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You are invited to blog about the mystical and mysterious international bestseller Herr Der Diebe-The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. For at least one post, think about the following as you react to this spellbinding novel:
o qualities of outstanding children’s literature
o literary Elements including-
 intriguing/confusing/unexpected passages and plot-twists
 strong characterization
 themes
 imagery
 integration of fantastical elements into the real-world setting of Venice

I have finished a little over half of The Thief Lord and I have enjoyed it so far. Funke uses a lot of great imagery which I love. She also does a good job of leading the reader to believe characters are set in their ways. When in reality, they end up changing for the good. By that I’m mainly talking about Victor. In the beginning of the book he seemed to be out to get Prosper and Bo no matter what. But by the middle of the book whenever he is captured by the kids, you find out he really does want to help them. He even lies to Prosper’s aunt and tells her that Prosper and Bo have left Venice. I have to admit though, no matter how nice he continues to become, he seems a little strange to me. I think it is a little weird when he is introduced to us in the beginning while he is trying on high-heeled boots and camouflages in his spare time, even though I know disguises are necessary to his line of work. Also he is overly attached to his two turtles and they seem to take up most of his thoughts outside of detective work. But all of that aside, I was not expecting the first twist of the novel. I don’t want to spoil the surprise for someone else who might read this. I’ll just say that when Victor goes to talk to the owner of the Stella, I was expecting him to find the address to the theatre and nothing more. I’m eager to find out what the next surprise will be and who The Conte really is when the children go to give him the wooden wing.

I must say that I am a very slow reader and in order for a book to keep my interest the beginning needs to be entertaining. I am finding that it is too slow for me in the beginning. I know that things are going to start happening because the book is setting everything up. I just want the thing or things to actually happen!! The author has developed great characters which make the book fun but right now something is missing for me to say I LOVE the book. I do like it and feel it is a great read for fifth grade reading level. This book offers a lot of description and the student must be able to comprehend the text to be able to fully understand the story. When I write paper I very often lack description and imagination. So by reading this book it makes me want to write more descriptive because the story is more interesting. The author makes it look so easy to write the way she does but in reality it takes a special person to write like she does. I feel kids would like this adventure but also this adventure could turn into reality for a kid that reads this. A kid could be having troubles at home and just want to run away. So after reading this book, they see that running away can be fun. And since Prosper and Bo can do it and survive they might feel they could too. I am just being devil's advocate here. I not really sure that it would happen but I guess anything can!

I must say that I am a very slow reader and in order for a book to keep my interest the beginning needs to be entertaining. I am finding that it is too slow for me in the beginning. I know that things are going to start happening because the book is setting everything up. I just want the thing or things to actually happen!! The author has developed great characters which make the book fun but right now something is missing for me to say I LOVE the book. I do like it and feel it is a great read for fifth grade reading level. This book offers a lot of description and the student must be able to comprehend the text to be able to fully understand the story. When I write paper I very often lack description and imagination. So by reading this book it makes me want to write more descriptive because the story is more interesting. The author makes it look so easy to write the way she does but in reality it takes a special person to write like she does. I feel kids would like this adventure but also this adventure could turn into reality for a kid that reads this. A kid could be having troubles at home and just want to run away. So after reading this book, they see that running away can be fun. And since Prosper and Bo can do it and survive they might feel they could too. I am just being devil's advocate here. I not really sure that it would happen but I guess anything can!

After reading the first half of the book I found myself really enjoying the book and wanting to continue reading to find out what will happen next to the loveable characters. I really like the pace of the book and the way that it has many surprises to keep the reader interested. I also really like the use of imagery and how well she describes the landscape of Venice to children who most likely have not been and have had limited exposure to it. But I wonder if some of Cornelia Funke's more vivid imagery would be lost on some children and confuse them. I also liked how the reader could learn more about the characters through their reactions to the events that occurred and the decisions they made when they were faced with certain situations. I think that this book has many characteristics of a good children's book because of the diversity of the characters in the book. Their varied physical appearances and personalities also allow for all different kinds of children to be able to relate to one or more of the characters. It also allows for the reader to learn about a city in a foreign country. One problem I have with the layout of the book is that the glossary of Italian words is in the back of the book and something I did not discover until I was well into the book. I wish this would have been in the beginning of the book or there would have been some sort of footnote telling the reader it was back there so I would have been able to refer to it as I came across the Italian words in the text.

I have read up to about page 117 and I was just sorely disappointed with the revalation with Scipio. I had a hunch from the beginning that Scipio was not really an orphan or a child with an unfortunate life, and I was ready to blog about it, but the secret was revealed before I could blog about it. This has given me mixed feelings about the book. I feel like Scipio is keeping a lot from the other kids and it's unfair to them. He does take very good care of them but now I think of Scipio as some little rich kid that just wants to have some extra fun on the side to defy the rich lifestyle he lives in.

But I completely love the way Cornelia Funke describes Venice and the way she utilizes the city as the children's playplace. I feel like I know Venice now because of all of the description in the book. The descriptive words and terms she uses, such as 'splashing', 'slurping', and 'gurgling' and the sentence "And then there was the gentle whisper of the city." She makes Venice seem like a woman who is watching over the city and the children. She makes things happen for them to help them hide when they need it.

It is so easy for the group to escape from Victor. I do feel so extremely sorry for him because of what Hornet did to him in the square, but I also don't want him to catch the kids either. I am very curious as to what will happen next since Victor now knows where their hideout is. I cannot wait to see what happens next in this story.

I finished the entire novel, and I have to say that I LOVED this book! While reading, I realized that if I were a child, I would have been absolutely enthralled at the idea of a group of runaways who squander and steal to survive and live on their own without any adults to aid them. The plot hits on a fantasy that I am sure many kids have thought about at one point in time. What surprised me the most about the book was when I realized that Scipio was the son of a wealthy man. In the beginning of the novel his character is portrayed as all-knowing and he is so confident for such a young child. I was honestly disapointed to find that he only stole items from his own house. From that point on, the Thief Lord's character seemed to change. He was more cowardly and acted more like a child than an adult. I feel like Cornelia Funke did an amazing job of incorporating a sense of family into her novel, even though it was about a group of homeless runaways. The children became a family unto themselves and they were always helping each other. For example, Hornet took on a motherly role, and constantly cared for Bo and the others. Prosper was an excellent example of a responsible older brother. He did everything he could to keep Bo safe, and tried his hardest to steer him away from dishonest actions, like stealing. Even though the group of children did not seem like a "traditional" family, they cared for each other like one.

So far, I have read most of the book. I am not completely done with it but I feel that this is an excellent book. The author uses many literary elements to help develop the story and make it an enveloping read. Funke's characterization is very strong. The Temple text describes characterization as "the art of creating people out of words on the page". It also states that strong characterization is done so that the reader feels like he or she has gotten to know another person. I have read very few books where I feel connected to the characters and am affected by what happens to them in the book. In The Thief Lord I feel that Funke did a great job of characterization because I have been greatly affected by the occurrences of this book. For example, when they come back to their hiding place and Bo and Hornet are missing, I really felt scared for them and sad for Prosper. It is a great thing to be so involved in what happens in a book that your own emotions begin to spring forward. I feel that is the work of a great author.

I can honestly say that this book has become one of my favorite books. As I was reading it, I could not put down! Funke uses so much strong imagery to make the reader feel as if he or she is actually there. I really got an amazing picture of Venice in my head while reading this book. I also felt really connected to the characters. I was truly concerned for them during some parts of the book and at other times, I wanted to lecture them. She also does great job of including the literary element of intriguing, unexpected passages and plot-twists. There were quite a few of those! One passage that I found to be the most unexpected was when the children discovered Scipio was not an orphan, but a wealthy child. Another unexpected event was when the Prosper and Scipio went back to the Isola Segretta and found that the merry-go-round really did work. I was very excited while reading the book as an adult, I know that children would be just as or even more excited.

Ok, this book is amazing. I finally got to that "NO WAY" spot. Who knew Scipio was a little rich boy who has everything he wants? I knew he had a little secret, but I didn't expect it to be that. I seriously went "NO WAY!" to myself when I found out who his father was. I'm a slow reader, so I'm hoping I can finish this book by Wednesday, so I'm taking every bit of down time to finish it. I'm really anxious to find out how the "job" will go, and just how they will get away with it...if they do. I'm also excited to see how Victor will handle all of this. He seems to be falling for these children and I think he's going to become emotionally attached and let Prosper and Bo go. He may even help out the rest of the runaways. I'm ready to find out. More will come later after I've finished. So far, I'm in love with this book.

When you look at the points made in our Temple book about qualities of outstanding children’s literature, Cornelia Funke has written an OUTSTANDING book. She teaches the kids what Venice is like when she describes the city to us. Not many kids know about Venice so when an author writes about a place like this they are expanding their imagination of the world. Another great thing that she does that I really love to see in stories is that she teaches the kids a lesson. At the same time she does not over do it! One lesson that I think she teaches is to always tell the truth. For the thief lord he had a secret and in the end his secret hurt him and his friends! I enjoyed each character that she introduced to us because she allows us to be able to relate to them. She made the characters believable to where we go out and match everyday people with each character in her novel. Now with literary elements her plot was huge. She kept the reader on his/her toes! Once you think the book might be done or that you have figured things out, she throws you a curve ball. This is what is going to keep the kids from just throwing the down or even just simply reading it and not enjoying it. Books like this one can encourage the kids that books are fun and exciting you just have to find the right one. I did mention in my first post that the book was just ok. I do believe that the book did get better but I also feel that there are even more exciting books out there. I am not exactly sure what caused me not to love this book. The only thing I can think of is that too much happened and I might have felt it dragged on, but along with that I felt she needed to include everything that she did. The book would have been incomplete if she did not write it like she has. So in other words I just cannot pin-point what I did not like about the book. Overall when looking at the criteria for a good book she has covered all her bases. She had strong characters, great imagination for the reader, and she intertwined fantasy with real-world, which is extremely difficult.

I am about halfway through this book and I have mixed feelings. I am really enjoying the plotline that Funke is carrying. The idea of all these runaways roaming the streets of Venice is so captivating. If I was in 5th grade reading this, I would be estatic. As a college student reading this it blows my mind to think of how these precious kids are living all alone. The reason I have mixed feelings on this book is I am having a hard time getting completely wrapped in the pages. I feel as if the beginning was semi-slow and almost predictable but at the same time I would find myself wondering what was next. Maybe I am just a slow reader or this entire long labor day weekend with ASU winning has captured more of my attention. I am heavily confused about Scipio. The fact that he is around the age of 12 or 13, close to the age of the others, and their leader is strange. I have yet to read others comments on this page because the reaction Dr. Frye has about this book is huge and I dont want to blow the story. I love that Funke captures Venice. Since reading the last book, Venice has been on my mind. She uses an entire new outlook to give you the impression of what Venice is truly like. My favorite character so far is Hornet. She just seems to be so witty and on top of things. I'm going to continue to read hopefully getting more enthralled in the book as the story hopefully picks up a little!

Halfway into this book, I had read at least three seperate "NO WAY" parts. Funke really captured my attention, there were so many turns and twists just in the first half of the book that I could not wait to read the rest. Though the novel looked pretty thick, the reading went by quickly due to the suspense aspect of the story. I love the plotline of having children who run away to the great city of Venice and become part of this family of streetkids who survive by relying on their "thief lord" to provide a life for them by stealing. Who knew that Scipio was leading seperate lives and leading his friends to believe he was this great almighty "thief lord" when in fact he was from a priveledged family. I can see how a child in the upper elementary grades would be excited about reading this novel. This novel is an exciting way to learn factual information about Venice, and also is just a plan fun book to read.

Halfway into this book, I had read at least three seperate "NO WAY" parts. Funke really captured my attention, there were so many turns and twists just in the first half of the book that I could not wait to read the rest. Though the novel looked pretty thick, the reading went by quickly due to the suspense aspect of the story. I love the plotline of having children who run away to the great city of Venice and become part of this family of streetkids who survive by relying on their "thief lord" to provide a life for them by stealing. Who knew that Scipio was leading seperate lives and leading his friends to believe he was this great almighty "thief lord" when in fact he was from a priveledged family. I can see how a child in the upper elementary grades would be excited about reading this novel. This novel is an exciting way to learn factual information about Venice, and also is just a plan fun book to read.

The Thief Lord pg. 191-192
“Prosper could feel the snow in his hair, wet and cold. He remembered a faraway time, and an almost forgotten place. He remembered a hang gently wiping snow from his hair. He stood there, between Hornet and his little brother, and lost himself in this memory for a few precious moments. He realized to his amazement that remembering didn’t hurt so much anymore. Perhaps it was Bo and Hornet standing by his side, warm and familiar.”

This is my favorite passage from The Thief Lord. It is so descriptive. It was one of the first passages towards the end of the book that really provoked a good, homey feeling inside of me.

I love snow. I have fond memories of playing in the snow ever since I can remember. I used to love it when it snowed at home in Hickory because it usually meant we got the day of off school. It also meant that the whole day was going to be spent outside playing with my brothers.

Snow has a magical way of stopping real life and bringing people together. In this passage Prosper realizes how much he cares about Hornet and Bo. He feels comfortable and safe when he is with Hornet and Bo. Snow makes people take a second out of their hectic day and appreciate Mother Nature. Even up here at App snow captivates people’s attention and imagination.

Even though I love snow, the imagery isn’t even my favorite part of this whole quote. My favorite part is the sentence, “He realized to his amazement that remembering didn’t hurt so much anymore.” I love that sentence. It shows that Prosper is finally getting used to his new life and has moved on from his past. He has found a new family with Hornet, Bo, and the others.

This is one of the only parts of the book where it seems like Prosper is truly at peace with himself and the world. The snow gave him a brief moment of happiness that he deserved so much.

I have just finished The Thief Lord. It turned out to be a pretty good book. There is no denying that Funke is a great writer. Her plot had so many twists and turns that even if you predicted one thing, there was something else that would throw you off. She had a great protagonist, Prosper, whose main conflict was based around his little brother. Children can easily relate to family problems, especially when they involve siblings. Most children might read this book and wish they had Prosper’s problem and that their annoying little sibling would vanish. But hopefully in those situations those readers will re-think their feelings towards their siblings by the end of the book. She also teaches children important lessons in honesty and enjoying childhood while you can. Although, I do agree with Ashley when she said that there was something missing from this book to make it an outstanding book in my mind. It took me the longest time to figure out what it was, but during the very last couple of chapters in the book I figured out why I personally am not completely in love with this book. There isn’t enough comic relief until the very end when Barbarossa turns into a child. I can’t decide whether Funke was trying to make Riccio be a funny character or not, but to me he is just kind of annoying. I know Prosper’s situation is not a funny or happy situation to be in, so it makes sense that there isn’t much to laugh at in the book. I just like to read books that have some humor and happiness in them. But don’t get me wrong, it is a very good book.

I'm a little more than half way through the book and so far I have enjoyed reading this book very much! I love the plot line. I admire Prosper and his strength. He goes to great lengths to take care of his brother Bo and to keep them together. Funke keeps you interested and on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what will happen next with the runaways. I'm also anxious to see how Victor plays out in this novel. I wonder if he'll give the children up to their aunt and uncle or if he'll help them? I'm really excited to see how the novel plays out, but so far I have really enjoyed reading it!

I thought this book at in the beginning was slow and boring. I found myself falling asleep in the library reading it. After about 60 pages or so it began to pick up and I didn't want to put the book down. I wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen. At first I didn't like Victor Getz. I didn't want him to catch the children. I really liked how he changed and ended up helping the children and became like a father. I was completely shocked when Scipio ended up being rich and stealing the things from his own house. He seemed like a very confident person until Prosper, Bo, and the others found out who he really was. Then he seemed to be a lot less confident. Hornet seemed more like the motherly type. She seemed to take care of everyone. Prosper tried to take care of his brother and think if his best interest. I liked how Bo seemed like a typical child. He acted like anyone his age would unlike Prosper, Hornet, Scipio, and the others. I also didn't expect the merry-go-round to work or for Barbarossa to break it. I really liked how the children formed their own family. They were runaways but they created a family and cared and looked after each other. I didn't expect Barbarossa to be working with the Conte but I liked how he got stuck as a small child. He seemed to get what he deserved. I also liked how the story talked about how children want to be grown up and grown ups want to be kids again. I think this is very true. When you are little you can't wait to grow up but once you do you wish you were back in the good old days.

I must say this is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. I found myself not wanting to put this book down. I give a big thumbs up to Cornella Funke. She really did an outstanding job on keeping my attention throughout the whole book. I loved how the book described everything so vividly. I felt like I was actually there and seeing what was going on. So many times people fail to realize how important it is to give a lot of attention to imagery and detail. An example would be how The Star Palace was described. "Dusty wire cables stuck out from the ceiling where there had once been large chandeliers. The children had strung a few naked lightbulbs running on batteries and even throughout the large room, and even in their dim light you could see the plaster coming off the ceiling." I really felt as if I were standing in the old movie theatre with them. Not only was the scenery described well but the characters as well. I felt like I could have picked Bo out of a crowd by the way he was described. Another thing I really liked about the book was the unexpected plot twists. Just when I thought I knew what was going I was fooled. I never would have guessed that the Thief Lord was actually the son of the owner of the old theatre that they were all seeking refuge in. It was little twist like that which kept me focused and wanting to read on. As I said, this was an amazing book. It gave a lot of attention to detail and always threw in the plot twist keep you on your toes!

The Thief Lord is a pretty good book so far. When I first started reading it, I couldn't get interested in it. After about the first 10 chapters, the book grabbed my attention and the only reason I put it down was if I had other homework to do. Cornelia Funke is a very good author and I wouldn't mind reading more of her books. I love how close Bo and Prosper are as brothers and how close all the rest of the children become. It really makes me mad that an aunt and uncle could choose between two brothers like they are. When Victor Getz was first introduced, I was thinking bad news and that he would be a real mean man. Turns out so far he's actually a pretty good guy. I'm still shocked that Scipio, after all this time, was lying about everything. He pretended to be the worst of them all and acted like he knew how to survive on his own. I think in a way he was kind of mocking the poor children that are having to survive on their own. Now I’m going to read the rest of the book to find out the other twist Cornelia Funke is going to throw into The Thief Lord.

I believe that The Thief Lord meets all of the standards for outstanding children's literature. One of the most interesting themes that I picked up on while reading the book was that the children seem to be living like adults and many of the adults seem to be immature and child-like in their actions especially Barbarossa. I believe that this theme is illustrated in the scene with the merry-go-round. I believe that the merry-go-round is a symbol for the transition of the character's true personalities into either adults or children. Prosper wasn't ready to make that full transition into being an adult and I believe that this is why he chose to live with Ida instead of trying to fend for himself. I believe that if Riccio and Mosca had been there at the Isola Segreta, that they would have probably made the transition from children to adults. Overall I really enjoyed this book because it is a really interesting adventure story that I believe children can relate to and it has a lot of factual information and Italian vocabulary.

As I was reading The Thief Lord, I couldn't help but wonder why Riccio and Mosca never chose to live with Ida. During the entire book it seemed as if Riccio dreamed of having parents and when the opportunity faced him, he chose to live with Mosca in another "hide-out". This baffled me because Ida seemed like she genuinely wanted to accept all of the children so that they wouldn't have to be orphans. Mosca never seemed like he wanted to live with an adult but Riccio on the other hand wished he could find a good loving home. I was just wondering if anyone had any opinions on this topic?

This was the neatest book to read! I loved the characters and I just can't believe all the turns! My favorite characters were Ida and Victor. I said in my first post that I didn't want Victor to get hurt but I also didn't want him to find him. His role turned out so great! And I loved the idea of them connecting.

I still love the imagery of Venice being almost a goddess, always watching over everything the kids did. I loved the passage when Prosper was so upset, before Bo came back, when he wanted the pigeons to poop all over Esther. Venice seems to me to be a comforting city that will always protect you when you need help.

I am not sure yet how I feel about Scipio staying grown up. I feel sorry for him in a way but I also am glad that he is living the way he wanted to live while being The Thief Lord. Thinking realistically about living life like that, it would be unfortunate to have to give up so much of your childhood. I was ready to grow up sooner but I sure am glad I didn't grow up any faster. I also wonder what happened to the merry go round and to Renzo and Morosina. I wonder how they enjoyed their second childhoods and how long it took for them to want to be grown up again. This was an AMAZING story!

There were many beautiful passages about Venice, Italy but one of the passages that stuck with me the most was towards the end of the book.

The passage reads, "Fine. Here's one last condition." Victor finished a mint out of his desk drawer and popped it into his mouth. "You will tell your father." Scipio's face darkened. "What am I going to write to him?" Victor shrugged. "That you're all right. That you're going to go traveling. That you'll look in on them in ten years or so. You'll think of something." "Darn!" Scipio spluttered. "OK, I'll do it. If you teach me how to be a detective."

This passage haunted me because I can only imagine if I were Dottor Massimo how upset I would be to know that my child vanished without a trace. Even though he seemed cold and heartless throughout the book, he still seemed like he cared about Scipio. Unlike Esther, he clearly put in effort to find Scipio by announcing a missing ad in the newspaper. He seemed to really want to find his son, granted I am puzzled by the Dottor's overall character.

This passage really bothered me because I hope that Scipio honored his word and will write his father even if he doesn't want to live with him. His father may have treated him much younger than Scipio would have like to have been treated but it seems as if his father were always available unlike his mother.

I still have not quite finished the book yet, but I have all day tomorrow to read because I have only this class. So far, Funke has really been an intriguing writer. I love the way she describes things. I have vivid images with every sentence I read. My favorite characters so far are Bo and Prosper. The love that the two brothers have for one another is great. By Funke showing the compassion of the two brothers, it sets an example for the children who read the book. This book is easy reading and I am excited to finish it.

I agree with everything everyone is saying! In contrast to my first blog I was getting really fustrated with how slow the beginning was to me. All of a sudden I hit a point where I couldn't put the book down. Krystal made a good point saying how the plot kept twisting and as soon as you thought you knew what was going to happen something else would. Funke does an amazing job at capturing your attention in these runaway children. I believe Megan Snyder blogged earlier about Prosper being the protagonist. I never really thought about how other children could relate to him until she said something. Children do go through so much these days and within this character children can relate. By the end of the book they too could realize how important family and siblings are. Funke also does a great job of detailing everything so greatly. She gives so much detail that it allows your mind to imagine the scene so perfectly. You can not only imagine the scenes but almost smell them. I never expected the runaways to actually somewhat befriend Victor in the process. I still have a few pages left to go and I cant wait to finish!

I will have to agree with Rachel on everything she said in her first posting. The fact that Funke was so descriptive throughout the novel was definitely "my style" as well. She kept my attention by making what I was reading full of imagery. I also am enjoying this book quite a bit more than Carnival at Candlelight, because the book was written for an older age group. I believe that some students in middle school could read this book. I don't believe that this book would have interested me as much in 5th grade because I don't believe that I knew much about Venice then. It is fun to read about it now because I know where it is and I know a little history about it. I believe that unless someone shows you pictures of Venice and explains some of the history of Venice this book may be somewhat hard to follow in the 5th grade. I believe that Funke is a wonderful author and is amazing at capturing the reader's attention with the twists and turns as the novel ends. Great novel!!

I enjoyed the Thief Lord very much. I enjoyed the Magic Treehouse, but the Thief Lord presented a more in depth look at the genre of fictional fantasy. I loved the character Prosper. I sensed that the character was trying to cope with the fact that Aunt Esther was refusing to take him by looking to the city of Venice for comfort. I particularly liked the passage "he wasn't homesick-he hadn't been for a long time, not even at night. This was home now. The city had welcomed Bo and him like a great, gentle animal. It had hidden them in its winding alleys and had enchanted them with its exotic sounds and strange smell. It had even provided them with friends. Prosper didn't ever want to leave again. Never. He had grown so used to hearing water smack and slurp against wood and stone." (9. Everybody is Small at Night, pg 63). This passage struck me as very interesting because I could almost feel the pain in Prosper's heart. Venice was comfort, but an animal still the same I interpreted. I could tell that Prosper was trying to stay strong for Bo, but Prosper was still a child and living under the Thief Lord far from a perfect childhood. Children should be nurtured, loved, and even spoiled. The story of this unlikely childhood brings tears to my eyes when I think of my niece and nephew. I would never want them to endure conditions such as these and have to cope with feelings of such strong pain, frustration, and fear. Although the book is fantasy, the children are pitiful, and the feelings expressed by the characters are often felt by the readers. I feel that this book is an excellent example of extraordinary literature.

I totally agree with Rachel with the characters switching roles. Prosper was alway a strong character that played many adult roles including caring for his younger brother Bo. I also agree that red beard was childlike with his antiques. I thought that red beard's maturity was displayed by his intrigue with his "play things." I loved the book! A truly great read!

I just now finished reading this novel and I really enjoyed it! Funke is a great author and I would love to read one of her novels again! The Thief Lord and Carnival at Candlelight were different in that the imagery in Funke's novel was wonderful! Her description in this novel made me feel as if i were really there experiencing the same things as the characters in the novel. My favorite character in this novel was definitely Prosper! I loved how he took care of his little brother Bo and the others! I love how he takes on the role as an adult and does everything possible to keep himself and his brother together! Funke also does a wonderful job of keeping you on the edge of your seat, wondering what's going to happen next! I couldn't believe that Scipio turned out to be a rich kid! I was shocked! Although this book started out rather slow for me in the beginning I really enjoyed it once I got into it! It's a wonderful novel for children to read and I would love to read some of Funke's other works.

I agree with Mandy when she was talking about feeling sad for the children and everything they are going through. I have a younger brother and younger nieces and nephews that I could never imagine having to live on their own and not have anyone that loves and cares for them. I also wanted to talk about the Plot-twist that shocked me the most. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought that Scipio was a normal kid living in a palace with his parents. The whole time I figured he had just been on his own for the longest time and so he knew how to survive on his own. Cornelia Funke was smart to put that twist in the Thief Lord. It really changed the direction the book was going and made the reading more interesting. It kept me wondering what was going to happen next with Scipio and if the other children were going to forgive him or forget about him.

This book was so good. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish it before class, but I did and now I'm excited to discuss it with the rest of the class. It was such a magical book that captivated my attention the entire time I was reading it. I loved the relationship between Prosper & Bo. Prosper took such good care of Bo, and Bo seemed to really rely on Prosper in time of need. Hornet was also a favorite character of mine. She held such great composure throughout the entire book. She was like the support of the whole gang. I'm glad all 3 of them ended up together in Ida's care. In my previous post, I mentioned that I thought Victor would let the kids get away. I'm so glad I was right. Victor, although he seems tough, has a very kind heart and I know he would fall for the kids. I only wish he and Ida would have ended up falling in love, but that's the hopeless romantic in me. I guess that would have been a little too mature for a 5th grade reader. The merry-go-round added such a great twist, and the fact that Scipio changed into an older man, and Barbarossa changed into a young child was so hilarious to me. It surprised me that Barabarossa wanted to be with Esther, but I guess luxurious living is important to him. Too bad he ended up in a boarding school. I just don't understand how Esther could just leave Prosper & Bo in Venice without a second thought. I did NOT like her at all. All in all, this book was adorable, and I can't wait to read it outloud to my class when I become a teacher. I would really love it if they turned it into a movie. I would definitely go see it if it came out in theatres.