Stealing Magic (Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure Series #2)

by Marianne Malone, Greg Call (Illustrator)

Overview

Ruthie and Jack thought that their adventures in the Thorne Rooms were over . . . until miniatures from the rooms start to disappear. Is it the work of the art thief who's on the loose in Chicago? Or has someone else discovered the secret of the Thorne Rooms' magic? Ruthie and Jack's quest to stop the thief takes them from modern day Chicago to 1937 Paris to antebellum South Carolina. But as more items disappear, including the key that allows them to shrink and access the past worlds, what was once just an adventure becomes a life and death race against the clock. Can Ruthie and Jack catch the thief and help the friends they meet on the way before the magic—and the rooms—are destroyed forever? Fans of magic, mystery, and adventure will love this rollicking sequel to Marianne Malone's The Sixty-Eight Rooms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780375898723
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	01/24/2012
Series:	Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventures Series , #2
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	914,535
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

MARIANNE MALONE is the mother of three grown children, a former art teacher, and the cofounder of the Campus School Middle School for Girls in Urbana, Illinois. She and her husband divide their time between Urbana and Washington, DC. This is her first novel. For Teacher's Guides (including common core tie-ins) and more, visit MarianneMalone.com.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4–6—A magical romp infused with mystery, this sequel picks up just hours after the conclusion of The Sixty-Eight Rooms (Random, 2010). Sixth-graders Ruthie and Jack return to the Thorne Rooms, the 68 miniature rooms in the Art Institute of Chicago, where Ruthie once again shrinks to explore the rooms using her magic key. They discover that someone has responded to the note they left in Jack's shrunken Bento box. To further complicate matters, the friends realize that items are missing from the rooms and they make a connection between them and a spree of art thefts. Ruthie and Jack put their detecting skills to the test, encountering more enchantment that transports them to 1800s Charleston, SC, and 1937 Paris in their quest to find the thief and help people they meet in their travels. Explanations of previous plot points detract from the story; they are too detailed for those who read the original and not quite enough for those who have not. Secondary characters are fleshed out and become more prominent than they were in the first book. Black-and-white full-page illustrations are scattered throughout, and, although lovely, they don't enhance the plot. An author's note helps readers differentiate between fact and fiction. This book will appeal to established fans.—Kefira Phillipe, Nichols Middle School, Evanston, IL

School Library Journal

It's a great pleasure to rejoin Ruthie and Jack in this sequel to THE SIXTY-EIGHT ROOMS. Both books take place in the Thorne Miniature Rooms at Chicago's Art Institute. Narrator Cassandra Campbell once again adds her warm and charming voice to Malone's many well-drawn characters. In their time travel, the kids meet and help Louisa, a Jewish girl who is leaving Europe during WWII, and Phoebe, a slave girl from South Carolina. They also manage track down an art thief. Campbell accurately delivers German and Southern accents and a splendid range of Chicago twangs. Along with the fascinating mystery, many interesting history and art lessons are imparted without sounding didactic. Author Malone closes by distinguishing between truth and fantasy. One hopes future adventures await an appreciative audience. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2012 - AudioFile

Mystery abounds once again in the miniature Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. Though their first adventure is over (The Sixty-Eight Rooms, 2010), Ruthie and Jack still possess the magical key that can shrink them down to fit into the tiny rooms at the museum. They know they should return it, but it's difficult to walk away from that kind of power. Suddenly, objects start disappearing from the rooms. There is also a real-life art thief striking the city. Could the two be connected? Having established the magical premise in the first volume, this story jumps right into the action--but one would be hard pressed to say the narrative is action-packed. In this light read that tumbles along pleasantly enough, the pair also visit the World's Fair in 1937 Paris, meeting a girl who may not escape the horrors of World War II, as well as the antebellum South, where they meet a young enslaved girl. These junkets provide a hint of tension but are quickly, and neatly, resolved, leaving readers poised for the next comfortable outing. A blend of magic, history and mystery for patient readers who want to catch the crook but don't necessarily need a good chase. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews