Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner 312 pages

This is first in the new Keepers trilogy. Imagine living in the city of Jewel, where children are chained to their parents or to "Blessed Guardians" from birth until their Separation Day ceremony at age 16. Finally the Grand Protector has lowered the ceremony to age 12, and 12-year-old Goldie Roth can't wait for her freedom. An explosion brings chaos to her Separation Day and the Guardians impose a cancellation to her reprieve. Furious, she runs away and finds her way to the Museum of Dunt, a mysterious institution that seems to have its own magical powers. Its four Guardians teach her survival skills: how to steal and how to live within the mysterious institution, home to all of the long-ago perils that filled Jewel back when it was the dangerous city of Dunt. Goldie and Toadspit create a fragile alliance to help save the Museum from its enemies. Familiar elements from classic stories find a home in this new fantasy.