The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, Simon Jones (Read by)

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
Cornelia Funke's international award-winning novel, The Thief Lord took Europe by storm and lands on this shore with widespread acclaim. Filled with plenty of mood and colorful characters, this suspenseful tale marks the American debut of a wonderful talent.

Set in modern-day Venice, the book follows a troupe of runaways who partake in theft and resell their goods to a local shopkeeper. Two members -- Prosper and his little brother, Bo -- are being followed by Victor, a detective hired by their mean aunt, but luckily, they and the other kids are watched over by the gang's mysterious and self-assured leader, Scipio (the Thief Lord). As the kids have several run-ins with the sleuth, they're also focused on Scipio's new job to steal a precious wooden carousel wing. Yet when they discover a few skeletons in the Thief Lord's closet and befriend Victor, they realize there is more to their fantastic world than meets the eye.

Filled with strong characters and old-world charm, this engrossing read has a plotline that won't leave you bored. Several stories are interwoven with grace and suspense, and the ending brings them all together with a breath of satisfaction. Although the real magic comes only toward the end, Venice provides a spellbinding backdrop that will have you feeling as if you're riding in gondolas and dodging tourists in St. Mark's Square. An adventure with subtle themes of being mature and doing the right thing,The Thief Lord is molto magnifico! Matt Warner

From the Publisher

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 boy 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. And soon the boys are thrust into circumstances that will lead them to a fantastic, spellbinding conclusion.

Newsweek - Alice Stroup

What is shocking in the case of "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke, one of Germany's most popular kiddie-lit writers, is that the book lives up to the audacious claim. It's got the magic, the adventure, the awkward boy heroes and the plucky chick sidekick. It's even been edited by Barry Cunningham, the man who "discovered" Rowling and published the Harry Potter series in England. But "Thief Lord" is also just a darn good yarn - the charming tale of a band of urchin-thieves, a magical carousel and two orphaned brothers. Written in German, set in Italy and now translated into English, the postmodern fairy tale was just released in Britain, where it sold out in 10 days. In September, it'll arrive in the States with the British vernacular largely intact. "You don't have to Americanize everything for children to understand it," Cunningham says. "I find that quite condescending." Besides, the whole European vibe sure worked for Harry.

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. (Sept.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kevin Beach - VOYA

This German best-selling children's author creates a delightful tale that borrows a little from Oliver Twist and a bit from the magic of the Harry Potter books. A good-hearted private investigator is hired by a somewhat villainous couple to find their orphaned nephews. Fearing that the couple will separate them and actually only want them for their inheritance, the boys have run away to Venice, where they have the good fortune to fall amongst a tight group of street urchins, who often make ends meet through petty theft and cons. They live comfortably in an abandoned theater, benefactors of a mysterious masked boy who calls himself the Thief Lord. He often supplies them with food and expensive goods to hock. Life gets complicated when the children are hired by a sinister old man to retrieve a wooden wing from an old woman's home just as the investigator discovers the hideaway. What is the secret of the wing? Who is the old woman? All is resolved as the Thief Lord is unmasked, the boys outwit their aunt with the help of the PI, and the wing is restored to its mystical origins with some dire consequences. The magical city of Venice is used to full advantage. The characters are richly and realistically drawn-the good guys are not always good and the bad not really so bad. This satisfying, twisting tale is for upper elementary readers who enjoy a dab of magic surrounded by a charming story. VOYA Codes: 5Q 4P M J (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2002 (orig. 2000), Scholastic, 349p,

Laura Schmidt - Alan Review

Venice is a city of beauty, mystery, and plenty of secrets. Prosper and Bo are brothers who come to Venice to escape their terrible aunt Esther. They soon join a gang of street children determined to make their own living in the shadows of everyday Venice life—with the help of each other and their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord. While the practice of petty crime keeps the group alive, temptation becomes unbearable when a secretive client offers the Thief Lord a burglary challenge he cannot refuse. At the same time, a hidden danger draws near. A detective, paid by Esther to hunt down Proper and Bo, is on the brink of discovering the Thief Lord's hideout. Yearning only for a better life, the children begin the commission that will change their lives forever, and will set the Thief Lord to his hardest trial yet. This novel, translated from the original German text, is full of delightful characters and creative plot line twists. Funke's imagination touches the adventurous parts of the heart, as well as the simple human desire to belong and be loved. This story is pure magic. 2002, Scholastic, 349 pp.,

Mark deCastrique - The Five Owls

Cornelia Funke is a popular German author whose novel The Thief Lord marks her debut in the United States. Brought to the English-reading world by the original publisher of J. K. Rowling, The Thief Lord creates a wonderfully rich tale of mystery and magic with theme, plot, character, and setting marvelously entwined by this skilled writer. Recently orphaned, twelve-year-old Prosper and his five-year-old brother Bo are on the run from their aunt. She wishes to adopt little Bo but intends to send Prosper away to boarding school. In a desperate attempt to stay together, the boys have escaped from Hamburg to Venice, the city their late mother described in her bedtime stories. They are rescued by a gang of street urchins who follow the instructions of a mysterious youth who calls himself the Thief Lord. All of the children find their longing for belonging satisfied by the caring community they have established in an abandoned movie theatre. However, their security is as illusory as the films that once flickered on the tattered screen. A quirky, well-meaning detective uncovers the truth of the Thief Lord, and the revelation destroys the trust that bound the group together. In the novel, Venice is more than setting. Its mystique and lore become another character, contributing to the plot and providing the impetus for the magical resolution which flows naturally from the legends of the ancient city. Funke's chapter drawings and reference maps add to the charm of the tale and enrich the strong sense of place that pervades the story. In the end, the children must unite with sympathetic adults in a quest to not only protect Prosper and Bo but also to provide the sanctity and security each of themdesires. The theme of belonging expands until it transforms into the nature of childhood itself, and the Thief Lord must make the ultimate steal in an attempt to find his place in the world. Intelligently written and plotted, The Thief Lord is a story in which the fantastic illustrates the value of our common, day-to-day relationships with family and friends. The novel has the power to spark the imagination of young readers for years to come. 2002, Scholastic,

Claire Rosser; KLIATT - KLIATT

This novel about runaways in Venice, Italy, has been a best seller in Germany and has won literary prizes there and in Austria and Switzerland. It isn't really a YA novel, but is instead a sometimes demanding children's book, filled with adventure and a bit of magic. It's demanding because it's rather long and filled with details about Venice, which may be hard for many middle school students. Still, I'm sure there will be students in 5th through 8th grade who will appreciate the European nature of the story. There are many characters, and the adults are nearly as well realized as the children (an odd circumstance in children's literature). One main character is a miserable rich boy whose father either ignores him or demands too much of him. So Scipio—the Thief Lord—makes his life more exciting by befriending a group of children who are homeless runaways. Scipio finds them a place to stay in an abandoned cinema. Included in the runaways are two brothers, Prosper and Bo, orphans hiding from their aunt. This aunt hires a detective named Victor to find the boys, but when Victor does locate them, his sympathies lie with the boys and not with their aunt. The plot just gets more and more convoluted, with numerous other characters, planned thefts, a connection with an orphanage run by Catholic nuns in Venice, a magical carousel that will change a child to an adult or an adult to a child (you can imagine that some of the characters take advantage of this escape), and much more. The action rolls along in short chapters, each illustrated with a small pen-and-ink illustration of a locale in Venice. The vocabulary is somewhat demanding, with Italian words thrown in for atmosphere, but some YAs willcertainly enjoy this challenge. It is possible that it would appeal to readers of the Harry Potter stories. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2000, Scholastic, The Chicken House, 345p. map.,

School Library Journal

Gr 6-8-Actor Simon Jones does an excellent job of giving voice to Cornelia Funke's mystery adventure tale which has won several European children's literature awards (Scholastic, 2002). This Dickensian story begins in modern times in detective Victor Getz's office in Venice as he is asked to search for Esther Hartlieb's orphaned nephews, Prosper and Bo, who ran away when they learned Esther was going to adopt five-year-old Bo but send Prosper away to a boarding school. The boys came to Venice because their dead mother had often lovingly described the beauties of the city to them. They wind up in an abandoned movie theater with other runaways who are working for Scipio, a young boy they call the "Thief Lord." The evil Barbarossa who accepts their stolen goods asks them to steal a special broken wooden wing that came from an old, magical merry-go-round which can transport riders backward or forward in time. The plot is full of twists and surprises, and the characters are vividly described. The excellent descriptive passages make it easy to picture the characters and setting. Loyalty, honor among thieves, and whether it's better to be an adult or a child are some of the themes explored in this fast-paced, spellbinding tale.-Diane Balodis, Alden Intermediate School, NY Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

When the orphans Prosper, 12, and Boniface, 5, run away from Hamburg to Venice to escape separation by their aunt and uncle Hartlieb, the crotchety, childless couple hires private detective Victor Getz to find Bo, the only brother they want. Prop and Bo feel at home with their new comrades (three other orphans who survive by picking pockets, but are otherwise harmless) in an abandoned movie theater. Their ringleader, the mysterious Thief Lord, appears from time to time with stolen riches that he gives to his poor friends. Harrowing and comical escapades abound when the Thief Lord accepts a job that will leave him and his friends financially secure-to steal a wing from a wooden lion statue. This wing, which belongs to the unconventional, kindhearted photographer Ida Spavento, is no ordinary piece of wood, but rather the missing piece to a hidden, magical merry-go-round rumored to turn children into adults and adults into children. As the children win over Ida, and even Victor, this new band of outcasts rescues one another from perilous events and scheming villains; ventures to the bewitched Secret Isle from which, as more rumors have it, no one ever returns; finds the missing merry-go-round; and creates the perfect solution. The magical city of Venice, with its moonlit waters, maze of canals, and magnificent palaces, is an excellent setting for the plot twists and turns in this fantasy/mystery/adventure, all rolled into one spellbinding story. A bestselling author in Germany, who has reached the US for the first time, Funke delights readers in the feelings of childhood, what it feels like to be innocent, afraid, curious, and safe; need friends and love; and want independence yet also to becared for. Although the core of this tale is heartwarming, the merry-go-round, like Ray Bradbury's carousel in Something Wicked This Way Comes, hints at darkness, leaving its riders and the novel's readers changed forever. (map, glossary, not seen) (Fiction. 10-14)

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