Product Description

Prosper and Bo are orphans on the run from their cruel aunt and uncle. The brothers decide to hide out in Venice, where they meet a mysterious thirteen-year-old who calls himself the "Thief Lord." Brilliant and charismatic, the Thief Lord leads a ring of street children who dabble in petty crimes. Prosper and Bo delight in being part of this colorful new family. But the Thief Lord has secrets of his own. Soon the boys are thrust into circumstances that will lead them to a fantastic, spellbinding conclusion.

Winner of the 2000 Zurich Children's Book Award and the 2001 Children's Book Award from the Vienna House of Literature.


From the Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1618452 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-14
• Format: Large Print
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 483 pages

Amazon.com Review
Imagine a Dickens story with a Venetian setting, and you'll have a good sense of Cornelia Funke's prizewinning novel The Thief Lord, first published in Germany in 2000. This suspenseful tale begins in a detective's office in Venice, as the entirely unpleasant Hartliebs request Victor Getz's services to search for two boys, Prosper and Bo, the sons of Esther Hartlieb's recently deceased sister. Twelve-year-old Prosper and 5-year-old Bo ran away when their aunt decided she wanted to adopt Bo, but not his brother. Refusing to split up, they escaped to Venice, a city their mother had always described reverently, in great detail. Right away they hook up with a long-haired runaway named Hornet and various other ruffians who hole up in an abandoned movie theater and worship the elusive Thief Lord, a young boy named Scipio who steals jewels from fancy Venetian homes so his new friends can get the warm clothes they need. Of course, the plot thickens when the owner of the pawn shop asks if the Thief Lord will carry out a special mission for a wealthy client: to steal a broken wooden wing that is the key to completing an age-old, magical merry-go-round. This winning cast of characters--especially the softhearted detective with his two pet turtles--will win the hearts of readers young and old, and the adventures are as labyrinthine and magical as the streets of Venice itself. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly
Wacky characters bring energy to this translation of an entertaining German novel about thieving children, a disguise-obsessed detective and a magical merry-go-round. After their mother dies, 12-year-old Prosper and his brother, Bo, five, flee from Hamburg to Venice (an awful aunt plans to adopt only Bo). They live in an abandoned movie theater with several other street children under the care of the Thief Lord, a cocky youth who claims to rob "the city's most elegant houses." A mysterious man hires the Thief Lord to steal a wooden wing, which the kids later learn has broken off a long-lost merry-go-round said to make "adults out of children and children out of adults," but the plan alters when Victor, the detective Aunt Esther hired to track the brothers, discovers their camp and reveals that the Thief Lord is actually from a wealthy family. There are a lot of story lines to follow, and the pacing is sometimes off (readers may feel that Funke spends too little time on what happens when the children find the carousel, and too much on the ruse they pull on Prosper's aunt). But between kindhearted Victor and his collection of fake beards, the Thief Lord in his mask and high-heeled boots, and a rascally street kid who loves to steal, Prosper's new world abounds with colorful characters. The Venetian setting is ripe for mystery and the city's alleys and canals ratchet up the suspense in the chase scenes. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8-A popular German author makes a strong English-language debut with this tale of a group of orphaned and fugitive children trying to eke out a furtive existence on the watery "streets" of modern Venice. Funke brings together a large but not indigestible array of adults and children, several of whom, thanks to a bit of magic near the end, switch roles. To keep from being separated after their parents' death, young Prosper spirits his little brother Boniface to fabled Venice, which their mother had always described as a magical place. Quickly falling in with a trio of other orphans, presided over by Scipio, a masked lad who styles himself a master thief, the children become embroiled in a complex set of captures, escapes, squabbles, revelations, and subplots. At the end, they find not only an agreeable new home, but also literal proof of their city's magical reputation, for on a nearby island, an ancient, fragile carousel is found that can spin old people young, and vice versa. Funke delineates her characters and the changing textures of their relationships with masterful subtlety, as well as sometimes-puckish humor. It's a compelling tale, rich in ingenious twists, with a setting and cast that will linger in readers' memories.
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Solid adventure story
Cornelia Funke's "Thief Lord" is one of those few books that deserves at least some of the hype that they're given. While it's not the best I've read, it is a solid adventure story, quite well-written, with likable characters and a good, suspenseful storyline.

Prosper and Bo have run away to Venice, escaping a vicious aunt who wants to adopt only Bo. Now, they have joined up with Scipio the Thief Lord, a wily kid of their own age with a mystery identity and a band of loyal street kids, including Hornet, Riccio and Mosca. Though Prosper doesn't like stealing, he has no choice; he has to look out for his little brother, and somehow keep out of sight.

Their aunt, however, has hired a private detective (who is preoccupied with turtles) who is trailing the boys through Venice. A nasty merchant named Barbarossa has offered the Thief Lord a massive job on behalf of a mystery client. And the detective starts to home in on the two boys, as the true identity of the Thief Lord comes to light...

"Thief Lord" isn't particularly groundbreaking, but it has a slightly classic feel to it. The settings in Venice, the names of the characters (Prospero, Scipio) and the dramatic details like Scipio's costume. But Funke balances it out with funnier things like Barbarossa's ride on the carousel and Victor's preoccupation with his pets. The magical element of the carousel (shades of Ray Bradbury?) seems a bit out of place, however, as there hadn't been any magic up until then.

The writing is quite detailed and descriptive, and Funke doesn't skimp on the descriptions of how gorgeous Venice is. What's more, the translation is, as far as I can tell (which isn't far since I don't speak German), pretty flawless. If I didn't know better I would think that it was originally written in English. It doesn't have quite the sparkle of other authors like Tolkien or Diana Wynne-Jones, but it moves steadily.

Funke managed something pretty impressive in her little band of outlaws: teens and preteens fending for themselves are almost never portrayed well, but she manages it. Prosper is a likable lead character, with a lot of doubts and worries but overcoming them for his little brother; Scipio seems a little too mature, but that's okay. Victor and the street kids are strong supporting characters as well.

Cornelia Funke's book (along with the movie "Heaven") is one of the best things to come out of Germany in recent years. Very nice and a pleasant read.

This teacher loves it!
As a teacher in a small, multiage classroom of grades 2 to 7, I am continually searching for books that I can read aloud to a wide age range. I read this book over the summer, previewing the book before I read it aloud at school. I loved it, and now my students do too. From the youngest student to the oldest, they are engrossed! This book has a lot of teaching potential, too, if you choose to use it that way. Moral dilemmas; is it okay to steal if you are hungry? Teach mapping skills, using the map at the front of the book. But most importantly, it is a great read with many surprises, twists and turns. It will keep you guessing to the end!

Enjoyable and Fun
THE THIEF LORD, by German writer Cornelia Funke, is one of the few *new* books that I've come across recently that was able to keep me engrossed until the very end. I found the story to be delightful, and especially enjoyed the setting of Venice, Italy. Funke's writing style is a pleasure to read, neither convoluted or overly simplistic. Her characters are likeable, even Prosper and Bo's "evil" aunt and uncle, and overall THE THIEF LORD is a fun and magical book that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

After their parents die, Prosper and Bo run away from their aunt and uncle (who, of course, want to adopt only the younger, cuter Bo, and send Prosper off to boarding school), making their way all the way to the city of Venice, Italy, which they had heard much of in the stories told by their late mother. There, they are taken into a gang of street kids who are under the guidance of the mysterious Scipio, also known as the Thief Lord. Prosper and Bo feel safe until they realize that their aunt and uncle have not only tracked them to Venice, but have also hired a private detective to track them down with the aim of recovering Bo. From there the adventure takes off, as the children dodge the detective while at the same time work to secure a mysterious object for an equally mysterious "Conte."

Underlying Fuke's work is a tale about being a child and growing up, and whether or not one is truly more desireable than the other. As said earlier, THE THIEF LORD is a book that could be read aloud to the whole family, or enjoyed by individual readers on their own. Either way, recommended reading level is around 10-years-old.

Enjoy!