Geo Librarian

Museum of Thieves (The Keepers, book 1) written by Lian Tanner Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2010 ISBN13: 9780385739054 256 p. Grades 4-8 Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher. BLURB : Welcome to the tyrannical city of Jewel, where impatience is a sin and boldness is a crime.   Goldie Roth has lived in Jewel all her life. Like every child in the city, she wears a silver guardchain and is forced to obey the dreaded Blessed Guardians. She has never done anything by herself and won’t be allowed out on the streets unchained until Separation Day. When Separation Day is canceled, Goldie, who has always been both impatient and bold, runs away, risking not only her own life but also the lives of those she has left behind. In the chaos that follows, she is lured to the mysterious Museum of Dunt, where she meets the boy Toadspit and discovers terrible secrets. Only the cunning mind of a thief can understand the museum’s strange, shifting rooms. Fortunately, Goldie ...

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann Aladdin, 2011. To be released on August 30, 2011. Grades 4-8 Reviewed from copy received through Giveaway hosted by Charlotte's Library . Book blurb: Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths. Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.  In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation. But it's a ra...