El señor de los ladrones (The Thief Lord) by Cornelia Funke, Roberto Falco, Cornelia Funke (Illustrator), Roberto Falcó (Translator)

From Barnes & Noble

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

Bienvenidos al mundo subterráneo y mágico de Venecia, Italia, donde los canales secretos y los tejados ruinosos sirven de escondite a prófugos y chicos con pasados misteriosos. Dos hermanos huérfanos, Próspero y Bonifacio, llegan a esta ciudad después de escapar de la casa de sus tíos, y no tardan en conocer a un chico muy peculiar que se hace llamar el "Señor de los Ladrones". Encantador y muy astuto, el Señor de los Ladrones es el jefe de una banda de muchachos callejeros a quienes les encanta cometer todo tipo de fechorías. Pero el Señor de los Ladrones tiene un secreto muy oscuro. Y, de repente, Próspero y Bonifacio se ven envueltos en un viaje fantástico hacia un lugar olvidado. Allí descubrirán algo que cambiará el curso de sus vidas... para siempre.

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.

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