Long Lost

by Jacqueline West

  Fiona grinned back. “That sounds great.” She glanced at the clock above the pie display. “Ooh. I have to get home. I’m going to my sister’s skating practice today.” She slid her backpack over her arm. “Her ankle was sore, so she had to skip a couple of days, but she’s feeling pretty much back to normal now.”

  “Hey,” said Charlie again, as Fiona scooted toward the end of the bench. “Could I come with you and watch sometime? Like when there’s a competition?”

  Fiona halted. “You want to watch my sister skate?”

  “I’ve never been to a figure-skating event,” said Charlie simply. “I think it would be interesting. I like learning about new things.”

  “Yeah,” said Fiona. Because Charlie was right. Arden was worth watching. “Sure. I’ll let you know.”

  “Heading out?” asked Judy, marching up to the booth. “Nope. It’s on the house,” she added, as Fiona reached for her pocket. “Just bring your family in for pie some afternoon.”

  “That’s what everyone around here does,” Charlie added.

  “I will.” Fiona waved to them both. “Thank you. Bye!”

  She hurried out into the late morning sun.

  The town of Lost Lake was quiet, as usual. But something about that quiet had changed. It felt restful now, not watchful. Birds called to one another in the rustling oaks. Sunlight flickered against the shade. Through the trees, here and there, were silver-green glints of the river and lake, bright with sunlight on the surface, cradling old secrets in the dimness beneath. Fiona pedaled over the shady pavement, past the brick houses and white clapboard churches, down streets whose names belonged to Pearl and Hazel’s story, and to her own.

  Just one more turn, and she’d be home.

  Acknowledgments

  This book (and this writer) wouldn’t exist without libraries and their librarians. Giant thanks to the staff of River Falls Public Library, and to the elementary, middle, and high school librarians of River Falls Public Schools—especially Mrs. Viney and Mrs. Rupert, Mr. Lancette, and Mr. Hammer—for everything you gave me. Thanks to all the other libraries that have sheltered and formed and inspired me: Indiana University Libraries, the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Library, Edgewood College Library, Madison Public Library, and Chilton Public Library. Extra thanks to the crew at Red Wing Public Library, especially youth services specialist Megan Seeland, for magic made, books recommended, and a zillion questions answered.

  Huge thanks to Martha Mihalick, who finds me whenever I get lost, and to the whole Greenwillow family: Laaren Brown, Lois Adams, Virginia Duncan, Paul Zakris, Audrey Diestelkamp, Robby Imfeld, and Sam Benson. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  I don’t know where I’d be without Danielle Chiotti. Thank you forever, Danielle. Endless thanks to Michael Stearns and everyone at Upstart Crow Literary, too.

  The first time I saw the Balbusso twins’ cover art, it took my breath away—and it still does, hundreds of times later. I could not be luckier. Grazie infinite, Anna and Elena.

  Big thanks and love to my critique group—Anne Greenwood Brown, Connie Kingrey Anderson, Lauren Peck, Kristin Johnson, and Jennifer Kaul—for being there through pregnancies and pandemics and uncountable drafts. You’re all gems.

  Thanks to the Spooky Middle Grade and Minnesota kid lit communities, to the teachers and booksellers and book bloggers, and to the readers who are the reason for everything.

  Finally, thanks and much love to my family: Mom and Dad, Dan, Katy, and Alex, and all the uncles and aunts (especially my favorite pediatric NP, Aunt Kris) and in-laws and cousins. And Ryan, Beren, and Vivien: If I’ve got you, I’ve got everything I need.

  About the Author

  JACQUELINE WEST is the acclaimed author of the Schneider Family Award Honor Book The Collectors; its sequel, A Storm of Wishes; and the award-winning and bestselling series The Books of Elsewhere; as well as two books for young adults. She has been known to haunt the library herself—but she has never found a book that doesn’t exist, no matter how hard she tries. Jacqueline West lives with her family in Red Wing, Minnesota.

  WWW.JACQUELINEWEST.COM

  Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used to advance the fictional narrative. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

  LONG LOST. Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline West. Interior art copyright © 2021 by Anna and Elena Balbusso. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  www.harpercollinschildrens.com

  Cover art © 2021 by Anna and Elena Balbusso

  Cover hand lettering © 2021 by Jim Tierney

  Cover design by Paul Zakris

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: West, Jacqueline, author.

  Title: Long lost / by Jacqueline West.

  Description: First edition. | New York, NY : Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2021] | Audience: Ages 8-12. | Audience: Grades 4-6. | Summary: Feeling lonely and out of place after her family moves to a new town, eleven-year-old Fiona Crane ventures to the local library, where she finds a gripping mystery novel about a small town, family secrets, and a tragic disappearance.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2021005694 | ISBN 9780062691750 (hardback) | ISBN 9780062691774 (ebook)

  Subjects: CYAC: Sisters—Fiction. | Books and reading—Fiction. | Guilt—Fiction. | Supernatural—Fiction.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.W51776 Lo 2021 | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021005694

  Digital Edition MAY 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-269177-4

  Print ISBN: 978-0-06-269175-0

  2122232425PC/LSCH10987654321

  Greenwillow Books

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