, one who has her whole life mapped out, and one who just wants to stay a kid. Together they start a club with an eight-year old cousin of one of the girls. The four of them creates a moderately successful video series with sock puppets that helps others know that they are not alone.
This is also a story about T.J., the eight-year-old cousin who has not been speaking to his parents since a shooting occurred at his school, but will speak to strangers and as one of the characters in the sock puppet videos. Can his cousin Leah figure out why? Could the secret be in the videos that she and her new friends Violet (the planner) and Michelle (who likes playing with and taking care of younger kids) create with T.J.?
This may remind a few readers of the classic Alan and Naomi (The Lost Things Club has a happier ending.) which also deals with PTSD. Along with those looking for a story that takes place in the Chicago area or a story about an age-appropriate school shooting for tweens, give this to anyone who likes friendship stories (i.e. Kallie's Corner, We Could Be Heroes) and summer vacation stories (i.e. Caterpillar Summer, Just Harriet).

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written story about the impact that surviving a school shooting has upon a young boy. Every single character was “quirky” in their own way, which made me really fond of them all. T.J.’s character was a definite pull on the heartstrings, especially in the last few chapters.
The author did a great job of not revealing the root cause of T.J.’s selective mutism until close to the end, which made this a real page-turner for me. I read this just a few days after the 9th anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary, so it was especially poignant.
On a brighter note, I thought the idea of “The Land of Lost Things” was great! I’ve often wondered myself where those items that just seem to vanish end up… Speaking as a former teacher, I think that idea could lead to some very creative classroom writing!

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Children's literature has lots of sad stories; there's an entire subsection devoted to dead dogs. The Lost Things Club is a hard read at times. The storyline is mostly sad, with a moment or two of "not darkness" (I can't really say moments of light.)

There are loose ends; how did TJ end up not only in a laundromat, but finding a soulmate in the owner's daughter? There are big improbabilities: the idea that TJ's parents wouldn't know where he is at all times, especially given the state of his mental health, is completely unbelievable.

That being said, I enjoyed the imagery and setting (I'm pretty sure the book is set in my old neighborhood in Chicago.)

[Christine Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful

[Kenzie Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really sweet and really sad. I wish it had been written a little better, but I absolutely loved TJ. He was adorable, and I wanted to just give him a big hug several times throughout the story. A great book for younger readers.

[Coco Michels · Rating 5 out of 5]

People who like Kate DiCamillo or Corey Ann Haydu will love this book. It can be very sad, but I love how the kids use old things to make puppets.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leah is normally excited to spend the summer in Chicago with her aunt, uncle and little cousin T.J., but things are different this year: T.J. hasn't spoken since a shooting occurred at his school. When Leah befriends a neighborhood girl named Violet, she discovers that T.J. has been sneaking out, and when they follow him, they find that he's been visiting a homeless man named Morgan and a girl, Michelle, whose family owns a laundromat - and he's been talking! Soon Leah, Violet, Michelle, and T.J. form a club where they take all the lost things from the laundromat and make puppet shows. But is T.J.'s belief in the Land of Lost Things helping him or hurting him?

It's just so heartbreaking that school shootings are so common that T.J.'s situation isn't even a rare one, and that some readers will be able to identify with him. In this case, Violet and Michelle also attended the same school as T.J. but weren't as traumatized as he was, although Michelle's brother (who we never see) seems to be similarly affected. Leah has her own agenda of trying to find her own place in the world, and becomes distracted from her goal of helping her cousin when she finds her place as director of the puppet shows. She's at an age where she can empathize with T.J.'s parents and know they only want to help, but can also still understand T.J.'s younger mindset. The subject matter is handled well and nothing too graphic about the shooting is shown (it's explained that one child died but that's the extent). I also loved the theme about different types of loss, as well as about finding.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

J. S. Puller’s debut middle grades book, Captain Superlative, was a 2019 Bluebonnet Award nominee and a 5 star rating from me, and now The Lost Things Club gets one of those, too. Leah and her younger cousin TJ have always had a blast together on her annual summer stays with his family while her mom travels for work. But since surviving a shooting at his school, TJ doesn’t eat much, sits in his room in a near stupor and does not speak. Puller allows Leah to be an instrument in TJ’s healing, along with her new friend Violet and odd, creative Michelle who works in her mom’s laundromat and that story of recovery will hopefully leave readers in grades 4-7 with not simply a warm, slightly tearful feeling, but a greater understanding of how trauma can affect a person and the importance of family/friend support and how truly listening can make a difference. The violence of the shooting incident is not included in this narrative and the text is also free of profanity and sexual content. Representation: Characters’ races are left fairly vague, but Leah and Violet may be Caucasian and Michelle is possibly Black. TJ and Michelle’s brother are both seeing a counselor in an effort to deal with mental health concerns and two families of MCs are single parent homes.

Thanks for the advance reader copy of this 2021 release Little & Brown for Young Readers/Hachette Book Group.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book.
I hoped to be able to recommend it to my students, but I won't. First of all, you have the subject matter--a young boy traumatized by a school shooting as his school.
There is also selective mutism. An older cousin who comes to visit and tries to get him to talk.
I wasn't surprised to learn that the author writes plays as well. This read more like a series of scenes than like a cohesive story.
Other things that annoyed me:
All of the pet names--bubbeleh, hedgehog, etc.
The Uncle's goofy stories about fantastical things he did in the CIA. (He wasn't ever in the CIA)
The Aunt's mood swings between extremely stern and falling apart. She was very 2-dimensional, as were many of the characters.
Violet's way of drawing out words and speaking annoyingly slowly and loud whenever someone asked a clarifying question.
Michelle's eccentricities and her brother who had some trauma of his own that we never got into.
Leah's proficiency with Youtube and all things digital that helped her realize her talents and worth.
The videos they produced and the attention they garnered.
Being in the head of the narrator.
I don't recommend it.

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I received a free review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

4 stars = Great! Might re-read.

This is really well done. I loved Leah, and I think the book does an excellent job of letting readers BE Leah - observing her family, especially TJ; looking for answers; looking for her own way to be special; and looking for ways to help her family.

While the subject matter - the aftermath of an elementary school shooting - is serious, this story is far enough removed from the incident to be age-appropriate for most middle grade readers. When I was finished I was struck by how brilliantly the author told a school shooting-adjacent story without any of the shooting details. Those weren't crucial to the story she was telling. This was about Leah, about TJ, about family, about learning to listen and truly hear, about resilience, about learning what it means to be lost and be found, and about friendship. And it was great. (TW: discussion of a school shooting)

[Cyrus Hung · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost Things Club is a heartwarming story about Leah going to Chicago to visit her cousin TJ. Leah is surprised that her cousin has become mute after surviving a school shooting. Leah finds that TJ goes to a laundromat every night to visit his friend to listen to stories about the land of lost things. But TJ is convinced that the land of lost things is fictional. Will TJ finally know that the stories are fictional or will he continue trying to get to the land of lost things?

I really liked this book because it has lots of details and helps me understand about how some people react after surviving a school shooting.

[Eileen Winfrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leah goes to visit her aunt uncle and cousin in a Chicago neighborhood. Her cousin, however, has survived a school shooting and is now selectively mute. Except when making up stories about A Land of Lost Things that Leah and their other friends turn into YouTube videos. The problem is, the cousin has convinced himself that The Land of Lost Things is real, and that he can go there.
It’s mostly a story about learning to deal with bad things that have happened, and it all comes to a head. I just couldn’t get into it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

DRC from Edelweiss and Hachette Book group
Story about loss, grief, and moving on. TJ, Leah's younger cousin, survives a school shooting, but has remained mute since it occurred. When Leah goes to visit, she discovers that TJ is sneaking out at night and when she follows him, hears him speak. She and a neighbor investigate and slowly learn what TJ "lost" and why he feels so guilty.
Art as therapy, trauma, healing.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stayed up way later than I should have to finish this book last night. Puller's writing just draws the reader in. I love the characters in this book. My only confusion was about how old all the kids were supposed to be--some seemed much older and some much younger than I think they were meant to be. Overall, though, I'll be recommending this one like crazy!

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A powerful book about school gun violence and the use of euphemisms to describe things, when harsh truth and honesty would be better. The middle of the story dragged for me a little bit. But worthy of recommendation when someone is looking for a book about this topic. I think adults would benefit from reading this as well.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I’m from San Antonio, I thought this book would be really hard to get through in light of the Uvalde school shooting. Instead, it was soothing. There were some similarities, but since this book focuses on one survivor, it was different. I hate that a book like this is needed, but it is. Recommending to my 7th graders.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I love the premise of this story, and its unique look at loss. The school shooting & the “Land of Lost Things” give this book such unique pieces that make it stand out, but the honesty of how difficult grief can be makes it especially meaningful.

[Rebecca Morrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a heartbreaker, but also a brilliant story of resilience in the face of adversity.

[Kati Polodna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I intended to read a spooky book this Halloween but this sucked me and made me almost cry.

[Jami Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow... just wow! Such a great story.

[Clara Biesel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a lot of fun, particularly considering the trauma aftermath subject matter.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a sweet little story that I hoped would have a little more meat to it but nevertheless I think would be a good read for a young middle grade crowd.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, beautifully woven story. Important for this world we live in and, sadly, what too many school aged children have experienced.

[Tracey-Lee Buziol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet story told from the perspective of a 12 year old girl and the importance of our “words” and how we use them especially during traumatic events 💕

[ddr ☃ · Rating 5 out of 5]

wholesome

[Sohang Limbu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left an intangible part of childhood inside of me, it makes me feel like a kid reading it, it showed me how hard it is to face things that we believe everyday as a child.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

What starts out as a mystery ends with an unexpected heartbreak that made me cry for children who've had to deal with guilt and trauma. I'll be recommending this to kids.

[Stacie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is not my favorite book It got really bad. I don’t think I’m really interested in the book but it was pretty good for the book itself.

[AC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad and poignant for a middle school read