The Thief Lord
 Cornelia Funke
 (Associate Student Reviewer - Karrie G.)
 2000 Scholastic Inc
  ISBN: 0439404371


Two brothers, whose mother has recently died, are runaways headed for Venice.

Student Associate Reviewer Karrie G. writes:

Twelve-year-old Prosper & five-year-old Bo are running from Aunt Esther, a strict, horrible woman, who smells of hairspray. She is threatening to adopt them & send them far away to Boarding school -- away from everything they know. Venice seems to be the perfect solution to them, for their beloved mother had often told them wonderful stories about the city.

When they first arrive, they are not disappointed. Everything is exactly as their mother had said it would be. The gondolas, the confusing maze of alleys, the bridges & the shimmering water.

The golden winged lions are indeed there, seemingly guarding the magical city from anyone that would harm it. But before long Prosper runs out of money.

Luck is on their side, however, when they meet Hornet, a cheerful girl from the streets with a long brown braid that earned her her nickname. She takes them to an abandoned movie theatre, where she lives with a gang of thieves. Their leader, Scipio, is the Thief Lord. He is only a year older than Prosper, but can already sneak into any house in Venice. Prosper & Bo are grateful for their new home, & soon become fond of their new friends.

Just as things seem to be going perfectly, Victor Getz enters their lives. He is a private detective, hired by Aunt Esther. She had a feeling Prosper had “talked his brother into coming to Venice.” She knew the stories her sister had told them. With Victor on their heels, the children have many new problems to face. All of them are scared of having to find a new hideout, & of being found by the police.

Then, the Conte, a mysterious old man makes them an offer. He has heard of the infamous Thief Lord & wishes to give him a job. The reward is great, & all the children are convinced this is the only way out. The only strange thing is, the object the Conte desires so much is merely a wooden wing, & he will not say why he needs it. The Thief Lord is also keeping something from the gang...a betrayal that will rip them apart. Soon all of them are plunged into a marvelous adventure involving a magical carousel.

But will Aunt Esther ever cease her endless search for Bo? Will the children be found before the job is done? The only way to answer these questions is to read The Thief Lord, one of the best children's books I've read since Harry Potter -- & we all know, that's really saying something!
(10/20/02)

Karrie G.
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Student Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
Karrie G. lives in The Netherlands. She is 15 years old, attends a Dutch Language School & is originally from Wisconsin, USA

Her favorite colors are: light blue, sea green, lavender & black!
Favorite sports are: swimming & soccer.
Favorite school subjects are: languages & creative writing class.
Favorite things to do are: playing the piano, reading, writing short stories & poetry, drawing & going to the movie theater.
The Netherlands is one of the smallest countries in Europe. Most people call the Netherlands Holland & it is about the size of Connecticut, but with a lot more people, sixteen million. You may think of tulips, chocolate, windmills & wooden shoes when you think of Holland. Although there are still lots of tulips & chocolate, & there are still some windmills, you wouldn't see many people wearing clogs today.