The Lost Things Club

When twelve-year-old Leah spends the summer in Chicago with her little cousin TJ, she is desperate to get him speaking again. She knows there isn't a "right way" to deal with the pain of surviving a school shooting, but sneaking out to visit a laundromat at night seems all wrong.

Determined to discover what it is about the laundromat that brings her cousin to life, Leah and her new friend Violet follow him, unwittingly falling into an imaginary world that Michelle -- daughter of the laundromat's owner -- has created. It's called "The Land of Lost Things," home to the socks and coins and buttons that disappear in the dryer. And when Michelle tells stories about the wonders beyond the portal in the back of the dryer, TJ doesn't just come alive, he actually speaks!

Eager to keep him talking, Leah and Violet help Michelle 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.

“" The Lost Things Club speaks with great power of two of humanity's greatest assets: the healing capacity of true empathy, the spacious reach of the imagination....Writing such a page-turner is a gift." -- Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist”

*"Puller illuminates ways children can teach adults about using art to express their emotions and share their stories.... A must-read for starting conversations and opening up dialogue about trauma of any kind."

--School Library Journal, starred review

"The Lost Things Club speaks with great power of two of humanity's greatest assets: the healing capacity of true empathy, the spacious reach of the imagination.... Writing such a page-turner is a gift."

--Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist

"A sweet story about empathy, self-growth, friendship, and family that may inspire readers to seek more information about traumatic mutism."

--School Library Connection

"Sometimes children experience difficult things and can't find the words to talk about them. We need stories like this to help them find their voice and for others to find compassion."

--Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times bestselling author of Rump

J. S. Puller is a playwright and author of Captain Superlative. She is an award-winning member of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education and has done research on the social-emotional benefits of arts education with the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. J.S. lives in Chicago. She invites you to follow her on Twitter @PullerWrites.

When twelve-year-old Leah spends the summer in Chicago with her little cousin TJ, she is desperate to get him speaking again. She knows there isn't a "right way" to deal with the pain of surviving a school shooting, but sneaking out to visit a laundromat at night seems all wrong.Determined to discover what it is about the laundromat that brings her cousin to life, Leah and her new friend Violet follow him, unwittingly falling into an imaginary world that Michelle -- daughter of the laundromat's owner -- has created. It's called "The Land of Lost Things," home to the socks and coins and buttons that disappear in the dryer. And when Michelle tells stories about the wonders beyond the portal in the back of the dryer, TJ doesn't just come alive, he actually speaks!Eager to keep him talking, Leah and Violet help Michelle 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.

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