Rating: 
Summary: Great book!
Review: I was quite hesitant when I picked up this book from the library. But, it was highly recommended. So, I thought why not... However, once I have started reading it, I was immersed in the story. The book is about the adventures of Prosper and Bo, who ran away from their dreadful aunt to Venice. Once in Venice, they bumped into Scipio, the Thief Lord, a kid himself with a mysterious identity. Scipio brought Prosper and Bo to his gang and gave them a "home". As Scipio took on a "big" job, his mysterious identity begins to unravel.... A great book. Highly recommended to all.
Rating: 
Summary: Just OK
Review: I picked up this book because Amazon has been recommending it to me for quite some time now. It passed the time, but it never really picked up. It lacked the magic promised in the reviews. The plot wandered and there was no climax. there were so many loose ends at the finish that I thought for sure there was going to be a sequel. Disappointing overall.
Rating: 
Summary: My Child Loved This Book
Review: He's in fifth grade and a fussy reader. I got my copy from the Scholastic Book Club at school. It really was a shot in the dark.
After it sat around for a while and he got desperate, he picked it up and gave it a try.
All he said the whole way through reading it was, "this is a great book," and "I can't believe how good this book is." That's why I came to Amazon on a search to see if there are any more books by this author he might like.
Rating:
Summary: Hats off to Cornelia Funke
Review: Have you ever heard of Venice, Italy and its beautiful waterways? If you have, perhaps you've also heard of the one who calls himself the thief lord? They say he comes and goes as he pleases and that he can break into any place. Well, if you haven't, perhaps I should start at the beginning. You can find all of this in a novel by Cornelia Funke titled The Thief Lord. This entrancing story is about two boys, Prosper and his younger brother Bo. They run away so their horrible Aunt Ester won't take Bo away. They meet a girl who was known by the name of Hornet. They live with Hornet and two other boys named Ricio and Moscow in a broken down movie theater in happiness for a while. The only thing Prosper didn't like about it was that they stole for a living. He figured this might be a bad influence on his younger brother, Bo. Without stealing, however, they never would have been able to survive. They definitely wouldn't have been able to survive without the thief lord. Now you may be wondering, who is this thief lord that I keep mentioning? Well, if this helps, his true name is Scipio. You'll just have to read the book to find out more about him. I found this book very interesting and well written; hats off to Cornelia Funke. I'm very glad she didn't write a tragic story of two boys trying to live through the winter alone. They did have many hard times though; a lot of struggles. That isn't a bad thing, in fact it was the struggle and the creative ways the boys solved each one that kept interested and on the edge of my seat. I also liked that the novel took place somewhere I've never really learned a lot about. This book taught me about life in Venice, Italy. I learned about the winding passageways that tourists get lost in at least once during their visit there. I also learned about how there weren't a bunch of cars on roads, instead there were boats on canals. That seems like a much safer environment for children. One thing I didn't like about the book was the ending. First of all because I didn't want it to end, it was so good. Another reason I didn't like the ending was because I didn't think the "thief lord" would do what he did. I guess it all worked out fine and was a very good book over-all.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book and Audio
Review: I listened to the thief lord on cd in my car on a road trip. was an excellent story and the reading was done exceptionally well.
The story lagged at soome points and a few times the story seemed to be concluding. this happens in more than one instance and really i would have preferred to have gotton on with it. The Thief Lord is the story of orphans and runaways spending their days and nights in Venice. The children deal in stolen goods and petty theft to make ends meet. The fun and excitment of these late night thefts seems appealing in the story and even when things begin to come to light the children face very little consequence for their actions. I enjoyed the book but I will not read or listen to it again. Although I will admit it is written very well. Any young adult or adult will find it a good read.
Rating:
Summary: A+ Book!!
Review: This book is well-written and suspenseful! This is definitely a must-read!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book!
Review: This is a GREAT book! It really made me feel like i was in Venice (again. i went there for vacation). I don't want to give away the book! SO READ IT!
Rating: 
Summary: Well Written, But a Bit Disappointing
Review: When Prosper and Bo's parents died, they were sent to live with their aunt and uncle. There was only one problem - they only wanted Bo, they didn't want Prosper. Well, Prosper wasn't about to be bundled off to boarding school, leaving his beloved younger brother to the tender mercies of his Aunt Esther, so he and Bo ran away to Venice, Italy, the enchanting city his mother had told them so many tales of. Unfortunately, Venice was not quite the wonderland that Prosper and Bo were expecting and with winter coming soon, they were not prepared and had no real plans at to how to survive. Then they were adopted in by the Thief Lord... The Thief Lord was clever and charming, to be sure, but no one knew who he really was and all of the children were a little afraid of him. Prosper worried that Bo idolized the Thief Lord too much and would turn to a life of crime, but where else could they go? Besides, Aunt Esther had now hired a private investigator to track them down in Venice and they relied on their friends to help them escape his notice. But when the Thief Lord accepts a job from a mysterious duke, Prosper finds himself thrust into a magical adventure full of surprises and discovers more about the Thief Lord than he truly wanted to know... The Thief Lord was a solidly written fantasy/adventure tale for children, but it was nothing spectacular. Perhaps I judged it too harshly due to all of the buzz surrounding the book, but I just found it lacking somehow. The characters were not quite three dimensional for me and I did not really identify or connect with any of them, but they are likeable enough. There is also nothing particularly original in the book and the plot moves along a little slower than I like. Still, the book has enough humor and fun for children to enjoy it while they wait for the next Harry Potter book to come out. I look forward to seeing more from this author as I feel that she has a great deal of potential. My recommendation would be to check this book out from your local library or find a cheap used copy.
Rating:
Summary: An Adventure in Venice
Review: An Adventure in Venice
The Thief Lord is a great mixture of realistic fiction and fantasy about a group of kids in Venice by Cornelia Funke. After their Mother and Father died Prosper and Bo ran away from home because their mean Aunt Esther wants to adopt only Bo and not Prosper. They meet a group of kids who hide out in an abandoned movie theater and are being provided with stolen goods to sell by the mysterious Thief Lord. While with the Thief Lord prosper and Bo Have life changing experiences. Personally I think that this book is the best ever! If you liked Harry Potter and fantasy it's basically the same thing with a little less magic.
Rating:
Summary: The Runaway Brothers
Review: Cornelia Funke's The Thief Lord is a wonderful adventure book that expresses the magnificence of Venice, the hardships of the homeless, and how much honesty means to friends. The Thief Lord is a story about two brothers who run away to Venice following their mother's death, and after their rich aunt decides to adopt only the younger of the two brothers, Bo, deciding to put the older one, Prosper, into a boarding school. Prosper and Bo meet up with a bunch of homeless children in Venice, led by the boy they call "The Thief Lord". The children live off the spoils of the Thief Lord stealing, and from their own pick pocketing of careless tourists. Many exciting adventures follow, including the revealing of the true identity of the Thief Lord and the finding of
a mysterious merry-go-round.
Meanwhile their aunt hires a detective named Victor who continuously misses his opportunity to snatch the boys, adding further adventure to the story. This is a thrilling book in which the reader can almost imagine the palaces and mansions with their marble pillars and ferocious-looking golden lions as they tower above other buildings in such great splendor. Although some may think the story glamorizes thievery, I think it's a great book for ages 9 to 14.
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