What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I remember reading this book when I was 7 or 8 years old, so I'm guessing it was published after 1990 and before 2009. Checked it out from a Minnesota store designed to lend materials out to backpackers. Pretty thick book for a 7-8 year old, also part of a series. The only thing I remember is that there's a group of kids with individual, unique magical powers, and each kid has to learn how to master their own powers in order to defeat some bad guy (or for character development). In one scene in the book, the main girl gets kidnapped and is locked in some sort of tower/confining area, and she's desperate to escape but doesn't know how. I think she cries, and she's holding some sort of string/twine in her hands, and it starts to glow/give off light/power, and something clicks inside her and she understands how to use her magic from then on. That's all I remember.

Sounds like the Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce. A scene similar to the one you describe is in the opening of the first book, Sandry's Book.

Sandry is locked up in a store room for safety when a mob attacks everything, and the only person who knew where she was hidden was murdered by the mob. In her desperation, Sandry discovers she can magic thread to produce light.

Its been awhile since I've read it but maybe The Named by Marianne Curley?

The Named for Kirstin's suggestion

I totally forgot I posted this, but yes! it is the Circle of Magic series. Thank you so much!