by Cornelia Funke
Flap Copy description:
Welcome to the magical underworld of Venice, Italy, where hidden canals and crumbling rooftops shelter runaways and children with incredible secrets....
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 won. And so the boys are thrust into circumstances that will lead them and readers, to a fantastic, spellbinding conclusion.
My thoughts:
The Thief Lord was written by the German author, Cornelia Funke, who also wrote the Inkworld trilogy. Ms Funke has a background in social work, dealing with deprived children - she has drawn upon that expertise in this adventure/fantasy for MG readers. While this novel is beautifully written, with wonderful character development; I found the plot somewhat weak. Still, the descriptions of the escapades by the street kids surviving in Venice, Italy, were delightful. I would recommend this book to readers from the ages of 8 - 12.
(Cornelia Funke is a multiple award-winning author - she has been called the J.K. Rowling of Germany. The amazing author presently resides in Los Angeles, CA.)
