Rating: 
Summary: Very good, not outstanding
Review: Like the other reviewers, I had hoped for a book that would capture me like the Harry Potter books did. This was a good book, but not in the same league as the Potter books or some of the other books out there aimed at this age bracket. I bought an extra copy to give to an 11 year old boy and for the first quarter of the book I thought I had made a mistake. The main characters of the book are living in an abandoned movie theater and apparently living off of the proceeds of stolen goods. Not the best example I wanted to set for this 11 year old. As the book continued and more details were revealed, I began to enjoy the story much more. I did like it at the end and found that it (mostly) taught positive lessons. I gladly gaved the extra copy away. Buy it, read it, enjoy it, but don't expect it to change your life.
Rating: 
Summary: Another work of amazing kids fantasy
Review: The protagonists of The Thief Lord are serious 12-year-old Prosper and innocent little 5-year-old Bo. After their parents die they're sent to live with their aunt and uncle who dislike Prosper greatly and wish to separate them. As a result the two children run away to Venice, a magical place of their mother's stories, and are taken in by another kid who calls himself The Thief Lord. The Thief Lord is a master thief and lives in a broken down movie theater with his gang: Mosca, Riccio and Hornet. Prosper and Bo think that they're safe but when their aunt sends out a private detective, named Victor, to find them, they realize that they may have to leave the place they've grown to call home. Things get more complicated when the Thief Lord receives a job that he can't refuse. He has to break into a house to steal a seemingly unimportant object that's the key to something magical. But before he can even steal it a series of strange event threatens to tear the group apart. As Victor learns more about the group, the group learns more about their beloved Thief Lord, things that they don't like at all. Will the group be torn apart forever? Like others I found out about this book in an article that claimed it to be "just as big, if not bigger than Harry Potter" and well I don't necessarily agree with that The Thief Lord as joined Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl as one of my favorite children's novels. The story is amazing and magical. Yes, there are a few similarities to Harry Potter. Hornet is a bit like Hermione and the whole "evil aunt and uncle" does come into play but that's where the similarities stop. I hope that the author decides to write a sequel, because there is so much more to be written about the characters. This book is made for fans of Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl and a Series of Unfortunate Events.
Rating:
Summary: Not Quite Harry Potter
Review: Newsweek described this book as the next Harry Potter. In my opinion it is not at that level. I enjoyed reading the book. The characters are well developed and I liked the plot and setting. Definitely a good book but not destined to be a classic.
Rating:
Summary: A fun and fast read
Review: I was excited when I heard that this book was possibly the next Harry Potter. It was a quick and easy read. The characters were colorful and well developed. The plot was easy to follow. However, it did not leave me yearning for a follow-up installment as did each of the Harry Potter books. As a fifth grade teacher, I am looking forward to reading it to my class and hearing what they think.
Rating: 
Summary: Theives That Produce Smiles
Review: The Thief Lord, originally written by Cornelia Funke in German, poses an interesting question: Is writing or plot more effective for children's stories? If you answered the former, Thief Lord isn't for you; the language is often simple and some wordings are very obviously translated. The reason so many children (and pre-teens) have been drawn to the book is its fairy tale like plot. The Thief Lord focuses on the story of two children, Bo and Prosper, who have ran away from their Aunt and Uncle to Venice, a city their deceased mother used to tell stories about. The boys choose to run away because Aunt Esther and her husband want to adopt Bo, but not Prosper. Once in Venice, the boys meet up with a group of runaway children who live in a movie theater and are taken care of by a thief the same age of the rest of them who calls himself 'The Thief Lord'. Unfortunately, Esther has contacted a detective named Victor Getz, who agrees to search for the children, with silly and often laughable results. The plot takes a sudden twist when a magical and mysterious merry-go-round and a Conte looking for the missing piece enter the picture. The ending, while not particularly surprising, is quite enjoyable none the less. Although The Thief Lord is not Newberry material, the characters are likable and the plot exciting, making it a sure fire hit with younger Harry Potter fans. The writing, the weakest point of the book, can easily be looked over.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: This book is great!! It takes place in one of the most beautiful places-Italy and follows the story of two orphans Prosper and Bo and their orphan friends. Living on their own stealing things and trying not be found. And then the theif lord is offered a deal of much money in the stealing of a gold lions wing. You follow an awesome adventure.
P.S. If I have a few things wrong sry i read it awhile ago
Rating:
Summary: My thoughts of The Theif Lord
Review: The story is somewhat different from other stories of the same genre. That Funke is a competent author is unquestionable but the pace of the book hardly gathers steam from beginning to the dismal end. I look with askance at other reviews, which gush milk and honey over the book, for regrettably The Thief Lord pales in comparison to Eragon or any Harry Potter book. In fact the so called magical merry go around with its age altering capacity is introduced timidly and there was no built up to this magical phenomenon hence the whole instance is incongruous. The writer of such kind of books must make the reader believe the existence of supernatural as amply proved in Harry Potter or Eragon. Funke fails this test most miserably and I would recommend her other books with sincere trepidation!
Rating:
Summary: Just ASKING to be made into a Studio Ghibli movie!
Review: When I started reading this, the first thing that came to my mind is (stereotype): a wannabe thief rounding up a bunch of homeless kids. But I soon found out that I was wrong. The historical part with the merry-go-round fit in with the setting of this book which is in Venice. The characters were memorable; I liked the names Prosper, Boniface(interesting...). This book brings out the values of being a kid. When Esther(h8 her)and her husband (same)mentions that even though they wanted to raise Bo, they still thought children were messy and irritable and wateva.... I was pretty shocked. Victor, the detective was right about Esther. The only reason why she didn't want to raise Prosper was because he didn't look like a teddy bear anymore (hehe). Scipio had a conflict with himself. Inorder to save his friends, it involved betrayal: good. He had 2 sides: one a typical rich kid, and the other, the secretive thief lord. Anyways, this book had a bit of mysterious background and an adventurous plot, and I suggest anyone who stumbles across this book to not even hesitate and try reading it.
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