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Museum of Thieves (The Keepers Trilogy #1)

by Lian Tanner (Goodreads Author)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 1,740 ratings · 306 reviews

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...more

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published September 28th 2010 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

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Aug 31, 2011 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: younger readers and their parents with reservations

Shelves: children-s-book, audiobook, library-checkout, fantasy, courage, unlikely-hero-or-heroine, animal-character-steals-the-show, freedom, 2011-reading

The fact that it took so long for me to finish listening to is in no way a reflection on the overall quality of this book. I had some issues with my CD player in my car, which is how I listen to audiobooks, and I started The Left Hand of God and wanted to finish that up first.

This is a book that I would say I liked, but did not love. The ideas in it were quite interesting. I love the concept of a place that is more than it seems, much like the TARDIS for Doctor Who fans. The Museum of Thieves i...more The fact that it took so long for me to finish listening to is in no way a reflection on the overall quality of this book. I had some issues with my CD player in my car, which is how I listen to audiobooks, and I started The Left Hand of God and wanted to finish that up first.

This is a book that I would say I liked, but did not love. The ideas in it were quite interesting. I love the concept of a place that is more than it seems, much like the TARDIS for Doctor Who fans. The Museum of Thieves is very much that sort of place. It has a mystical element to it that makes it a fun, and even scary place to hang out. And only the right persons can serve as the caretakers there. The Museum sees into a person, and it chooses its caretakers wisely. The Museum chose Goldie.

Goldie is a girl that seems rebellious and stubborn, but she's just a normal little girl. She yearns to be free in a world in which children are actually chained to their parents and city custodians called Blessed Guardians. Sadly, while the parents do love and wish the best for their children, the Blessed Guardians don't seem to like kids at all. In fact, they seem to go out their way to torment them in small ways.

Separation Day, the day on which Goldie is to be freed from her guardian chains, a horrible catastrophe occurs, and a person with a deeper agenda uses this to make even more restrictions on the city and to the children, putting off all the childrens' separation. Goldie can't take it and she runs off. She ends up in the Museum, and so begins her very important role in changing her city for the better.

Ms. Tanner has written an enjoyable story that has good messages that children and an older person who appreciates children's books would appreciate. She writes about the themes of responsibility, confronting and fighting fear, personal freedom, and doing what's right, even if it doesn't seem to match what others consider as right. If I had a child, I would let my child read it, and I'd discuss some of the events in the book, and use them as an opportunity for entertainment and education. Parents should be warned that there is a fair amount of violence, and that stealing is condoned, but for particular reasons that made sense to me. The villains are particularly heinous, and it is disturbing that they are so cavalier about children's lives, and perpetuate deliberate acts of emotional cruelty to them.

This book didn't blow me away, but I found it a very entertaining story. Claudia Black, who starred on Farscape and Stargate, did a great job as the narrator. She does a whole host of voices and accents, and they illustrate this story beautifully. It's a short listen, and I think that it's worthwhile if you enjoy this sort of book. Three stars seems like a low rating from me, but it reflects the fact that while I enjoyed it, it wouldn't be a favorite of mine, and I wouldn't listen to it again. That doesn't mean that you won't like it more than I did.(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Andrea marked it as flipped-to-the-end

Shelves: childrens, urbanfantasy, dystopian

A did not finish review.

Museum of Thieves is basically a pre-teen dystopian story, of a world which is surely the nightmare of most children, one where all children are so overprotected that they are kept chained (to their parents or Keepers). This apparently is to save them from child thieves, or plagues, or robbers, or any of dozens of dangers.

How being chained makes you safe from a plague isn't exactly clear.

I suspect many readers will like this story better than I did. I should definitely st...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Pamela Huxtable rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction, fantasy

This exciting adventure/fantasy takes to heart one of Diana Wynne Jones' rules about what makes a great fantasy story. Jones said the best choice an author can make is to imagine a world similar to our own, and then change one thing. What happens to that world if just one thing is different?

In our world parents have gone overboard about their children's safety, using antibacterial gel and wipes unnecessarily, and castigating a New York city mom for allowing her capable child to ride the subway a...more This exciting adventure/fantasy takes to heart one of Diana Wynne Jones' rules about what makes a great fantasy story. Jones said the best choice an author can make is to imagine a world similar to our own, and then change one thing. What happens to that world if just one thing is different?

In our world parents have gone overboard about their children's safety, using antibacterial gel and wipes unnecessarily, and castigating a New York city mom for allowing her capable child to ride the subway alone. Tanner takes this current extreme fear for children's safety and multiples it exponentially. In the city of Jewel, all children are physically chained to their parents when they are out in public and chained to their beds when they sleep at night. All potentially harmful animals, including all dogs, have been systematically exterminated. All the idiosyncrasies of Tanner's fantasy world follow from making that one choice, having the safety of the children become a guiding paranoia.

But Tanner doesn't stop there. She creates one of the most memorable fantasy settings I have encountered, the Museum of Dunt. This amazing, magical place is stuffed with everything you could possibly imagine, plus all the things you would never imagine. And the museum changes, shifting rooms, directing the characters towards what they might need, or teaching them something they may need to know. The Museum of Dunt is really more than a setting, it's a character.

The human characters include Goldie, our heroine, who rebels at being chained, and finds herself taking sanctuary in the museum. Does she find the museum or does the museum find Goldie? While in the museum, Goldie meets the caretakers of the museum, plus another rebellious child named Toadspit who has found his way to the museum. The adult villains are interesting and not completely one dimensional, but could be a bit more fully developed. Perhaps that will happen in the next 2 parts of this planned trilogy.

Highly recommended. I am looking forward to the next installments!

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Mar 15, 2013 Christopher rated it 3 of 5 stars

The museum of thieves holds many interesting mysteries and adventures. At the beginning of the book the reader is brought into a story that is on the verge of change, between the guardians and the problem of child protection. The world seems to have a confusing twist on safety and I really enjoyed the attempts at freedom with the children as well as the caring parent characters. Something that seems to kill a book for me now and then is when all the adults seem to be a negative force to the chi...more The museum of thieves holds many interesting mysteries and adventures. At the beginning of the book the reader is brought into a story that is on the verge of change, between the guardians and the problem of child protection. The world seems to have a confusing twist on safety and I really enjoyed the attempts at freedom with the children as well as the caring parent characters. Something that seems to kill a book for me now and then is when all the adults seem to be a negative force to the children of a book, rather than a positive one. This book shows a balance, the parents being both a negative and positive role model.

This being said I felt that the book really kicked off mid way, where new characters were introduced and a number of plot twists began to form. I also think that there was more confusing parts than parts that made sense within these new ideas. I found myself asking why plot devices were not used earlier rather than later at a number of places within the story. For example the winds, which are secretly talked about, only come into play by the end and were not mentioned at all in the rising action of the book. I had thought that when we were first told about them that they would be used frequently or in any case sooner rather than later. This all being said, the ending was still great but I feel like it was rushed. A lot of suspense was had and the book had a good way of pushing me to the edge of my seat at times, especially in the very few and very small action scenes. Short and sweet seems to be the authors outlook and I believe that it worked well for them.

Once again I have found that I am late for a series. The keeper trilogy seems to have more in store for its readers and even if one does not want to continue the journey with Goldie, they won't be disappointed with how this book ends. Many questions could be asked about the similarities and symbolism of child protection within our own society compared to Museum of Thieves. Looking back now though, one doesn’t need to really focus on such things to leave with a final product that gives one a smile. All in all Tanner does a great job at a mysterious story with a young female protagonist, questioning her way of life. Hopefully I can find the remaining books soon! (less)

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Mar 09, 2013 PEI Public Library Service rated it 5 of 5 stars

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

All the wildness has been taken out of the city of Jewel. All citizens have been protected from disease, war, and bad weather from birth. Everyone must conform. Children are protected by their parents and the Blessed Guardians and are kept within safe distances with silver leashes. They don’t know how to run. Birds are metal clockwork figures and there are no dogs. Goldie is on the very verge of being separated ( having her leash removed), which would give her so...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Tamsen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very creative writing The author has a great imagination. This story has danger and action. It was a fun read. Pre teens would love it.
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,...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Libby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-fiction, fantasy, mystery

Goldie lives in a world where children are safe-guarded treasures. They are literally guarded and chained to their Blessed Guardians until they reach the age of Separation. Instead of feeling protected, Goldie chafes at these restrictions and longs for freedom. When her day of Separation is interrupted by a bomb threat, Goldie escapes and is branded as a runaway. She soon finds a strange group of rebels in the city museum. As she learns the Museum’s secrets, Goldie learns of the danger threateni...more

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Apr 06, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 3 of 5 stars

Beware of spoilers

The book starts in an almost dystopian society, where children are chained to their parents or one of the Guardians until the age of 16. Well, until this year: the age has been dropped to 12 and while Goldie is thrilled, there are those in the city who think this is a terrible idea; and they’re willing to take drastic measures. I flew through this book; it’s the kind of book I would have read over and over again when I was younger, and then pretended to be Goldie in the backyar...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Kris Sauer rated it 3 of 5 stars

First in the Keepers Trilogy, the book is set in the dystopian world of Jewel. A fantasy city where children are the most precious resource, so precious that each is chained to a Blessed Guardian (BG) until their day of separation. Goldie Roth, however, has always had trouble being the perfect little child the Blessed Guardians (who mostly seem to be not terribly blessed, but actually quite horrid here) want her to be. Constantly in trouble, she continues down the path of mischief, running off i...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I saw this book in the store, and I literally did a double take. I mean, just look at that cover. Without even reading the summary on the back, I bought the book and started reading immediately.

And--fortunately--the story inside is just as good as the cover suggests.

My favorite part of this book has to be the world--and not just the crazy, ever-changing museum, but the dystopian city of Jewel as well. It's just got so much room for storytelling! And who wouldn't love a place where one can learn...more

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure

Imagine what it would be like living chained to an adult until you turned 12 - like a dog on a leash. That’s what life is like in the town of Jewel for Goldie and her friends. The grown-ups in Jewel are so frightened of something bad happening to a child that they literally chain them to a babysitter for 12 years. These babysitters are called blessed guardians and the leashes are called guardchains. Can you imagine NEVER being alone? Ick!

Goldie is in trouble all the time because she about can’t...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Teegan rated it 4 of 5 stars

“You’re in the museum now and anything can happen!”

This book is the first book in The Keepers Trilogy it is the exciting tale of a girl named Goldie Roth. She lives in a city called Jewel where boldness is a crime and for a bold girl like Goldie life is horrible. All the children in the city of Jewel are constantly chained to their parents or a blessed guardian. Goldie’s separation day gets interrupted by a bombing at the Fugleman’s office. So Goldie decides to cut the silk rope that held her to...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Barb Middleton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

All children in the city of Jewel are chained to a Blessed Guardian until their Separation Ceremony. This is for their own good and protection. On her way to the Separation Ceremony, 12-year-old Goldie, is in trouble again and is wearing the heavier, more cumbersome chains of punishment around her wrists for not obeying the Blessed Guardians. Goldie longs to be free and cannot wait for her chains to be cut, but while the ceremony is in process the man in charge of the Blessed Guardians, Fugelman...more All children in the city of Jewel are chained to a Blessed Guardian until their Separation Ceremony. This is for their own good and protection. On her way to the Separation Ceremony, 12-year-old Goldie, is in trouble again and is wearing the heavier, more cumbersome chains of punishment around her wrists for not obeying the Blessed Guardians. Goldie longs to be free and cannot wait for her chains to be cut, but while the ceremony is in process the man in charge of the Blessed Guardians, Fugelman, bursts into the auditorium announcing to the parents that there was a bombing that killed a child. Horrified, the adults stop the ceremony because they feel the children should not be separated from their protectors, the Blessed Guardians, with a Bomber on the loose.

Goldie cannot stand the thought of being so close to her freedom only to have it snatched away. She escapes from the ceremony and finds refuge in the Museum of Dunt while her parents are imprisoned for her running away. The museum is alive and keeps balance in the city. Goldie is taught to be a “keeper” of the museum with the help of another runaway named, Toadspit, a magical dog, and three adults. When the museum comes under attack, Goldie is the only one who can save it and the city.

The story is full of action and has some some strong characters. The plot has some incidents that are never explained such as who set off the bomb. I think it is Fugelman who wants to control the city but it is never confirmed. Also, why does the museum need Goldie as a Keeper? I think it’s because she can withstand the wildness of it better than the others when they sing the First Song, but again, it never says exactly why. I also found it too unbelieveable when the levee broke that the people wouldn’t run to higher ground for safety because the city had crippled them so much with the inability to think for themselves. The citizens do show signs of disobeying the system with Goldie. I think survival instincts would have kicked in for them to run. I thought Fugelman was a one-dimensional villian and that the friction between him and his sister, The Protector, should have been explained more. Why was he jealous of her? There is a scene at the end of the book where she basically says good ridance to her brother who is probably dead and deserves it. She’s a kind person and it was out of character. I would have shown her to be sad as well as angry. I think their relationship should have been fleshed out more and made more complicated. But these were small incidents in a book that overall had fine pacing and a strong main character.

One reason Goldie is chosen as a Keeper is that she is a thief like Toadspit. The author tries to explain through the adult, Olga, that she doesn’t mean thieving but being brave and standing up for what is right. She means civic duty or civic responsibility but uses the word thief. I thought Olga got preachy at one part about overprotective parents as well. It wasn’t really necessary because the whole novel shows this. I feel like I’m nitpicking this book because I know students will like it, but I think all the little things make it an average read.
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Jan 26, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, j, not-graphic

The smallpox virus. It used to cause great harm and kill many people. Now it's been wiped out and will never hurt anyone again. Unless . . . one of the few samples preserved for scientific purposes ever gets out to spread through a world unprepared to handle it.

Now: imagine that scenario taken to its extreme, applied to all dangers, with the representative samples hidden away in a museum no one knows of.

The city of Jewel is the safest city in the world. All dangers, big and small, from war and p...more The smallpox virus. It used to cause great harm and kill many people. Now it's been wiped out and will never hurt anyone again. Unless . . . one of the few samples preserved for scientific purposes ever gets out to spread through a world unprepared to handle it.

Now: imagine that scenario taken to its extreme, applied to all dangers, with the representative samples hidden away in a museum no one knows of.

The city of Jewel is the safest city in the world. All dangers, big and small, from war and plague and famine to rats and snakes and even dogs are just legends from an earlier time. Until they are adults, children are constantly kept safe by Guardians, who watch over them and track their movements with the chains around their wrists that bind them together.

Except that Goldie can't stand the restraints. She is ecstatic that Separation Day now includes those who are turning thirteen, because it means she will experience freedom for the first time ever. Then there is a bombing and violent death, the first ones in recent memory, and it seems the dangers that the Guardians are always preaching about aren't just legends. Separation Day is canceled and Goldie, in a panic about losing her freedom, runs away.

She has no one to turn to and nowhere to go. Then a strange man leads her to the Museum of Dunt, where she discovers all the dangers of the past are secretly kept. And where she begins her training to become one of the museum's keepers.

But someone was responsible for that bombing. And Goldie and the museum may not remain hidden for long.

-----

"The people of Jewel," said Olga Ciavolga, "treat their children like delicate flowers. They think they will not survive without constant protection. But there are parts of the world where young boys and girls spend weeks at a time with no company except a herd of goats. They chase away wolves. They take care of themselves, and they take care of the herd. . . .

"And so, when hard times come--as they always do in the end--those children are resourceful and brave. If they have to walk from one end of the country to the other, carrying their baby brothers and sisters, they will do it. If they have to hide during the day and travel at night to avoid soldiers, they will do it. They do not give up easily. . . .

"Of course, I am not saying that it is a good thing to give children such heavy responsibilities. They must be allowed to have a childhood. But they must also be allowed to find their courage and their wisdom, and learn when to stand and when to run away. After all, if they are not permitted to climb the trees, how will they ever see the great and wonderful world that lies before them?"(less)

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Jan 16, 2012 lia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-books

I usually love children's book. But i'm really not sure with this one.
I never fully engaged with the book from the 1st page, and up until the last page i don't feel that i enjoyed this book much.

This is the story of Goldie Roth and the city of Jewel. In hundred years ago, Jewel was a city of disasters. War, plague, slave trade and children deaths are running rampant in the city. The children deaths are the most devastating blow of all. That is way when there are 7 brave people who can protect...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Kathy added it

Museum Of Thieves
By Lian Tanner
Critique by Failenn Aselta
This book was about a trying to be utopian city called Jewel. The people of he city would put chains on the children until separation date when kids could take their chains off. Any one who did something wrong were put into the House of Representatives. The museum of dun was were all the animals were placed so no animals lived inside the city. Goldie a twelve-year-old child escapes the City and finds refuse in the museum of dunt where she...more Museum Of Thieves
By Lian Tanner
Critique by Failenn Aselta
This book was about a trying to be utopian city called Jewel. The people of he city would put chains on the children until separation date when kids could take their chains off. Any one who did something wrong were put into the House of Representatives. The museum of dun was were all the animals were placed so no animals lived inside the city. Goldie a twelve-year-old child escapes the City and finds refuse in the museum of dunt where she discovers thievery and secrets that could destroy the city.

The main charters in the book are Goldie Roth a bold and impulsive 12-year-old girl who runs away to the Museum of Dunt. Toadspit is a young boy who stole himself and lives in the museum as one of the keepers. Broo is a large great daneish dog that can speak. He is over 200 years old and can change form from a huge dog to a small little, white, fluffy dog. Guardian Hope is an evil woman who tortures Goldie for all the years she was on her chains.

The main conflict of the book is that the Museum of Dunt is moving faster and getting all riled up and this will eventfully destroy the City. “Imagine a kettle coming to the boil. If you hold the lid down and don’t let any steam out escape, the pressure will build and build. Eventually it will explode.” (Pg. .197). Goldie, Toadspit and Broo take Olga Ciavolga’s another one of the keepers wind napkin. Goldie releases the great wind from the wind napkin creating a great storm. Then every thing goes back to normal and the City is saved.

I think the book was interesting because or the unique people and methods. That every single wild thing was kept in that museum and that it would shift. If you sang The First Song to the museum it would sing with you. “Herro Dan reckons it’s the very first song, from the beginning of time. From even before humans even existed. He reckons every other song in the world grew out of this one. The museum doesn’t take any noticed of anything else. Mm mm mm oh-oh oh-oh. Mm mm mm mm oh oh oh-oh.” (Pg. 158). I also enjoyed the book because it ended in a mystery that makes you want to read the next book.
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Oct 12, 2011 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this juvenile fiction book of fantasy! There were several passages I marked to remember that I just loved the wording of:

"With each movement, with each sound, her skin prickeled.

But at the same time the blood surged through her veins and she had never felt so alive. I've been asleep! she thought. I've been asleep all my life, and now I'm waking up!" p. 80

"But there are some things, child, that you should steal. That you must steal, if you have enough love and courage in your hea...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I suppose every parent has sometimes wished they could wrap their little ones in bubble wrap so they will never get hurt, physically or emotionally. But what kind of people would we be if we had never been allowed to stand on our own? Slender trees, dense in a forest, develop shallow roots, and can easily be blown over in a high wind. But the oak standing alone in a meadow, bearing rain and winds year after year, develops deep roots and stands strong.

Lian Tanner envisions a world in which child...more I suppose every parent has sometimes wished they could wrap their little ones in bubble wrap so they will never get hurt, physically or emotionally. But what kind of people would we be if we had never been allowed to stand on our own? Slender trees, dense in a forest, develop shallow roots, and can easily be blown over in a high wind. But the oak standing alone in a meadow, bearing rain and winds year after year, develops deep roots and stands strong.

Lian Tanner envisions a world in which children are sheltered until they are 16 years old -- not only sheltered, but literally chained to their parents, so they cannot even run around. In the City of Jewel, all the children are safe. All dogs, hawks, and other dangerous animals have been eliminated because they might hurt the children. Loose nails, broken glass and wood splinters are forbidden by law. War, disease, and dangerous winds have been locked up. To make sure that they don't get lost or injured, the children are chained to their parents.

As the book opens, we meet Goldie on the day of her Separation Ceremony, eager for the Separation to be done. When an explosion is heard in the distance, the shocked Guardians decide the the world is not safe, and all the Separations must be canceled. Goldie can't bear to stay chained any longer, so she slips her temporary Ceremony ties, and runs away.

It is a frightening world for a child who has never had to make her own decisions. Where should she run? How can she even run when her un-exercised legs have no experience? Goldie finds surprising difficulty in slipping away quickly. She knows that if the city's Guardians find her, they will lock her up forever in a Care facility for rebellious children.

With the Guardians actively searching for her, Goldie slips into the city's Museum for refuge. There she is protected and befriended by all the museum keepers, and by a boy named Toadspit, who is also a runaway. Goldie finds that the museum is filled with magic, and also with all the things that have been hidden from her protected world.

Highly entertaining for grades 4-8.
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Jun 26, 2011 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-reviewed

SOOOOO GOOD! I know I could probably come up with a more savvy "hook" than that, but....THIS BOOK IS SOOOOO GOOD! Lian Tanner's Museum of Thieves blew me away. It is scary and dark and thrilling and inspiring and clever. But beyond being thoroughly entertaining, Museum of Thieves raises some very thought-provoking questions. It never ceases to amaze me how authors create elaborate fantasy worlds that on the surface seem to have nothing in common with ours, but soon are revealed to examine deep t...more SOOOOO GOOD! I know I could probably come up with a more savvy "hook" than that, but....THIS BOOK IS SOOOOO GOOD! Lian Tanner's Museum of Thieves blew me away. It is scary and dark and thrilling and inspiring and clever. But beyond being thoroughly entertaining, Museum of Thieves raises some very thought-provoking questions. It never ceases to amaze me how authors create elaborate fantasy worlds that on the surface seem to have nothing in common with ours, but soon are revealed to examine deep truths about the cultures and societies of our own humdrum world. Museum of Thieves is just such a book.

The story begins with one of the best, most-tension-filled opening scenes I have read in a long time. We are introduced to the city of Jewel. Ages ago, this land used to be filled with dangers (flood, kidnapping, murder, famine, plague, etc.), and it made the people fearful. A law was declared that all children under the age of 16 must be safely chained to an adult at all times. At home, children are connected to their parents by a "guardchain," and out in the world, they are connected to "Guardians" (who are basically like teachers/nannies/body-guards). But the times have changed, and Jewel's leader (the "Grand Protector") has become concerned about the power of the Guardians and their leader (the "Blessed Guardian"). The Grand Protector, much to the Blessed Guardian's dismay, has decided to lower the age of separation from 16 to 12. The book begins on this controversial "Separation Day," and Goldie, our bold and rebellious 12-year-old protagonist, is going to be the first one to have her chain removed. But (in one of the best introductions of a plot's conflict that I have read in a long time) suddenly, the Separation Ceremony is cancelled due to a mysterious explosion in the city. Panicked at the thought of having the freedom she longs for snatched away from her at the last moment, Goldie runs away, and so her adventure begins. She discovers the mysterious museum of the book's title and quickly learns that there is much more danger left in Jewel than anyone realizes.

This book is a genuine page-turner. As the end of each chapter drew near, I would promise myself that I would set the book aside and get some sleep, but when I got to the last line, I just couldn't bring myself to close the book. I had to keep going. Goldie is very likable--extremely bold and defiant but also frightened, at times, and unsure of herself. And she is surrounded by an entertaining posse of strange characters. The villains of the book are despicable and the moments of danger (which are many) feel extremely real and urgent.

But beyond being entertaining, there is a lot we can learn from Museum of Thieves, as it reveals truths about our own often-paranoid culture. The panicky, control-obsessed people of Jewel made me think of the ways we try to escape the necessary dangers of living life. I found myself thinking of security measures (in airports, and even in schools, etc) and people's willingness to trade their privacy (even dignity) to feel a little safer. Museum of Thieves shows that risk and danger are not something we can simply get rid of. They exist and are a part of life, and when you try to pretend they aren't, it only backfires--often in ways that are even more dangerous than you first feared.(less)

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Jun 24, 2011 Cass - Words on Paper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie, 2011-release, review-copy, read-2011

4/5

I received a copy from the publisher (AU PB) for an honest review.
This review will be posted on the blog, mid July.
Watch the trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO610c...)!

The presentation of this book is top-notch. In the version I have (http://liantanner.com.au/media/2011/0...) the children on the cover look a BIT younger than I'd imagine twelve year olds to be, but the background and word placement - well, I couldn't have dreamed up anything better. It looks great. 'The Keepers' is emb...more 4/5

I received a copy from the publisher (AU PB) for an honest review.
This review will be posted on the blog, mid July.
Watch the trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO610c...)!

The presentation of this book is top-notch. In the version I have (http://liantanner.com.au/media/2011/0...) the children on the cover look a BIT younger than I'd imagine twelve year olds to be, but the background and word placement - well, I couldn't have dreamed up anything better. It looks great. 'The Keepers' is embossed, 'Museum of Thieves' is shiny and neat, and the book as a whole has a nice feel to it. Inside, it gets better ...

MUSEUM OF THIEVES is the first book in a new MG fantasy series. In the city of Jewel, all children below the age of 16 are tethered to their parents and the Blessed Guardians at all times. That might suit some children just fine, but when the 1st annual Separation Ceremony (where children become no longer bound by silver chains) where the Separation age was promised to be lowered to 12 is stopped, Goldie Roth runs away in frustration. With nowhere else and no one else to turn to, Goldie is drawn to the museum as shadows lurk in the dark. As she learns the secrets of the museum, trouble is brewing in the city, and the museum is in danger.

From the moment this came in the mail I knew that I had to read it. I don't read a lot of MG fiction, but hey, Harry Potter was MG and look where that went? What I found within the covers of THIS book, was a thrilling and unreal story.

I loved that the museum assumed an entity all its own - its rooms shift, it sings, it breathes and reacts to its surroundings. Every room is different, and as Goldie discovers and explores, so too did I. The museum was never boring. It felt like I was there; Tanner does a great job creating vivid images and fantasy environments.

Goldie is such a great heroine - bold and impatient, smart and independent. Even when she gets into a seemingly hopeless situation, it doesn't take long before she snaps back into place and starts thinking of a way around it. Out of the four Keepers of the museum, I hope that there is more backstory in the next book. While we do get to see them a lot, we don't actually know an awful lot about any of them. Snippets of the past are indicated, but aren't fleshed out and are instead given a backseat while the action plays out.

Broo was a really interesting 'character' and I hope to see more information on his kind, as well as what happened to the rest of them and whether there are any more around. I really don't want to give any more away about him, but Tanner introduced him in a great way. I didn't see it coming!

The plot is fast-ish moving and the writing is simple and easy to read. I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to continue the series! The book ended at a good place - NOT MUCH OF A CLIFFHANGER, but something to go on by. I could easily see the events in MUSEUM OF THIEVES like a film when I was reading it. That's how a good book should be. Vivacity in colour and action, MUSEUM OF THIEVES is a great start to a mysterious and curious new fantasy series.(less)

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May 19, 2011 M. rated it 3 of 5 stars

A very interesting story on a couple of levels. I'm sure there will be sequels.

The practice in the town of Jewel is to attach a thin silver guardchain stretching from the wrist of each child to the wrist of his/her parent. This is supposed to keep the child safe from all harm. Each year there is a Separation Day when the children deemed old enough to be safe on their own have their chains severed.

And then an emergency comes up on Separation Day and Separation Day is cancelled. Goldie, who was t...more A very interesting story on a couple of levels. I'm sure there will be sequels.

The practice in the town of Jewel is to attach a thin silver guardchain stretching from the wrist of each child to the wrist of his/her parent. This is supposed to keep the child safe from all harm. Each year there is a Separation Day when the children deemed old enough to be safe on their own have their chains severed.

And then an emergency comes up on Separation Day and Separation Day is cancelled. Goldie, who was to have been separated, manages to escape and find her way to the Museum of Dunt where the caretakes take her in and teach her to lie, steal, and live within the ever changing walls of the museum. She meets Toadspit, a boy about her age who took shelter in the museum several months before she did. Unknown to the guardians of Jewel (the new name for the old city of Dunt) the museum contains all the old threats to Dunt; guessing the museum has a secret, the guardians stage a coup and invade the museum, hoping to use its secrets to overthrow the city's legitimate government. Goldie and Toadspit, along with the museum's caretakers, have to figure out how to keep the city's past horrors from escaping into the streets while repelling the invading guardians.

The provacative sidebar to this story is that many of the adults in Jewel have no idea whatsoever what to do when they need to act to preserve their own safety. They were kept on guardchains as children, as were their parents, told what to do, and not released from their chains until they were old enough to know how to obey (for their own good, of course). They literally don't know how to set aside a lifetime of training and familiar ways of behavior in the face of an oncoming and unexpected disaster, how to react to the reality of the new situation.

A very interesting book. The story of Goldie and Toadspit and the museum is fast moving and fun, but I particularly liked this secondary issue of people's inherent need to face difficult situations and learn to solve problems on their own.(less)

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Dec 13, 2010 Susanti Priyandari rated it 3 of 5 stars

museum of thieves

penulis: lian tanner
tebal: 256 halaman
published September 28th 2010 by delacorte books for young readers

hidup di dalam berlian (jewel) tentu bukan hal yang menyenangkan. Demikian pula yag dialami oleh seorang gadis kecil bernama Goldie roth. kaki tangannya dirantai dan harus mematuhi peraturan dari guardian. ia baru bebas setelah berusia 17 tahun.

Seperti umumnya gadis kecil pemberani dan (cenderung) pemberontak, goldie roth selalu memimpikan kebebasan, terlepas dari pengawas...more museum of thieves

penulis: lian tanner
tebal: 256 halaman
published September 28th 2010 by delacorte books for young readers

hidup di dalam berlian (jewel) tentu bukan hal yang menyenangkan. Demikian pula yag dialami oleh seorang gadis kecil bernama Goldie roth. kaki tangannya dirantai dan harus mematuhi peraturan dari guardian. ia baru bebas setelah berusia 17 tahun.

Seperti umumnya gadis kecil pemberani dan (cenderung) pemberontak, goldie roth selalu memimpikan kebebasan, terlepas dari pengawasan para Guardian, dan berpetualang. ia selalu menantikan hari pembebasan itu (the separation day). hari pembebasan tu terlihat begitu nyata bagi Goldie saat mengetahui bahwa para guardian memutuskan bahwa the separation day tidak lagi pada usia 17 tahun tetapi 12 tahun! dan usia Goldie saat itu adalah 12 tahun! wow, what a wonderful day! Goldie dengan semangat menyambut hari pembebasan itu.

Sayangnya, tepat pada hari pembebasan di mana Goldie dibebaskan tiba, the Separation day itu dibatalkan. Goldie sangat kecewa dan memutuskan untuk kabur. ia kabur dengan membawa gunting dengan kaki dan tangan yang masih terikat dengan rantai.

Di luar sana, Goldie terseret arus petualangan memcahkan misteri Museum of thieves yang berlapis bersama teman2 barunya. kaburnya goldie juga memberikan konsekuensi tersendiri bagi keluarganya dari para Guardian--inilah yang mmbuat Goldie
terus-menerus teringat kepada Ma dan Papanya selama dalam pelarian tiu--. tetapi di akhir petualangannya, goldie justru mengungkap bahwa salah satu dari anggota guardian itu adalah pengkhianat. nah loh?!

dalam buku ini, lian Tanner membuktikan kelihaiannya sebagai penulis buku anak-anak dan penulis drama.
untaian kalimat dan jalinan cerita yang sanagt apik mambawa pembaca seolah berpetualang dan terlibat
langsung memcahkan misteri museum of thieves bersama goldie dan kawan-kawan. Lian Tanner juga lihai
mendeskripsikan karakter setiap tokohnya melalui dialek yang khas dan gambar.

walaupun buku ini ditulis untuk anak-anak usia 8-12 tahun, tetapi cerita ini bukanlah cerita yang sepenuhnya bisa dicerna oleh anak-anak, apalagi dijadikan teladan. Karena di dalamnya, si tokoh ini, goldie roth, memiliki sifat yang keras dan cenderung pemberontak. Alangkah baiknya, jika orang tua ikut memberikan penjelasan atau pengarahan tentang sifat baik dan sifat buruk dari setiap tokoh dalam cerita ini saat si anak membaca buku ini.

(less)

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Dec 12, 2010 Tina added it

See full review here.

Opening The Keepers is like taking the first step on an amazing adventure into a fantasy world. Magic springs off the very first page, as the reader is drawn into an enchanting universe where children are chained to Guardians, museums come alive, characters communicate with fingertalk, and people become nothingness.

Lian Tanner weaves the city of Jewel with a pen dipped in magic, and interlaced threads of originality and imagination. Her writing takes after Diana Wynne Jones,...more

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Nov 14, 2010 Samantha-Ellen Bound rated it 3 of 5 stars

First of all, I absolutely love that the story is centered around a museum. The Museum of Dunt has layers and layers to it, is stuffed with thousands of lost and forgotten things, has a will of its own and is dominated by an eerie, menacing presence. Tanner uses it to create a great sense of adventure and discovery. Goldie and Toadspit are proactive, clever protagonists and once the action picks up about halfway through, the story rollicks along at a nice pace.

It didn’t quite win me over, though...more

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Nov 08, 2010 BookKids rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, midgrade

Goldie Ruth lives in Jewel, a place where fear has become so rampant that helicopter parenting is institutionalized. In this world people so fear that children will run off, get lost, be kidnapped, or some other dire disaster that the children are literally chained to an adult or to a surface at all times. When the book begins, Goldie has just reached the age where she will no longer have to wear a silver handcuff, a day that impatient Goldie has been awaiting her whole life. But just as her cuf...more Goldie Ruth lives in Jewel, a place where fear has become so rampant that helicopter parenting is institutionalized. In this world people so fear that children will run off, get lost, be kidnapped, or some other dire disaster that the children are literally chained to an adult or to a surface at all times. When the book begins, Goldie has just reached the age where she will no longer have to wear a silver handcuff, a day that impatient Goldie has been awaiting her whole life. But just as her cuff is removed, an explosion rocks the city leading to the cancellation of her separation. Unable to bear the idea of being chained again, Goldie runs away. However, to disappear in such a well-ordered, law-abiding city proves to be difficult. The only place Goldie can find refuge is at the Museum of Dunt, an odd, shape-shifting place where only a person with a thief’s mind can hope to survive.

Now, every child I’ve ever met (including me) has at some felt like their parents were dominating his/her entire life. So, I think everyone can relate to Goldie’s oppression and her need to escape her city’s repressive regime. In fact, the world Tanner builds is not an entirely unrealistic view of what our world could look like if certain forms of “helicopter” parenting were taken to the extreme. It’s a relief when Goldie discovers a while different world contained in the museum. It’s true that this world contains many of the dangers that had been eliminated from Jewel, but at the same time, it also contains much of the creativity, joy, and fun that Jewel has lost in its all-consuming fear.

Obviously, I found the spectacular world-building of this book to be its best feature. It’s true that there is a great adventure and some interesting characters, but the twist and turns of the city of Jewel and the museum it contains overshadows everything else. It’s a fun, intriguing book that I found I couldn’t put down. I would recommend this book for kids ages 9 & up. There is a fair amount of violence, so I wouldn’t go younger or use the book as a bedtime story for highly imaginative kids.(less)

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Oct 31, 2010 Sandra Stiles added it

Shelves: fantasy, middle-grades

Goldie Roth lives in the city of Jewel. This is a city where the children are constantly chained to someone or something. The reason is to keep them safe. In years past children have been stolen and taken as slaves or drowned in the river. They must wear a silver guard chain that during the day is attached to a guardian. When at home they are attached to their parent by the same silver chain. Some parents even chain their child to the bed at night so they don’t accidentally wander off. However,...more

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Sep 22, 2010 Lydia Presley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, arc, fantasy, fiction, young-adult

Hurray for fantastic, middle-grade level adventures! I think the last book I read that I enjoyed this much was Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. Lian Tanner has created a fantastic world in Museum of Thieves and provided middle-schoolers with a strong, female lead character (and a strong, male secondary character), no romance (none needed!), a mysterious building and a world that could be so real it's frightening!

Have you ever seen parents walking about with their children tied to them?...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Tanya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow! This is one of the best childrens books I've read in a long time. The third and final book in the series has just been released so I thought its about time I gave them a try and I'm so glad I left it til now because I can read the lot all at once! There's no way I could have waited patiently for the second and the third books! An amazing cast of characters and a museum anyone could spend days and days exploring.

Goldie lives in the city of Jewel. Once called Dunt, the people of the city have...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Doret rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Goldie lives in the city of Jewel. The city has lived through disastrous times and now the people live in fear of everything. For their protection kids are raised and chained to a Blessed Guardian until they are 12 yrs old.

When the book opens 12 yr old Goldie is being punished on Separation Day. Goldie has spent much of her time with The Blessed Guardians in trouble, the last day is no different. Many of the kids are excited about separation day but they worry about everything from colds to kidn...more Goldie lives in the city of Jewel. The city has lived through disastrous times and now the people live in fear of everything. For their protection kids are raised and chained to a Blessed Guardian until they are 12 yrs old.

When the book opens 12 yr old Goldie is being punished on Separation Day. Goldie has spent much of her time with The Blessed Guardians in trouble, the last day is no different. Many of the kids are excited about separation day but they worry about everything from colds to kidnappers. Goldie only wants to be free.

Separation Day is canceled after Fugleman, leader of the Blessed Guardian gives word that there was an explosion. Goldie couldn't take it anymore and dared to escape. Goldie finds shelter at Dunt, an old museum with many secrets and hidden doors.

The museum is home to four keepers who disagree with the power of the Blessed Guaridans and are dedicated to doing what's best for the city. One is a boy named Toadspit. Everyone at the museum teaches Goldie, not to be scared of everything and how to fight the Guardians.

This was a great page turner. I found myself holding my breath for Goldie. Even more so, because its visually well done.

"As they crept from wagon to wagon, Goldie's skin itched with the knowledge that the sentries might return at any moment. She tried to tell herself that this was a war from hundreds of years ago, that it was over and done with, that surely it could not hurt her. But the camp around her was as real as anything she had ever seen. Flies settled on her face and arms. her feet kicked up little clumps of mud. High above her, the slaughterbirds wove a dance of death."

There were moments when the message of , the need for freedom and living should not be sacrificed for fear was a little heavy handed. Though I liked Goldie so much I was more then willing to focus on what worked, which was a lot.

The author created a great bad guy in Fugleman. One of the books many strengths are the developed secondary characters. I am really looking forward to seeing where Tanner takes this series.

(less)

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Mar 27, 2011 Victoria Whipple rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, speculative-fiction, tcp, thms

12 year old Golden Roth is so excited for her Separation Day that she can't contain herself, and she ends up goign to the ceremony wearing the punishment chains. In the city of Jewel, children are protected by their parents and by the Blessed Guardians. They are constantly chained to an adult (or their beds while they sleep) so that they don't get hurt, get sick, get lost or any other mishaps. Goldie is so eager for her freedom, that she ends up running away and she is given refuge at the Museum...more

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About Lian Tanner

Lian Tanner is a children's author and playwright. She was born in Tasmania and has lived there most of her life, except for three years teaching in Papua New Guinea and a year in Europe. Her fantasy novel Museum of Thieves is Book 1 in The Keepers Trilogy, and winner of the 2010 Aurealis Award for Children's Fiction. City of Lies won the 2011 Aurealis Award for Children's Fiction, and Path of Bea...more

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Quotes from Museum of Thieves

“But there are some things, child, that you should steal. That you must steal, if you have enough love and courage in your heart. You must snatch freedom from the hands of the tyrant. You must spirit away innocent lives before they are destroyed. You must hide secret and sacred places.” — 12 people liked it

“Goldie closed her eyes and tried not to think about how she had nearly died, waiting for someone to come along and save her. She shivered. 'I'll never do that again,' she thought. 'Next time I'll save myself.” — 11 people liked it

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Museum of Thieves (The Keepers Trilogy #1)

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