"The Thief Lord"-- Cornelia Funke

In an earlier book by "Inkheart" writer Cornelia Funke, two orphaned brothers who refuse to be separated, escape to hide out on the streets of Venice. They eventually join up with other runaways and orphans who run with the "Thief Lord", a 12 year old boy named Scipio, all of whom live in an abandoned run down theater. Scipio steals from the wealthy to keep his gang clothed and fed. When a pawn shop owner asks him to steal a wooden ring that will complete an old carousel, that's when the plot becomes interesting. Like "Inkheart" I found the pace to be slow, though the story is very well written. But my interest didn't really peak until the end, when they learned the true nature of the carousel, and the magic that it holds. I'm not sure the book will hold interest for children younger than 12, as it is longer and slow. It may be because the book was actually translated from German, or perhaps I found it too descriptive (she carefully and fully paints the underworld of Venice the children live in)...I'm not sure. But I did like the ending to the book, and it is an enjoyable story.

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Cornelia Funke