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After their mother and father die, Prosper and Bo find themselves in the not-so-nice care of their Aunt. Prosper plans an escape and he and Bo set off to Venice, their mother's favorite place in the whole world. Once there they find a home among a gang of thieves - or really, orphans who have a clever young master who steals fancy and expensive objects under the cover of a bird's mask. Then these items are sold, and the children use the money to provide food and clothes for themselves. Prosper and Bo immediately find a home among these young thieves. Then one day the group's most faithful buyer, Barbossa, tells the Thief Lord of someone who needs a talented thief to steal something for him - in exchange for a lot of money. The thief, Scipio, and his daring troupers are up for the dangerous task, as well as the mystery that is behind the wooden angel's wing they are about to steal.
This book fascinated me - it's a very original idea, with lots of great characters, adventures, schemes, and lessons to be learned. It is magical. It has depth. I fell for the characters quickly.
Cornelia Funke has always inspired me. From The Princess Knight, one of her picture books, to her Ink-trilogy, she has always written wonderful stories that can relate to all ages. I recommend this book heartily. Whether you are a six-year-old boy wanting a thrilling adventure or a sixty-year-old woman wanting to relive the adventures that come with being a child, this book will sweep you up and always be faithful to give you a good adventure.
yearningtoread on blogspot
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I read this with my eleven year old daughter and we both liked it a lot. The writing and story line are both good, but I wouldn't say great. The big appeal of this book is the kid fantasy of living without grown ups. I loved that kind of stuff as a kid and it brought back all my memories of childhood games about secret hideouts and outwitting grown ups. There was also a bit of Robin Hood in the story and a great setting to boot. Well worth reading for any kid or any grown up who likes remembering childhood.
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I bought this book for my 10 year old son last year. He loved it so much he wanted me to read it too. I did and I loved it. Great story.
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In the magical underworld of Venice, Italy, there are hidden canals and crumbling rooftops. This is a novel about Prosper and Bo, two little boys escaping their awful guardians. They meet a mysterious "Thief Lord" who has a dark secret, that will soon embark them on a journey that changes their course of destiny.
My favorite part is when the Thief Lord's dark secret is revealed, and trust is being weighed between him and his group of friends. This is an adventurous fantasy book but at the same time teaches about friendship, loyalty, and trust. Without one adventure or the other, it won't make such of a good book.
I think 5-7th graders should read this book mostly because it teaches about friendship and who or when to trust. Especially when growing up, you would still need some adventure in you but at the same time know what's happening in life. -- Chou-Chou
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The Thief Lord
Being a child is like being a car, when there's a driver all goes well and the car gets to the destination but if there is no driver the car is on its own, but the car still has to get to the destination. So it's forced to make decisions for itself which it's terribly unequipped to do. The same thing goes for orphans, without a parent there is no guidance. This situation falls on Prosper and Bo like an anvil. They did have the option to live with their evil aunt, but sometimes the car is better off alone than in a crash with a reckless driver. To escape his devastating future Prosper takes Bo to Venice; a city they dream of so often. Soon the scary reality of being alone in a strange city seem to vaporize as they meet their soon to be family Mosca, Ricio, Hornet, and, most importantly, Scipio, or the Thief Lord. The only way they survive and thrive in Venice of all places is their constant stream of money all donated ever so generously by the Thief Lord.
Things start to shake up as Prosper and Bo's aunt appears, pocket full of money directed straight to the source of Bo's capture and Prosper's as well. An old rich signora like Esther wouldn't go chasing around little kids. No, she has people for that. Her reluctant people are Victor the snoop and the carabinieri or police. Life seems to go as normal as being a street orphan could be until Scipio gets an unusual request from Barbarossa that the Conte wants him to steal an unusual wooden wing. Normally they would have thought nothing of it, but the stakes were high as well as the money. Five million lire; there must be a catch. Well there is; the wing they're after is no ordinary wing at all.
This book will blow you away, there's not only mystery in this book but a whole other world where anything is possible. I would recommend this book to all who like a good mystery and some adventure. This book is an easy four out of five mostly because while it's still a great book, it's predictable and some parts are boring. Other than that you should read this book if you want to know what the wing is for, what Victor the snoop finds and how Prosper and Bo escape the grasps of Esther.
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