Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

Museum of Thieves (The Keepers Trilogy, book 1) by Lian Tanner, 2010.

Audience: Grades 4-7

My Rating: 4* of 5

Summary: Goldie Roth, an impulsive and bold twelve-year-old, escapes the oppressive city of Jewel, where children are required to wear guardchains for their protection, and finds refuge in the extraordinary Museum of Dunt, an ever-shifting world where she discovers a useful talent for thievery and mysterious secrets that threaten her city and everyone she loves.

Comments: I'll admit it was the cover art that pulled me into this book. It was slow to hook me, but finally did once Goldie arrived at the Museum. Interesting concept, characters, creatures (loved Broo the dog!), and conflicts that can be abstractly connected to events in our own recent history. Henson productions could nail this story on film!

Read-alikes: City of Lies by Tanner (book 2 in this series, due out Sept 2011), City of Ember, Alice in Wonderland, Books of Elsewhere, Coraline.

When You Reach Me (audio)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. 2009.
Audience: Grades 4-7th; ages 9-14
My Rating: 4*s of 5
Summary: As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.
Comments: I kept seeing reviews for this book and decided to give it a listen. It is a great puzzle-read with a well written girl protagonist. It was very satisfying to keep track of each subtle clue as it clicks into place. More than anything, though, it is a book about relationships. A passage about racism is deftly but clearly handled. I enjoyed this clever story and find myself thinking about it from time to time.
Awards: Newbery medal!
Read-alikes: A Wrinkle in Time (more of a companion book than a read-alike), Chasing Vermeer by Balliet

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Savvy by Ingrid Law. 2008.

Audience: 10-13, Grades 4-7

My Rating: 4*s of 5

Summary: Recounts the adventures of Mibs Beaumont, whose thirteenth birthday has revealed her "savvy"--a magical power unique to each member of her family--just as her father is injured in a terrible accident.

Comments: I wish, wish, wish I had read this book instead of listening to it. The narrator was mediocre and her reading made the language quirks of the book (repeating words in threes, "sure as sure" formula, etc.) seem more annoying than charming. I wonder if, had I read the book, they would have blended into the overall recipe of the story and added to the delight rather than detract. Otherwise, I greatly enjoyed the characters and plot (though it could have been taken out of the oven a bit sooner in my opinion). The "savvy" concept is excellent and I'm sure will excite young readers who wish to find their own special talent.

Awards: Newbery Honor Book 2009; Bluebonnet nominee 2009-2010; Boston Globe-Horn book honors 2008

Read-alikes: