Rating: 
Summary: Good, but needed a better translator
Review: My daughter, a sixth grader, liked it, and my young son is interested enough to listen to me read it to him at bed time. One reason it is not as compelling as Rowling's Harry Potter books is the translation from German. The writing just felt a bit flat and I could not put my finger on it until I realized it was a translation. Nonetheless, the story has complex situations, a wonderful setting, and a plot with plenty of suspense.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book for discussion
Review: We found the book wonderful. Ms Funke weaves a great story. We read to our children every night, and this kept them as enthralled as any book we've ever read to them. The mantra of "One more chapter, PLEASE" came up every night. It also opened the door to terrific discussions with the kids about stealing, orphans, lying and consequences. I'm not much of a literary critic, but in terms of opening communication with the chidren and having their attention, it's definitely 5 star.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful for all ages!
Review: I read The Thief Lord with my nine year old son and we both loved it! The memorable characters, beautiful setting, and a very mysterious carousel make this a book you can't put down but don't want to end. It will also leave you dreaming of Venice. Don't read this looking for another Harry Potter. Read this for its own merit. You won't be disappointed.
Also highly reccomended: Midnight for Charlie Bone
Rating:
Summary: Thief Lord
Review: I found this book to be a great book. I just took a short vacation and I could not get my nose out of it. I think this is the best book I've read since Harry Potter. Some people think it is nothing in comparison to Harry Potter, but I think it is. For people who liked Harry Potter and are waitnig for the fifth one to come out, I definately recommend this book to you. On a scale of 1-5 it defitately gets a 10!
Rating:
Summary: Wow, wow
Review: Wow, wow. The Thief Lord was a gret book! Taking place in Venice, two boys are taken in by a small'gang'. These kids share many stories together, the good the bad, the happy and sad. You'll have to read it to find out what I'm talking 'bout! (I'm not really a poet, I'm just in a good mood.)
Rating:
Summary: The Theif Lord: The perfect book for a harry potter lover
Review: Thought that nothing could beat Harry Potter. You were wrong. This book has it all. Humor, magic, mystery, and a whole lot of fun. This book has everthing that Harry Potter has and more.
Rating: 
Summary: Two notches above the serial children's books, but .....
Review: does not meet the standards of "children's classic". Worth the time to read, but ignore the marketing comparison to Harry Potter. There are very few books which would make a better movie..but this one may be an exception. A very visual story teller! Funke does a great job of creating both the scene and the characters, but the story line somehow lacks depth. (Doesn't seem to be a problem in the movie realm.) I kept wondering if something got lost in the translation.. The conservative sector of the US will find the casual acceptance of thievery appalling...Crime does not pay in this story, but it does allow subsistence without easily apparent retribution. I will turn the book over to an eleven year old friend, but have serious doubts as to whether he'll finish it. I could be very wrong as I am slightly older than the target audience. Funke does not tickle my imagination like E.B White, C.S. Lewis or J.K. Rowling, but did leave me with a very textural, surreal impression of Venice.
Rating: 
Summary: Glorification of tawdry lives and thievery
Review: I expect a quality work directed at the youth marketplace to help kids develop a sense of themselves and the values which will mold them into good citizens. Thief Lord does none of that. The story, set in Venice, is simplistic, predictable and emphasizes free will on the part of orphans who exercise their free will to the detriment of others (although this is glossed over). It seems to glorify pick-pocketing, sees nothing wrong with spending counterfeit money, and finally settles on the charity of a couple of open-hearted adults to solve all the kids' problems. I see little of redeeming value in this work and I will not give it to my granddaughter. Bob Gould
Wellesley, MA
Rating:
Summary: This teacher loves it!
Review: As a teacher in a small, multiage classroom of grades 2 to 7, I am continually searching for books that I can read aloud to a wide age range. I read this book over the summer, previewing the book before I read it aloud at school. I loved it, and now my students do too. From the youngest student to the oldest, they are engrossed! This book has a lot of teaching potential, too, if you choose to use it that way. Moral dilemmas; is it okay to steal if you are hungry? Teach mapping skills, using the map at the front of the book. But most importantly, it is a great read with many surprises, twists and turns. It will keep you guessing to the end!
Rating:
Summary: Review of The Thief Lord
Review: This was a wonderful book. It had well-developed characters who changed constantly throughout the story as a result of significant life events. The plot was well-structured and contained sufficient conflict and suspense to hold my interest. There were quite a few surprises that I was impressed with. The time and place is also suitable to the storyline.
This story is about a group of orphans in beautiful Venice that seem to be forgotten and all alone yet they find strength in one another. You feel as if you know each of the children and can feel all of the emotions that they are experiencing. You can see how they overcome their problems. The story is believable and touching to me as a mother and a teacher.
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