The Thief Lord

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.

THE THIEF LORD IS A VERY EXCITING BOOK.IN THIS BOOK THERE ARE CAHARECTERS SUCH AS BO, AND PROSPER THESE CHARACTERS ARE VERY EXCITING AND THE BOOK ITSELF WAS EXELENT I SAY THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR TEENS AGES 10-14 THE THIEF LORD IS A GOOD BOOK BECAUSE IT HAS SURPRISING TWIST IN IT AND IS WRITTIN BY A WONDERFUL AUTOR IF YOU THINK YOUL LIKE THIS BOOK THEN READ INKKEART, OR DRAGON RIDER BY THE SAME AUTHOR

Two orphans Prosper and Bo run away from their cruel aunt and uncle and find themselves living on the streets of Venice, Italy with three other orphans. Scipio, who calls himself the "Thief Lord", takes care of children. While in Venice they discover two very mysterious things.

Over time you get to know the characters really well. There's Hornet, she's about 12 years old. They all call her Hornet because she always where's her hair in one long braid, and it looks like a stinger on a hornet. She likes helping people, and has lots of good ideas. There's Bo, and Riccio. They're the youngest of the group, Bo is about 5 years old, and Riccio is about 6. Bo loves being involved in stealing in they have to, or adventures. He wants to be just like just like the thief lord when he grows up. Riccio sometimes gets mad easily, but only sometimes. He's also very adventurous. Prosper and Mosca are the oldest boys in the group. They're about 12 years old. Mosca reminds me of a strong, smart person. He seems to always take things the right way. Prosper is Bo's older brother. He takes care of Bo very well and never lets him out of sight. Prosper is a very strong person on the inside. I like his personality the best. He's very nice and you seem to take a liking to him. All together it's a very good group of kids.

Cornelia Funke, the author has written about three other books, Dragon Rider, InkHeart, and InkSpell. This is for sure one of my favorite books. I would recommend this book to middle schoolers, who like realistic fiction with a little fantasy. You should definitely read it soon because the movie is coming out in March!

In the endless twists and turns of modern Venice, Italy, hide two runaways, Prosper and Bo, who are being sought after by their haughty aunt, who wishes to adopt Bo and send Prosper away. She enlists the help of Victor, a soft-hearted detective who enjoys putting on disguises, and thinks it will not be difficult to find two children living alone in the city. But Bo and Prosper are no longer alone; they have come across a group of street children who are lead by a boy who calls himself the Thief Lord: a thief so great he has been in almost every noble house in Venice without being invited. When the the Thief Lord is given a special assignment, the children meet the strange photographer, Ida Spavento, and learn that their Thief Lord is not all he seems. Add to this the mysterious conte, the evil Barbarossa, and the secret of a magical carousel that turns adults into children, and children into adults, and you have a truly magical book that will delight and astound you to the very last page.

This story was really good! I loved it. It was interesting and had a lot of cool turns to it, that made me unable to set it down. I just had to read on. I would definatly recomend this book. Hopefully you'll like it as much as I did. But the one thing that I was really dissapointed in was the end.I think Cornelia Funke could have done a much better job to have the end of the story turn out better. All in all I'd say it was good, and you should read it for sure. Everything else is good in it. I give it 5 stars, for obvious reasons.

"Prosper and Bo are orphans on the run from their cruel aunt and uncle. They decide to hide in Venice where they meet a boy called the Thief Lord. The Thief Lord has a group of small children with him that they meet living in an abandoned theater called the Star Palaces. Then they find out that a detective called Victor who is hired by the aunt and uncle is perusing them. Victor tracks them down and is overpowered by them. After that the Thief Lord is summoned by a strange count that claims he has a job for him! The job is to find a wooden wing that is hidden in a house. Their pay would be 5,000,000 lire! Later that night Prosper, Bo and every one else crept to the house and broke in. Suddenly the owner of the house faced them at gunpoint! The kids talked her into letting them have the wing. After that Prosper and the Thief Lord went to the island wear the count lived. When they arrived, they encountered two bull dogs and a girl. They are thrown into a barn for the night. When they wake up, they find that the count himself turned into a small boy. He claimed he took a ride on the merry-go-round that wouldn't work without the wooden wing. Scipio (the Thief Lord) takes a ride on it and becomes a man. After talking amongst themselves, they returned to the mainland and stayed in the house of the nice lady that they "requisitioned" the wing from a little earlier. The children came to join them then, and Victor escapes from the Star Palace and joins them."
I think this is an amazing children's book that uses strong words and feelings to describe what is happening. I think the author expresses the emotions of what is going on by what the characters say to each other. It has an amazing story line and she writes everything without making it sound boring or dull. This book is truely in a class by itself! FIVE STARS and TWO THUMBS WAY UP!

I normally dont like to read and i absolutely loved this book!!!I read it and got the cassette tapes for it. Whenever i read it i got taken away to another world and i just couldnt stop reading. If your one of those people who likes to sit under a blanket in a cozy corner of the house and drink hot cocoa...this would be the perfect book for you. Its cozy and exciting and fit for all ages!! READ THIS BOOK

I loved the book The Thief Lord. I have read all of the Harry Potter books so far and think that the Thief Lord was probably about as good as them. I wish there were more books by Cornelia Funke. I think it would be a great book for anyone ages 7 to adult. It had mystery, suspense, surprise and humor. It was sad when I finished because it was such a good book and I didn't want it to end!
by Connor

This story is fiction. Prosper and Bo live with their aunt and uncle who are very mean.So one day when they are out in Venice,Italy they run away and almost starve themselves to death but one day they find an old theater which has about three other kids in it that are homeless. Thay all stick together and help one another out. Until one day when a rich kid named "The thief lord" (Scipio) comes and takes care of them. Scipio usually goes out in the day and steals everyones money and wallets then he brings it all back to the poor kids.One day an old man that was working as a detective for Prosper and Bo's aunt.He is trying to find out where the boys are. He finds them in an alley one day and runs after them the boys trip him and make him fall in the lake Scipio recieves a message that a man will give him $100 if he can get a wooden wing from this old womans house.So he accepts and ends up going to the house when she is asleep.To find out whether or not he retrieves the wing and what the man wants the wirng for then you will have to read the book.

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 the store on a search to see if there are any more books by this author he might like.

I'm just a kid. I don't like books very much. Except this one. This book caught my attention just by reading the first couple pages....which usually doesn't happen to me. After i started to read those first couple of pages i couldn't take my eyes off of the pages and i even skipped dinner. This book took so many turns that i couldn't believe what was going on. Every turn that the book took.....i got that much deeper into the reading. And after i finished it one night while my family was reading it i said "darn, its over."

Lately, I've only been reading adult books so The Thief Lord proved to be a welcome change. This book is fast-paced and thrilling. It is definitely a page turner. The story is engaging and I love all of the references to Venice's monuments, language, culture, and history.
There are tons of fantasy and children's books, but The Thief Lord feels fresh and it doesn't seem to be full of cliches. The plot is interesting and has some nice twists, like when the reader finds out who Scipio really is. The characters are fairly developed. The writing is not the strongest I have read, but is interesting.
This book is great in the middle and beginning, but towards the end it gets a little dull and the plot falls a bit flat. I wouldn't be suprised to find out that Cornelia Funke lost direction or had to finish the book quickly. Still, Funke weaves an interesting tale, and I did find The Thief Lord very enjoyable.

i am awsome but this book isnt as awsome as me. it is a very good book about run aways money a deal and magic. i gave thise book only three stars becuase theyre are a lot of parts in this book were the authur just was writing to write if you know what i mean. but towards the end it starts to heat.in the words of reading rainbow but dont take my word for it

100 percent please

This book amazes me. It has a lot of details, especially the characters. It's about when two boys go to Venice. They ran away from their aunt and uncle. They meet a kid their age and they called them the Thief Lord. The Thief Lord takes the boys in but they do not know their aunt and uncle are on their trail. So the whole book is about the adventure of the two boys named Prosper and BO.

I have heard a lot about this book, most of it good, but I must admit that it wasn't as utterly fantastic as most people have told me. It seemed to take me forever to get through this book. The storyline was flawed (first a bunch of theives-which was quite interesting-but a MAGICAL MERRY GO ROUND?) the ending was predictible, and there didn't seem to be alot of obstacles to pass to get to the main goal. The Thief Lord was a pretty boring book--even though it has been compared to it, this book has nothing on Artemis Fowl.

This is the best book ever because this book should have all the metals posible! I would have rated this book as a 100, if the rating system didn't go high enough.... Are you catching my point here? The Thief Lord is my personal favorite. Followed by Midnight Magic by Ava. On The Thief Lord topic again, it's a very good book and I hope that you will enjoy it as much a have.

"Scipio, darkly charming and mysterious, is a Robin Hood of tody's Venice, Italy as he "steals from the rich and gives to the poor". Yet Scipio is only a child, though the burden he placed upon himself is the burden of a man. In Cornelia Funke's shadowy novel, "The Thief Lord", Scipio Massimo's dreams, mixed with hatred, cunning, false-independence, magic, and Scipio's youth, combine to make a stunning book."

That was an exert out of a book report I wrote when I was eleven on "The Thief Lord". I loved it and it touched me with its very human characters. This book may be about Prosper and Bo, but the main character, the one you remember, is Scipio Massimo, the Thief Lord. Scipio may say he is the Thief Lord and is old enough to take care of himself, but he is only human and only a child and still needs his friends and their help. I strongly recommend this classic book about beytral, growing up, and getting what you want to all.

I thought this book was too slow paced and the characters never were faced with a big challenge. They hardly got in trouble, they would get close, but they always escaped, so there wasn't a thrilling moment where you just HAD to know what happened next. Though the story is slow, the things that happen are pretty interesting, even if the author doesn't make it quite that exciting. The Thief lord(character not book)reminded me a bit of Artemis Fowl come to think of it(except not as good).

THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I EVER READ!!!!! If you like books about 2 runnaway boys that live in an abandon movie theatre with 3 other kids and a natoreus boy that calls himself the thief lord, then this book is for you!

The the thief lord is ofered a job by a mysteris count. But a detetive is hot on their trail, for the 2 runnay's wealthy aunt is tracking them down.

The thief lord is a very creative and and serious story. I felt a few times i was getting confused and bored though. I felt like since it was so long, it wasn't as enjoyable. This book was for my summer reading project and i felt like I was forced to read a book that was just good. I did like how the book was very mysterious though. I recommend this book to more advanced readers or curious learners because others might get lost like I did at times. This was a very unique book. I liked how "the thief lord" has secrets and watched after a street gang and how there were very many changes throughout this book.

I have been a long time lover of epic fantasy and suspense novels and I must say that this was a bit of a disappointment. It started out good, with two young runnaways, a gang of child theives (modern Robin Hoods, as I see them) but as you neared the end my attention started to slack away as the novel started to feel an awul lot like a volume of Fairy Tales. I kept expecting pixies to jump out any minute!
I will admitt that this book had its good parts. It was clear that it had been well planned and it was written well, the charecters were great (and the secret of Spicio came as a huge suprise, hint, hint) but if you are looking for an epic fantasy/adventure novel, look elsewhere.

This book was great; I have a fascination with Europe, and this book was awsome because it was like an inside look at Italian life. The whole book was real great, and the biggest plot twist was SO unexpected. But the reason it didn't get the full five stars was because towards the end, there were some occurences that seemed a little...too perfect. A little to unrealistic, if you will. But this was a great book! I told everyone I knew (that reads books) to read this bok. It was very good.

My sons and I both enjoyed The Thief Lord, yet for different reasons. I appreciated the superb writing style of the author, as well as the descriptive setting, memorable characters and shroud of mystery. My sons thought it was "cool", "funny" and obviously a great adventure for them, as the pages kept turning. I highly recommend for young adults, as well as parents.

If you are looking for a very good book then the Thief Lord is the right book for you! It's a very good book and probaly my favorite. It's about some run-away children, a merry-go-round, and a boy who calls himself "The Thief Lord". If you have read this book and liked it then you would probaly like The Series Of Unfortunate Events books. Right now I'm reading Inkheart and I think that it's really good so far....though I'm only on page 7. If you like books about orphans and magic.....READ THIS BOOK!!!!!

I read The Thief Lord because my mother recommended it. The Thief Lord is about 2 orphans who run away to Venice, Italy. They have a lot of adventures and they live on the money that they steal. I thought the book was great because it was exciting and you never know what's going to happen next. I couldn't put it down. As good as the Harry Potter series.

Two orphans Prosper and Bo run away from their cruel aunt and uncle and find themselves living on the streets of Venice, Italy with three other orphans. Scipio, who calls himself the "Thief Lord", takes care of children. While in Venice they discover two very mysterious things.

Over time you get to know the characters really well. There's Hornet, she's about 12 years old. They all call her Hornet because she always where's her hair in one long braid, and it looks like a stinger on a hornet. She likes helping people, and has lots of good ideas. There's Bo, and Riccio. They're the youngest of the group, Bo is about 5 years old, and Riccio is about 6. Bo loves being involved in stealing in they have to, or adventures. He wants to be just like just like the thief lord when he grows up. Riccio sometimes gets mad easily, but only sometimes. He's also very adventurous. Prosper and Mosca are the oldest boys in the group. They're about 12 years old. Mosca reminds me of a strong, smart person. He seems to always take things the right way. Prosper is Bo's older brother. He takes care of Bo very well and never lets him out of sight. Prosper is a very strong person on the inside. I like his personality the best. He's very nice and you seem to take a liking to him. All together it's a very good group of kids.

Cornelia Funke, the author has written about three other books, Dragon Rider, InkHeart, and InkSpell. This is for sure one of my favorite books. I would recommend this book to middle schoolers, who like realistic fiction with a little fantasy. You should definitely read it soon because the movie is coming out in March!

This book was definatly not one to brag about. It was written well enough. The story was just boring beond reason. There was not romance, no real action, and no major plot twists. It just seemed a complete, blah. I was expecting something amazing when i picked it um and was greatly disappointed. If you have a lot of free time and nothing to do read this book. But if not i would recomend buying it.

(...) What a delightful book. It played out like a movie in my mind.. so many things happening, spinning out separately, coming back together.. so many things to inspect and discover. You have the Thief Lord - who you have to wonder why he lives his life so. The story of Prosper and Bo- will they find happiness? Then the other children- what will become of them. Not to mention the themes of growing up and what happiness is.. along with some intrigue and mystery. I could not put the book down, and now I'm ready to discover what Funke's next book - INKHEART - holds for me.
Yes, it is a little complex, but I found this book to be quite a gem. Do not use Harry Potter in the same sentence as The Thief Lord. These books are quite distinctly different, though both immensely entertaining.

Well the book is okay it is not the best it doesn't have alot of action at the begining. The action in increase when you close to finishing thke book. Some of my friends really like it but i thought it was okay. There was some really cool things they did but i can't tell you that.

Well my friends like it so i guess it lis me but i would try to get some one to read likse Jalen Phillips would probably like this book.If Jalen Phillips didn't like it i would prbably tell Andrew Peterson to read it. Sutherland is goin to college for b-ball 18 points in one game.

The thief lord is a richly written book. I like the way the characters are expressed to their true potentials. Funke manages to bring out humour in the children as well as tradgedy, treachery, honesty, and a strong bond of love between Bo and Prosper. I would rate this book 4/5 suffering very little from bias.

Yasmin Rasul 12

The Thief Lord was wonderful book! I have only a small bit of criticism. I though the characters weren't described that well. The only thing that the author seemed intent on describing fully was the city of Venice, which she did, superbly. The fantasy/magic component emerged far to late in the book. Also, the moral at the end of the story is a fascinating one which really makes you think, but not enough of the story leads up to it. It comes very suddenly. I read this book after hearing it compared to Harry Potter. I found the two to be very different. This book is well worth reading, but if you are looking for more fantasy/magic type book(s) read Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings ( and other books related to it by J.R.R. Tolkein including The Hobbit, etc.), and His Dark Materials.

Blew me away. It has to be one of my favorite books that I have ever read, and I tend to be the picky type with books. Its about these two kids that run away from home to Venice because there parents told them that it was a magical place with roads made of water, and gargoyles fly over the skys. When they get there, there starving, no food, and nowhere to sleep, but a band of runaway kids help them through there problems. The leader of the band of run away kids goes by the name of "The Thief Lord." Very quickly, the main characters and the run away kids are in way over there heads on a magical adventure. This book keeps you wondering on what is going to happen next and making the book hard to put down.

-Dino

This one cool book. It is about two boy who have run away from thier aunt to a place in Italy called Venice. They make some freinds, enemies, and money along the way. But the money the Conte gives them is counterfit. Who is this mysterious Conte? Why the fake cash? And how did it all turn out? Read the Thief Lord to find out.

I expected a better secret for Scipio then him being the son of a rich man. It was all too easy to figure out after that. And it was slow going. On the back of the book, it says how charming the Thief Lord was, but I never found him remotely charming. He was likable enough, but I was hoping for a little more flair. The author spend too much time writing descriptions then developing characters. I also wish that the backgrouds of the other characters had been explored instead of just talked about slightly in passing. For example, why did Hornet run away? Or why did Victor feel so much sympathy towards the gang? these are constantly hinted at but never resolved. Plus the ending left that was yet to be resolved like what happens to Scipio after he becomes a detetive? etc. I wish there was another book about them so that I could learn more. Oh well. I still suggest you read it for it is still a good read for children and adults alike. Most of the characters are very believeable and likeable even if they are not developed much. Venice sounds like an exciting and beautiful place, and I hope to visit there someday. That would be really cool if in is anything like it is described in this book. Happy reading!

i thought that this book will be good for anyone. if you like mysteries, then this book is for you. there are some parts in the book that made me want to fall asleep when reading it, but i think that people other than me will like this book. its about 5 children that runaway to venice italy. i dont want to give away any important parts, so you'll have to read this book to find out more. like i said before, this book can be really good. its a page turner. and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. but in other times there are parts that you just wish were over!! but cornelia funke is an amazing author. she has written really good books. and i think that would recomend this book for anyone out there to read it. so go ahead.... try it. you'd be surprised.
(...). henson's first hour...

I absolutely loved this story. I listened to it on audio cds in the car and found myself taking the "long way" to hear more of the story. I'm completely impressed with the writing and creativity of the author. I like that it was completely unpredictable. I felt all emotions... It's a great mixture of adventure and it's pretty scary in some parts. Definately kept me interested from beginning to end. I also really enjoyed the narrator. In fact, I loved the story because of the narrator! Great character voices, etc. I give it 2 thumbs up!! A must have for your library.

I think this is the best book ever because of the characters and the suspence. The characters are great because you can relate to them because most of them are kids. This book is about two brothers that have escaped from their aunt and uncle. There is alot of suspence like when they heard about the mistical farris wheel. The book kept me thinking if they were going to find it or not.

I found this book at a sale we had at high school. Sure, I was a senior at the time, but I couldn't help but be drawn to it. I had never read any Cornelia Funke book before.

It started off a little strange and sure, I am old enough and read enough books that I figured out what was going on before it happened, but still, this was a great read.

My friends and family members are all younger than me, and if I was going to get them a book, I would pick this one up. It's not too hard to read, has some great writing style, the settings are superb, and the story is something that will not just catch your imagination, but drag you right into it.

Worth the money and worth the time to read. Pick it up.

I read this book after hearing some enthusiastic reports, and found that although some aspects were excellent, it was wordy, wandering, and unfocused. The atmospheric elements were quite well done, and some of the supporting characters were more interesting than those who were supposedly central to the plot....

As I was reading the first 50 pages of this book, I felt like putting it down. but then I absolutely loved it.

It was good because it was written with every great writers' tecnique. But it did have a ridiculously large amount of chapters, and sometimes it dragged. But, overall, a good book.

i loved this book i could not put it down. i got lost in the book every time i read! i loved all the charaters(prosper, bo,riccio, hornet, mosca, scipio) and even though those people arent real it would be great fun to live a life like that! i cryed when the book was over and ive read it 5 times so far.

I think The Thief Lord is a great book. It is about two brothers named Prosper and Bo who escaped from their evil Aunt Esther. The two brothers run away to Venice. There, they find a group of street kids and you'll find out how the group manage to survive.

The reason why I gave the book only a four stars is because the plot is nice but the dialogue and vocabulary is a little confusing. In The Thief Lord, Cornelia Funke uses many Italian words. In the back there is glossary of the Italian words. It's distracting to keep going back and forth frequently.

So, if you are thinking about buying a mystery/adventure book, pick up The Thief Lord! I can't speak for everyone, but for me it is a GREAT book!

I enjoyed this book. The last set of Corniela Funke books I read dragged on and never ended. This was the perfect mix of twists happening but not going on, and on.

I wish there was a little more character development. It had an unexpected fantasy/sci fi twist about 3/4's the way in I didn't expect.

It was a fun clean book that was fun to see what the kids would do next though.

This is the absolute best book I've ever read! I couldn't put it down. I read for 3 days...not including sleeping and I admit that I cut down on that to read this book! I brought it everywhere with me. I'm definately going to read it again and tell everyone of my friends about it!

The only thing that threw me off was that the book starts out seeming very real life until about Chapter 40 or so when the magical things start happening. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, in fact I love it! It was just a little confusing to me.

The point is that the setting in Venice, the distinct characters: Prosper, Bo, Scipio, Riccio, Mosca, Hornet, and Victor, and the entire plot are extremely page-turning. I love this book!

The Thief Lord is about two brothers: Prosper and Bo. Their parents died, and thier aunt wants to send Prosper to a boarding scool, and adopt Bo. They run away to Venice, and join a group of kid thiefs (whatever)led by someone who calls himself "The Thief Lord."Soon the thief lord gets a job of stealing some thing, and he takes it. A very good book.

A gripping read for both adults and children, will hold you hostage up until the last few chapters. The characters are well defined, have unique personalities that readers can relate to, and the plot masterfully develops in a graceful manner. Quickly, but unobtrusively the readers are brought into the life of the two young English brothers whose journey to remain together has brought them to Venice, and into the company of young thieves.

But it's not all stars and whistles! The second half of the book was a bit disappointing, although still gripping!

SPOILER BEGINS:
===============
I was really impressed by the read up until when the kids find out what the Thief Lord is really about. Scip, the Thief Lord finds himself in an awkward position with his friends. His character takes a turn too sharp from the strong leader he was initially presented as. His relationship at home with his father conflicts with the initial into of Scip readers got acquainted with.

Furthermore,

the sudden fondness that develops between the rich Madame, the kids, and the detective steals away points from the read in my opinion.. and even more so does the scheme to lure the aunt in adopting the turned-kid shop owner. The merry-go-round that changes age is a bit cliched, but its use in the book was nonetheless interesting.
============
SPOILER ENDS

Overall, a fun read especially for young teenagers.. My younger brother loves it and has read it multiple times.. I really liked it initially, but I didn't find very satisfying as a whole.

The Thief Lord is a great book about Prosper and Boniface, two runaways in the city of Venice. They get some help from a very mature 12 year old. Prop and Bo live an adequate life, but someone's on their trail...

I absolutely loved this book. I would recommend it to anyone 10+ years old who loves exciting realistic fiction. It's very hard to put down.

This is one of those books I call an "Eh" book. It not bad, but it's not great either. It's okay. I LOVE Cornelia's books. But this one failed to excite me. It has an interesting plot... but starts off slow. Most people will find it difficilt to follow. I highly reccomend to watch the movie before reading the book. That way you'll at least have an idea of what's going on.

Everyone was saying that this was a really good books and that I just HAVE to read it or I'll die, but personally, I think it wasn't that great. I mean, it's your basic story about two orphans who run away and join a gang when their parents die. They have to steal something or else they will be turned into the police, blah, blah... Its only unique element is the magical merry-go-round. I won't say anything about that except: weird, but a little funny. You won't be missing out if you don't read this.

As a thirty-something bookworm who enjoyed the Harry Potter books I've been making an effort to add more young novels (classics and new stuff) to my reading list. I'm so glad I chose this one. You'll be dreaming of Venice by the end of the frst chapter. It is simply enchanting.

You see, I love anime/manga and novels very much, and this was one of the best novels I have read, with good characters, plot, and great storytelling. Studio Ghibli/Hayo Mizaky movies also have these traits and the same sort of theme. So therfore, it would make a great Mizaky movie.

this book was good... but if you're not one of those readers who can sit out the boring beginning, then dont read it. Ill admit it was actually quite slow all the way till about pg 200! then you FINALLY start learning the plot. It's good, but i will tell you... if youre being sucked in by all this "similar to harry potter" [stuff], dont. It couldn't be any more different from harry potter!!! It's slower, less magical, and the story line isnt even close to being the same! But i guess its one ill remember... the ending will keep you satisfied though.

I thoroughly enjoyed the imagery in this book. It certainly made me want to visit Venice and see the beauty in person. The camaraderie between the children in this book is touching, and their relationship with Victor is nothing short of entertaining. Also - Hornet is awesome. She is a great role model for girls of all ages.

I liked the book "The Thief Lord". I liked it because it was adventurous. It kept me reading because it was a cliff hanger. It is a realistic book and I could make out a picture in my mind. There are no negative points about this book. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Inkheart is the best book I have ever read. I didn't want to put the book down whenever I was reading it, because every part of the book was interesting. It seemed as though I was in the book, like an audience, watching everything happen. The excitement of the book lasts for 534 pages, but I still want to read more.

How fun! Great page turner-great for all ages. Contemporary - Dicken's like tale of street urchins in modern Venice. Super characters-and some elements of fantasy.

This sixth grade teacher gives it two thumbs up!

Prosper and Bo, two brothers, two orphans who ran away from their far-from-perfect aunt and uncle, find themselves on the streets of Venice, the town that they have heard so many stories about from thier mother. They find Hornet, a long-haired bandit, and join her and the rest of the gang that lives in a movie theater and survive on stolen things, stolen by, who else, the Thief Lord. When the Thief Lord is asked to steal a priceless item from the biggest house in Venice, the gang unveils a dark secret of Scipio(the thief lord). And when you throw in a crazed aunt, a mysterious merry-go-round, a detective with a thousand false beards, and a few tortoises, you've got an unforgettable story!

this book is great for annyone who dosen't like to read. Though I like to read, my bff wanted to read it also. These 2 runaways run into a natorus Thief Lord who takes are of the in the star place along with 3 other orphens. Thier thief Lord has a big choie to make.

This book was wonderful! In the beginning I wasn't sure I would like it, but as it went along it was very entertaining. The plot, and characters, were written so well. I really enjoyed it and would highly reccomend it! I can't wait to see the movie!!

This is a great story of some runaway boys and the thief lord or the person that steals things to help out runaways etc. I think this a great book because before they even tell you the end they show you how much trouble each person could get in if their cover was blown. A definate school read.

This is a great book that I think everyone should read. The characters are really likeable and the plot is just fantastic. The book is about two orphans brother, the six-year-old Bo and 14 year-old Prosper. They run away to Venice Italy because of their evil Aunt and Uncle taking Bo away. Once there they meet a street and book smart girl runaway named Hornet, Ace pickpocket Ricco, Ace mechanic Masco and their leader Scipio A.K.A Thief Lord. The runway's are in trouble when Prosper and Bo's Aunt hire a detective to find them. There are also a lot of twists in the story that you would never have imagined. So for a great adventure and mystery book, read The Thief Lord!

I really like how the Thief Lord is an adventure story. It has lots of action and lots of mystery. I think The Thied Lord should be known all around the United States. It's a good book to help your mind learn how you feel sometimes.
- William (...)

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.

I don't particularly like it. Although the discriptions are nice, it's not that great. I had trouble getting through the first 3-4 chapters. I just bought it for the heck of it, seeing how it was "noticed" so much. But YOU shouldn't bother. It's a waste of money. Borrow it from the library. Save yourself some money.

A little slow to start, but by the 2nd or 3rd chapter, this book captures your attention and makes you want to keep reading. It is filled with suspense, mystery, humor, and fantasy. After I read it, I had my 13-year-old daughter (who does NOT like to read) read it. She didn't enjoy it nearly as much as my 11-year-old son, but she did have to agree it was entertaining. Small print, long book. Best for accomplished independent readers. It would also make a great read aloud.

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it. I am an adult who thought it might be fun to read some juvenile fiction. I imagine that late elementary and early secondary students will find it most charming. Things work out too neatly for the book to be considered realistic. It reminded me in places of my own kid fantasies about leading a life with kids in charge, where the grown ups were just miraculously out of the picture. It's worth the read--the descriptions of Venice are nifty, as are the magic device that's described later in the book--but it's got to be read as fantasy.

the book was good but there was some boring parts in that made me want to quit reading the book but otherwise it was the best book I have ever read. but you don't have to my word for it just read it you'r self.

AUSTIN ARMSTRONG

This book has been one of our all-time bedtime favorites. The characters are quirky and interesting, the setting in Venice wonderful to provoke sleepy imaginations, the adults, even when difficult, aren't too scary, and the chapter lengths are perfect. My two daughters, ages 10 and 7, have been equally enthralled by the story.

Our story begins with Victor Getz, a private detective. One day Victor is trying on a moustache when he gets some new clients. Meanwhile Prosper, Bo and Hornet are ducking and dodging in a crowded market street. Adventure from the first chapter on! Very well written.

I recently just finished reading this book, and it was probably one of the best books I've ever read! It has amazing characters like Prosper and Bo who escape to Venice, Italy because of the wonders they heard about the city. They quickly run into a gang of theives that is run by the Thief Lord.

I just couldn't stop putting the book down after every chapter, which quickly captured my attention every time. There are many secrets you find in this book and also many surprises!

This book is truly amazing and I reccomend it for anyone.

I picked up this book because the store 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.

This book is really good! I read this book because it was written by the same author as Inkheart and I loved Inkheart so I gave The Thief Lord a try, and I even liked it better then Inkheart! It's an awsome book, the charectors I think are the best. They each have there own personality. My favorite out of them have to be Prosper and Scipio AKA The Thief Lord. This book has a lot of exiting twists and turns. And I love the Venice setting. If you want an adventure, fantisy book, then this would be perfact for you! Every one will love this book! I know I sure do!

The Thief Lord by: Cornelia Funke is a clever and enchanting book. The characters are likeable and the plot is a good one. It's about two brother's who run away to Venice from there witchlike aunt who wants to adopt one of the brother's and take the other to a children's home. The brothers meet a gang of street kids that take them in. The leader is the Thief Lord who "steals" valuble items and has a mysterious secret. This book starts of a little slow but as you get farther into the book it is exiting and you want to read more. This is a good read that I highly recommend.

This is an amazing tale about six brave children living on the streets of Venice. Through their adventures, you are able to learn more about Venice. This book drew me into it within the first page. Highly recomended for all ages

I found that this book only seemed to be enjoyed by those who can easily keep up with the book and it's characters. As for me I found it very entertaining. The characters are developed well and the story runs smoothly.

My review is about The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. This book is about six kids that live in an old shutdown movie theater. The leader, the thief lord, steals things to trade for money. The kids try to steal a wing and trade it for five million lire. I would recommend this book to people who like to read long and challenging books.

As an avid reader, I rarely find a book that I can't bear to finish, but Thief Lord was almost tourture to read. The book was in the young adult section of my book store, but that must've been only for its length then its reading level. I'm 14, but I felt that I must be reading a book that should've been marketed towards the 8-11 group.

The book starts off well enough and the characters are nicely developed, until halfway through when the books begins a definite slack. Funke has a good base for a story but suddenly begins preceding at a snail pace with no real goal or event to look forward to. The caruousal is mentioned, but the plot seems to wander without knowing what to do with itself and leads the reader in endless circles for more then 50 pages. I haven't read other pieces of Ms Funke's work but I can say most certainly this book isn't worth the time of anyone over age 8. If you decide to take a chance on the Thief Lord I reccomend checking it out of the library rather then purchasing.

If you're looking for a good book to read, or a good review, read this. The plot is tottaly unreal, and it sucks so much, I couldn't even bear to finish this horrid book. If you're looking for a good book, and you're 7-9, read the Animorphs series. If you're 10-12, read the Inheritance series, or if you're 13+, read the Bartimaes trilogy. (Really a one star, if you haven't noticed.)

I first read the book when I was eight years old. I am now ten years old and I have read it twice. The story is about two orphans who run away to Venice and meet a mysterious boy who calls himself the Thief Lord. They go on an amazing adventure. I immediately liked the Thief Lord's character. He is cunning and daring. You will like this book if you enjoy mystery, humor, strong characters, and learning about new places. The Thief Lord is a great book and you can read it over and over again without it losing its amazing quality.

A fun story about a group of kids living on the streets in Italy, having adventures, and trying to elude a detective sent to track them down.
I purchased this book for my daughter who is a prolific 11 yr. old reader. It's a nice change of pace for her compared the other childrens series currently available.

Cornelia Funke does great is this book! The book has a great plot and i love the characters. I would recomend for kid 8-15. If you like this book try out her Inkheart and series for same age. Love the Book!!!!

This book is so great!!!Everyone should read it! It's about a boy who keeps his friends in a old movie theater in Venice, with a detective looking for them!!! It was so exciting I didn't want it to stop!!

I got this as an early Christmas present and it didn't look like much but once I finished the book I loved it!!!This book is about Prosper and Bo who run away to Venice, Italy and meet up with a street gang. I don't want to give toooooo much of the book away, but I still have some more to explain. There are great vivid verbs, adjectives to make you SEE what's happening in the book and an exciting, thrilling, fun and unpredictable storyline. I was soooo amazed when I read this book I just couldn't believe this came out of someone's brain. Cornelia Funke is a GENIUS!!!

I THINK THE BOOK WAS OK. IT WAS INTERESTING AT FIRST BUT THEN IT GOT OLD. I PERSONALLY LIKE FANTASY,ACTION,MYSTERY,AND HORROR. I LIKED HEARING ABOUT THE MERRY GO ROUND. WELL IT DIDNT DO ANYTHING FOR ME. IT DIDNT KEEP ME THINKING ABOUT IT FOR DAYS AS OTHER BOOKS DO. I SUGGEST YOU READ IT AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSLEF.

CAR0o ThE sTaR!

The Thief Lord is an excellent read. Very exciting, there is no lull in the action or plot. The Venician setting is perfect for the story and is portrayed almost perfectly. Although the story is predictable and the ending a bit choppy, The Thief Lord is a great read for those who favor books with excitement and a good plot.

I read this book on the recomendation that it was very much like Harry Potter. While it was well written and the story was decent, it was not as good as Harry Potter in that it is much more for kids. Adults will not take as much from this book as they will from HP.
If you are buying this for a kid, I would say go ahead and get it, because the story is good and its a good read. If you are a grown-up kid, though, perhaps another book would be better.

Having only seen the film, which I liked a lot, I was curious if, in the novel, Funke gives any credit to Ray Bradbury for using the carousel idea from Something Wicked This Way Comes. I figure it was an homage, or supposed to be the same carousel, junked, long after the events in SWTWC. If none of this is true, than she lifted the whole device straight out of the Bradbury novel.

This book is an excelent story. The only reason i gave it 4 stars is because of the end. I didn't like the part so much about 'the theif lord' growing up into an adult man and never being able to go back. Otherwise it is a book worth reading

This book has echos from Oliver Twist, but it is not the same story and it lacks the menagerie of villains. The plot is interesting and entertaining throughout and well worth the time required to read it.

I actually bought this book because I liked the cover and my name is on it. Unusual, but my book-choosing instincts has not failed me. It is a wonderful book. Although the beginning seemed abit like Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, the evolution of the story is quite unexpected. It's rather odd to see how Scipio could turn from being so great and respected to being so vulnerable and intimidating. And the description of Bo really did seem to make him look like an angel. And I could simply imagine Barborossa when he was turned into a kid. This book would look great if it were to be turned into a movie. This book should also not be compared to J.K. Rowling. Funke and Rowling both have their own styles.

I randomly picked this book up at the school library when I was in a hurry. I started to read it in, and I got really hooked. I loved it and finished it in two days. The book takes place in Venice Italy, and its about these two boys who have run away from their aunt, and join a group of runaway kids who are led by the Thief Lord. Meanwhile, their aunt hires a detective to look for the two boys. All the characters are really developed and the whole book and plot was interesting and fun. There is even some magic involved in the book. Its a really good story, and I highly recomend it to any readers!

The summary sounded intriguing, but it was the exact opposite. While I was trying to read it, I felt that it was forced. The only reason I read on was b/c I thought it was going to be something more.
While her style of writing doesn't appeal to me, I guess it is okay. Maybe some will enjoy it, but it will not be the next HP.

I have been a fan of Funke since reading this book. As a middle school teacher, I see students with her books frequently. They love them too. Inkheart gets a little dark, but is still an entertaining story. Get it, you'll like it.

I loved the inkheart series and dragon rider, but this book did not live up to those. It took forever to get into and then the plot lacked substance. I should go ahead and spoil the whole story and save you the time of reading it, but I won't. Just don't judge this author on this book. It is my least favorite of her books.

Have you heard of the Merciful Sisters, the Grand Canal, or the Basilica of Saint Marks Square? To find out about this stuff or haw a group of little kids captured a evil detective with a revolver, read the magnifacent Thief Lord.

This book was really good. but first I thought that it would be reallllllly boring!!!! if you look at the cover, it doesn't really look interesting.But if you really think about it, it does look pretty good.

Ok, now we can go on into the story part. There are these boys (orphans) named prosper & Bo. They are owned by thier two mean, Uncle and mean Aunt. they run away and now prosper can't find Bo.

This book has an amazing plot. My friends told me to read the book, but i was reluctant. After many late night readings i was finished. Prosper and Bo are two children stuck in the streets of venice. After a mysterious man named the Thief Lord takes the boys in all seems to be going well. The biggest hiest in history is about to take place, when the boy's rich aunt comes looking for them. Will the boys escape their aunt and find out who the Thief Lord really is? Read The Thief Lord to find out.

This book is an amazing adventure book that all ages can enjoy. Think about this story being about children runnning away and finding out a tromendous secret about their leader, The Thief Lord. You will have to find out your self about the amazing story that will unwind when you get really into this book. I as an eleven year old finished this book in 4 days but don't be fooled by the amount of time this book takes to read. You will be dumfounded by Ms. Funke's way of writing. Tyler, 11

I had a unusual feeling while reading this book. Let me explain. As I started reading the beginning of the book I said to myself "this is pretty good...really good infact." Is I got to the middle of the book I said to myself "this is really good...excelent in fact." Then after I finished the book I said to myself "that was the stupidest book I ever read."

Now I know that you are probably going to buy this book because all the other reviews make it sound heavenly, but it isn't. For some people it might, but for me, and I assume a lot of others, this book is a waste of time.

You have to be asking yourself "what made him have such a great change of heart," and this is the reason:

The book starts out like a normal world. It is located in Vinice and outlines the life of two runaways. These runaways meet a "thief lord" (if you've read the book you know why I put quotations). This lord gives them all kinds of stuff, and helps them survive. Anyway I don't want to ruin it for you even though I KNOW you aren't going to read this.

So the world is a normal one. You have to be saying "why is he saying the world is a normal one all the time." The reason is that infact it isn't, and by the end of the story the book changes from a fun, action packed drama into a fantasy story. This change doesn't work and because of it, makes reading the whole story a waste of time. I hope you listen to me because I know you have better things to do than read this book.

Oh and if you read Jewel Allie's review, you will find that she agrees with me.

If u like nonfiction then u will love this book.This book is about a group of kids that steal w/ a detective on thier tail. They Get him and I do mean the get him. They discover something wonderfully magical. U will love this book if u like suprises. I dont usually read books but this book is off!!!! It made me laugh & I was amazed at the stuff that happened because I never would have guessed it. It is an AWESOME book. I read this book 4 school & I loved If u like to get into a book an read something amazing then u will LOVE this book.

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!

This book is very well written. I read it in about 2 weeks, its well worth the $. You really get attached to the charactors. Its on my top 3 favs.

1. Enders Game

2. House of the red scorpin

3. Thief Lord.

this book is so good it is filled with mystery and betrayal. if you have ever read on of her books you know that she is an excellent writer. there is a guy named scipio who calls himself the thief lord but is this true you have tofind out

I picked up this book as I was intrigued by the title and the cover. Reading the book left me feeling just as dreamy as the cover did upon first seeing it. Set in the beautiful locale of Venice, the story follows two brothers and the band of abandoned misfits children that they have taken up with, while living in an old abanonded theatre.

I found The Thief Lord to be a very interesting read. Yes, there were some parts that I did not understand, but, overall it was very good. Not up to Jo Rowling's Harry Potter, which I have read many times and love.
Also, I was also told it was a fantasy book but the only fantasy part was at the very end.
I am going into 6th grade, 11 years old, and I listened to The Thief Lord
by Cornelia Funke on an Audio Cd.

This is a suspenseful novel with the main characters of Mosco, Spicio, Riccio, Hornet, Prosper and Bo. In this book you will read about the mischievous, slightly crazy and suspenseful adventures of the Thief Lord.

If you're looking for a page turner, go to the next book. I prefer exciting, story engrossing tales, and this one didn't quite take me to where I think the author wanted me to go. Even with Venice, Italy as the back drop and a troupe of unfortunate, trouble-finding kids, at the end of it I still felt unfulfilled.

This is an intriguing book that often has mysteries and conflicts that are hard for the characters to deal within the book. It is suspenseful and has a certain sense of adventure. i would like to recommend this to anyone who enjoys seeing what they read and have a vivid imagination.

I read to my children (11 and 8). I have been frustrated by [some of the more publicized] and similar books because they give my children nightmares. The Theif Lord story is captivating without the nightmare inspiring darkness. It is fun to read and children love it. One complaint - my children would beg me every night to read "one more chapter". Highly recommended!

This is a great book for readers of all ages. The main characters, two runaways, are as loveable as their aunt is awful. The only reason they ran away was because their aunt would only take in one of the two brothers when their parents died. They run away to the magical city of Venice and discover something that might solve their parental problem forever.

I thought that "The Thief Lord" was a pretty good book. It got my attention in the begining when you find out that the kids are on there own and they moved into an abandoned movie theater with a couple of other kids that ran away like themselves. They live of one person that they call, Thief Lord. He goes out and steals things and the kids get all the money from these stolen goods. Then they take a job and get into some trouble. It was very exiting and made you want to read on.

As an 8th grade class at my school we read The Thief Lord and were able to meet the author when she came to America to visit only 3 schools. She was just as wonderful as her book. It will pull readers into the mysterious world of Venice to join a group of thieves. It is full of humor, mystery, and adventure. I would recommend this book to readers of all ages!!

This book was as well written as the world itself. This book was one of the best books I've ever read. This is a spellbinding story. I think I'll read it again it was so good.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OTHER AUTHORS I READ:

Ted Dekker,Christopher Paulinie,Cornelia Funke,Dan Brown,Frank Perretti. (I LOVE SUSPENSE BOOKS)

If you are reading this review remember, DO NOT READ THE THIEF LORD. Cornelia Funke is a good writer, but this is just a huge 300 plus book of complete crud. Well, not not the whole book.

It starts out when you hear a private investigater takes on a case of finding two boys in Venice. Those boys are working with the thief lord. They eat, sleep, and steal. The thief lord is hardly seen at all and returns with lots of loot, alone. The sepense keeps going up and up...until a point in the story.like a roller coaster at it's highest point, the value of the book. plumments drasticly. Cornelia needs to learn not to mix fantasy and a realistic fiction. Brewing that together makes a crumby book.

I am a typical 14 year old who doesnt usually enjoy reading. When I was asked to do a book report in english class I was bummed. I remember my 8th grade teacher telling me about The Thief Lord soo I picked it up and it realy caught my attention. Now usually I never acually finish a book but with this book I finished it way before I thought I would finish it. I'm going to read more books by Cornelia Funke becase they are really enjoying. I recomed The Thief Lord to YOU!

2 kids's mother died. There evil aunt wants only one of them. the 2 kids ranaway. They met some new friends, and had plenty of money. They then find out a secret about their friend Scipio. they then make a deal with this guy for loot. They then take a ride on the mysterious merry ground, after that every thing changes. This book was great.

This is such a great book I cant even begin to explain how much I liked it. I think that Cornelia Funke is very talented and that her books are very charming,fresh and enjoyable (exept Dragon Rider) I dont know what happend there, anyway I think that this is a great book and everyone who reads it will VERY much enjoy it.

I don't particularly like it. Although the discriptions are nice, it's not that great. I had trouble getting through the first 3-4 chapters. I just bought it for the heck of it, seeing how it was "noticed" so much. But YOU shouldn't bother. It's a waste of money. Borrow it from the library. Save yourself some money.

The Thief Lord is a book I did for my bookreport. I found the first few chapters a little slow. But this made it more suspensful. When a long chapter came I wasn't excited. Those long chapters turned out to be great! When I got somewhere really exciting I couldn't put the book down! I liked the style used to write this book. It may be long... but it's worth it!!!!!

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

I was greatly disappointed by this book. Funke didn't write it as well as the praise for her book suggest. The book just didn't have the qualities that I love in other books had and what we, the readers, have come to expect from books like Ms. Rowling's. It didn't have the suspense, the action, or the mystery that it should have either.

This book is fantastic. It has loads of interesting descriptions and is a real page-turner. It's almost as if your with the characters that live in the abandoned movie theater. You get to learn about the mysterious Thief Lord and be very surprised at the way the story ends. The author makes you laugh, scream and has you stay up all night. A MUST READ BOOK!

This is a good book for a younger audience. The characters are engaging and engage in activities that the younger set would find interesting. For those of us who have read Ray Bradbury, however, it is very disappointing that a big part of the plot relies on something he has already done much better.

The book starts out strong, with engaging characters who made me want to learn more about them, and a dramatic but well-motivated conflict. The momentum carries on almost throughout the book. Yet though the characters are strong and diverse enough to come to grip with these challenges, the author solves all of their problems -- literally by magic -- at the last moment, robbing the reader of the chance to fully enjoy the book. Some other books by the same author - including Dragonrider - are much more consistent, but I advise that you shy away from The Thief Lord.

this book is great very imaginitive just like her other book

"inkheart"one of my favorites and i am soon to read dragon rider

i love this author and the chicken house company.I recomend any chicken house or cornelia funke books she will soon translate

other books from her home country germany.

It was an OK book, if you like books where 5 years olds become aspiring thieves =(. Well anyway I better review it:

The book starts when a wealthy lady come to Victor a Private Investigatior with a request to find her nephews. He accepts and eventally finds them, and begins to like them yada yada yada....

You know what happens...They escape with the help of their friends...Everything turns out for the better...Typical Pre-Teen book...

A review by artemis11

This book starts out believable, but then ends improbably in a weird merry go round chase. It was too easy of an ending and not very interesting. Plus, side characters like Hornet deserved more attention. And, the main characters didn't really seem to act like kids...how many kids REALLY would run away to Venice? If magic was going to be involved, (and it's also weird to have it thrown in at the end in a world with out any other magic) they should have been sent there somehow by magic. That at least would make it more interesting. If you want to read a GOOD Italian fantasy, read Stravaganza, The city of Masks. While not strictly set in Venice, it's just as good and way more engaging.

I liked the book but there where some parts that where boring and made me want to quit reading the book but when I got past the boring parts it made me to not want to quit reading the book. You don't have to take my word for it read it your self.

(...)

I completely recommend this book. I absolutely enjoyed the adventure. Without giving away the story, and where I'm a new "review writer", just trust me when I say, READ THIS BOOK!!!! I like that I was always kept in suspense as to what was coming next. I enjoy books where I cannot guess what the ending might be, and this one did the job. There was humor, suspense, struggle between adversary and hero, a change in heroes, mystery... An absolutely fascinating book! Buy it.

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.)

I read this to see what all the clatter was about on this book. I had heard good things about it, and after reading it and falling asleep in the middle of several chapters, and forcing myself to finish, I found out that I did not really care for the story or the style it was written in. I found it hard to read and keep up with the different characters. It would get started on a fairly good part, and then the bottom would fall out, and I was left wondering where the stuff of the story actually was. The really good parts are few, and the rest drag on way too long. Now I know why my son did not finish. If it can't keep a 41 year old even mildly entertained, how can it keep a nine year old boy interested?

The Thief Lord by:Cornelia Funke is a overall pretty good and well written book. I was prepared for a book that you can't put down and is addictive. The Thief Lord is almost like that. If you have to say the this book is good or bad I would say good. I nearly could say I loved it and I'm sure you'll say the same. To put it in short, I think you should buy this book.

this was a very good book. i got it when i was in sixth grade and loved it! I never thought it would turn out to be a great book; the writing is amazing, and the text paints a picture in my head! Cornelia Funke sure gets funky here!

I first learned about this book last December 2002 and decided to buy it on December 23, 2002. After reading the first two chapters I was already hooked up. The story was great! Just like Harry Potter and the Wind of Fire Trilogy, it has breathless adventures and a nice plot.

cornelia funke is an exellent writer but i didnt really like the book there are parts that are exelent and parts that were boring but over all i really liked the story behind it all but in the words of reading rainbow dont take my word for it

ben ms hensons first hour

It is the awesomest book ever!!!!!!!!!!! I was very entertained. I reccomend it so highly roald dahl would be astounded! Buy this book with no regrets. Trust me. It. Is. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yup. It's cool. I read it and I give it 5 stars. My wife read it and she gave it 4 1/2. My sons read it and gave it 5 stars, and my youngest, my daughter, at the age of 12, gave it 4 1/2 (She obviously takes after her mother). So, yeah.

Well written adventure and magic rolled into one. Recommended by my 10 year old granddaughter, it was still filled enough with intrigue to keep me engaged. Recommend it for anyone who loves watching ingenuity grow.

The book came with in the thime i said it would arive. I have read the book many times and simply fell in love with it so i had to have it. It was worth the money. The book was also in perfect condition.

This is a wonderful and enlightening story, the first I have read by Cornelia Funke. I enjoyed reading about Venice as I had visited the enchanting city before. I was thoroughly impressed and look forward to reading her other books!

Pickpocketing, spending counterfeit money, and running away to live in an abandoned movie theater seem to be acceptable behavior for a child according to Cornelia Funke. I got so excited when I heard "The Thief Lord" was the next Harry Potter but, unfortunately, I found that it was all hype. This book runs on longer than a marathon with lots of unnecessary, stupid plot changes. Cornelia Funke introduces some pretty far-fetched ideas in a merry-go-round that can change a person's age, and two sensible adults who take in five juvenile deliquents. This book was, over all, a waste of five hours of my life and next time I hear that a book is the quality of Harry Potter, I hope I won't be so disappointed. I advise parents not to buy this book for their children and nobody should ever call this book "the next Harry Potter."

I was very happy with the condition of the Thief Lord on CD. It was like BRAND NEW! It took a little longer to get than I had thought it would, but not a big deal. I would purchase from this site again.

The Thief Lord is a good book. Very exciting, there is no lull in the action or plot. The setting is perfect for the story and is portrayed perfectly. The story is predictable and the ending a bit choppy, but the Thief Lord is a good read.

This is the best book I've ever read. I love reading and I have read many, many great books but none of them have been better than The Thief Lord! It's a great read, and it kept my intrest the entire time!!!

i had heard that the thief lord was an outstanding children's book and it turned out to be nothing of the kind. The author starts the story at a strange place, and uses back story to explain the origin of the thief lord. the titular character gets lost because of this. the story lacks the element of realism that strong fantasy has.
also, the book is very predictable. i guessed who the thief lord was very early on.
the whole story switched in the middle from being a book about a bunch of runaways and their stuggle to escape capture to being about a magical merry-go-round. this really comes out of left field and is very unappealing. Funke is a poor writer and i can't belive this book garnered such acclaim. it's not even as good as Holes, which also was an unexciting book. the thief lord did not capture my imagination at all.

This books was SLOW. It wasn't until the last 1/4 of the book before it actually started to hold my interest. The only reason I finished this book was so I wouldn't feel so bad for spending the money I did on this book.

I would give it one star. No more, maybe less. but you cant go any lower according to the store.com, now can you?

I gave this book to my dear friend, rejectsgirl13, after reading it, claiming it was a wonderful book. really, it was pretty darn good when i only read it once. I didn't pay much attention to the details until 'sil came back to me and proclaimed she had just read the same story line by a MUCH better author. Oh wait, did Funke just COPY Ray Bradbury or are our ingenious minds deceiveing us? I picked up Something Wicked This Way Comes and immeadiatly threw Funke's book away. I refuse to ever read anything of her's again. DON'T TOUCH IT!!! IT IS EVIL AND FAKE AND COPIED! I finally decided to give her a second chance and picked up Inkhart, before immeadiately throwing it back down in disgust too. *hisses* She can't help taking something from another book, whether copyrighted or not. She has NO new ideas. Read something half decent for a change people. I will not make any suggestions; that is for you to find out.

I absolutely loved it. I fell in love with Scipio and almost cried when I found out he wasn't the big, arrogant thief that I thought he was. Full of mystery and suspence with lots of action. Just a wonderful book.

if you plan on reading this book in public. It is not, as some reviewers have said, anything like the ''Harry Potter'' series. There are several scenes and conversations that simply have no point or are not tightly woven in with the rest of the plot line. There are conversations in which one of the characters teases another about how she is going to tickle him. You can guess how the story will end halfway through it. And if you bother reading that far, the end is just a big club the author uses to hit you over the head with her ''moral of the story.'' This is good stuff for a first-grader who doesn't have any video game skills.

ok, first of all, i would just like to say that when i first read this, i thought it was just ok, not really anything worth reading again, but not something to throw down in utter disgust either. If i had rated this book then, i probably would've given it either 3 or 4 stars. but then, sometime after that, i read Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury...ahem..yes Ms./Mrs. Funke, the carousel idea HAS been used already by someone with much better writing talent...Ray Bradbury, in fact. The same genius who wrote Fahrenheit 451. Next time, Cornelia should stick to an original piece, not some second rate copy of an idea. anyone with morals would do the same.

THIS BOOK WAS SOOOOO BORING THAT I FELL ASLEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF IT! IT IS (...) TOOOO FAIRY TALE ISH AND IS SOOO FOR A YOUNGER AUDIENCE. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR PEOPLE IN THE 5TH GRADE AND UP BECASUE IT WAS (....) BORING. ONCE AGAIN I WOULD RATHER EAT MY FOOT!

one page, and i was lost. ONE PAGE!

but from what i hear, i think the carousel is stolen from Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes", it altered age and i feel Funke is known for stealing other's work. consider Dragon Rider, hmmmm....Eragon, perhaps?