Is it possible to be TOO safe?

You might think so when you read Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner.  Goldie, like all children in the city of Jewel, has been chained to either a parent or Blessed Guardian since the time she could walk.  She's always been bold, though, and when the ceremony on Separation Day is disrupted, she takes the opportunity to run away.  She ends up at the Museum of Dunt; the four keepers take her in, teach her how to survive (she's been so overprotected that she can do little on her own), and show her how to navigate the mysterious, shape-shifting rooms and stairs.  She soon learns that the leader of the Blessed Guardians is power-crazy - he has plans that will destroy not only the museum, but Jewel and all of its residents.  Can Goldie stop him?  Lots of action and adventure in this book, the first of the Keepers Trilogy.  

Get out your Kleenex

I hardly ever, ever, ever get choked up at a book, but One for the Murphys by Lynda Mulally Hunt was an exception.  After being horrifically betrayed by her mother and abused by her stepfather, Carley is placed in a foster home: Mr. and Mrs. Murphy and their three sons.  She really doesn't want to be there and is convinced that she's not worthy of the love and respect shown to her, especially by Mrs. Murphy, who seems (to Carley) too good to be true.  Carley eventually warms up to the family and even makes a friend at school, but then...but THEN...she visits her mom in the hospital and no longer is sure of where she belongs - with her mom (stepdad is now out of the picture), whom she still loves but who got her in this foster situation?  With the Murphys, who offer a warm, safe environment?  Short chapters keep this book moving quickly, and Carley's first-person narrative will tug at your heart.

Secret upon secret in this page-turner

I could NOT put down my copy of Four Secrets by Margaret Willey!  Katie, Nate, and Renata are all in the juvenile detention center - they're in a ton of trouble for kidnapping Chase, the star athlete at their school and a major bully.  The story is told both through the journal entries they're required to make (three very different styles) and through a narrator who describes social worker Greta and her attempts to put together the pieces of a very confusing puzzle. It's obvious that the three have made a pact to not give away something huge; it's also evident that each has a serious secret.  And so does Chase.  And you'll go nuts trying to figure them out, and you won't know everything until the end of the book.  (Don't peek!) The ending is a bit rushed and not 100% satisfying, but still...I dare you to read this slowly.

Advice to artists: learn from the best!

If you're in the mood for something a little different, take a look at Drawing from Memory by Allen Say. Part graphic novel and part biography, Mr. Say tells his story of growing up in Japan and his desire to be a cartoonist, despite objections from his father.  At the age of 12, the author sought out Noro Shinpei, a famous Japanese cartoonist, with hopes of working for him and learning the art of cartooning.  Through a combination of drawings and sketches from the past and the present, the reader learns how Shinpei became Mr. Say's sensei, or teacher.  The format of the book takes getting used to, with the styles of drawings and the page lay-outs varying quite a bit, but the story is intriguing and gives good insight into the hard work required to excel as an artist.