The Thief Lord

Funke, Cornelia. The Thief Lord. Scholastic, 2003. ISBN-10:0-439-42089-X


Plot Summary
Prosper and Bo have run away from their aunt to the city of Venice where they are taken in by The Thief Lord. The kids live in an abandoned movie theater and get by selling the things The Thief Lord steals. Victor is a private detective hired to find Prosper and Bo. Victor doesn't particularly like the boys' aunt and isn't in a hurry to return them. However, he is a threat nonetheless, so the kids are eager to lose him. Then, the kids are hired by a mysterious Conte to steal a strange wooden wing. The Conte is offering a lot of money, but now the kids are worried that they can't trust The Thief Lord, who frequently disappears and never spends the night in the theater. In the end, curiosity about the purpose of the stolen wing drives the gang out to magic island from which no one has ever returned alive.

Critical evaluation
Funke perfectly captures the magic of Venice, even in this modern day tale. The canals and winding alleys are the perfect setting for this old time detective story that also includes a supernatural merry-go-round. It's hard to describe this story without giving too much away since each new twist is a delightful surprise. Plot aside, the characters are all endearing. Even the flat characters are so flat that they transcend this story and remind the reader of every evil parent, every bearded underworld villain in every fairy tale ever read. While some of the adults are pure evil, some of the other adults are inexplicably paternal and take the children in, which leaves the reader feeling warm and comfortable. The Thief Lord gets a 5 star rave review.

Readers Annotations
Cold and hungry alone in the city of Venice, Prosper and Bo are invited to the gang of The Thief Lord. The gang of orphans live in an abandoned movie theater. The Thief Lord himself lives elsewhere, although no one knows where. When the gang is offered money to steal a very specific item, they find themselves in the middle of an even bigger mystery.

Information About the Author
Cornelia Funke is a German author who won international acclaim with her fantasy novel Dragon Rider. Funke continues to write in German, although she now lives with her husband and two kids in Los Angeles, California.

Genre
Mystery

Curriculum Ties


Booktalking Ideas
Prosper and Bo when they first meet The Thief Lord

Reading Level/Interest Age
Grade 6+

Controversial Subject Matter and Defense of Ideas
School Library Journal Best Books 2002
Kirkus Book Review Stars

Why Book Included
Recommended by a classmate