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Thief Lord (The)
by Cornelia Funke
Age Range: 9-11
Two orphaned children, Prosper and Bo, are on the run, hiding amongst the labyrinth of crumbling canals and misty alleyways of Venice. Befriended by a gang of street children and their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord, they shelter in an old, disused cinema. On the boys’ trail is a bungling detective, obsessed with disguises, who has been hired by their neurotic aunt to find them. The
boys are drawn into a different world of street life, comradeship and adventure as they try to outwit their pursuers. However, when the Thief Lord discovers something from a forgotten past – a mysterious power that can spin time itself
– this poses an even greater threat to the two boys.
This is an exciting and atmospheric thriller by international best-selling author, Cornelia Funke. It is a compelling tale, rich in ingenious twists with a zany plot and well-defined characters. Oliver Latsch’s translation was shortlisted for the 2005 Marsh Award for Literature in Translation.
(Outside In: Children’s Books in Translation, Milet, 2005)
Winner of the Mildred L. Batchelder Award 2003.
Book Reviews
Cornelia Funke literally makes you believe in magic, as Prosper and Bo, on the run from their aunt, head to Venice, the city where dreams come true. Dodging the bungling detective who she has put on their trail, the pair meets a gang of Italian street children living in an old cinema. The children are helped by Scipio, The Thief Lord, who provides them with money from his fantastic robberies. These are all the more remarkable because Scipio is only twelve! How does he do it? When he accepts a commission to steal what seems to be merely a piece of old wood, the Thief Lord finally gets caught in the act, burgling Ida Spavento. Yet why does Ida offer to help them? Scipio and his friends soon learn that strong magic may be involved. Their curiosity takes them down the canals of Venice after dark and out onto the Lagoon, as they set sail for the Isola Segretta and a fantastic, magical adventure.
This beautifully told tale is crammed with detail that will make children plead to visit Venice themselves. The magical element to the story is also merely a small part of it, so those who are not fond of fantasy need not be put off a really exciting, page turning story with so much to offer. Whilst the book is quite long and detailed, it does not get weighed down with description and moves quickly. The language is right for 9 to11 year olds too, a step up from the simpler novels aimed at 6 to 8 year olds, but the sentence structure and the vocabulary are still aimed at children and there was nothing that would be a struggle.
Cornelia Funke seems to know instinctively what will please children in this story where adults seem to never tell children what to do. The more comic characters like Victor and Barabarossa are almost pantomime creations at times, which can seem a little over dramatic, but is still very funny. The plot has lots of twists and surprises, both happy and sad, so the story is fast paced and very exciting. The street children especially are very well written and seem to come alive and you do end up caring about what happens to them. However, at the end, Funke leaves one mystery unanswered. It is an intriguing one, too, so you can’t help but hope she’ll come up with a sequel.
Abby Phillips | 17/08/2010,15:13:00




































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































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