Lisa McMann: Hi. This is Lisa McMann, and I am the author of The Unwanteds. I'm going to tell you a bit about how I came to write this book, and then I'll share an excerpt with you.

I got the idea for The Unwanteds from my children when we heard the news that their school's art classes had to be cut because of budget problems. I felt terrible, because my kids loved those classes. I said to them, "I'm so sorry, kids. It kind of of feels like you're being punished for being creative." Then I thought, "What if there really was world where children were punished for being creative?" I said it out loud, and my 12-year-old son said, "Not just punished, sent to their death!" It gave me a chill.

I wanted to know how would these kids get out of a situation like that. Once I added the secret, magical world to the story, I knew we had a great adventure on our hands.

And now, I will read an excerpt to you.

There were nearly fifty 13-year-olds this year. The people of Quill waited to hear which of these teenagers had been marked as wanted or necessary, and, by process of elimination, which of them remained to be purged. Everyone stood motionless until the final 20 names were called. Among the unwanted was Alexander Stow.

Alex didn't move. He stared straight ahead as he'd seen the other unwanteds do in past years. His lip quivered for a moment, but he fought to still it. When the governors came over to him, he put his arms out for them to shackle with rusty iron bands. He made his eyes icy cool before he glanced over his shoulder at his parents, who remained unemotional.

His twin brother, Aaron, sniffed once quietly, catching Alex's attention in the silent amphitheater. The identical boys held the glance for a moment. Something like a jolt of energy passed between them, and then it was gone. "Goodbye," Aaron whispered.

Alex swallowed hard, held the stare a second more as the governors tugged at him to follow, and then broke the connection and went with the governors to the waiting bus that would take him to his death.