Culture 1: International Literature - Batchelder Award Novel

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA:

Funke, Cornelia. 2000. THE THIEF LORD. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 0439404371

PLOT SUMMARY:

With unique Venice, Italy as the backdrop, THE THIEF LORD spins the magical tale of two young brothers on the run from their aunt and uncle after the death of their mother. Their heartless aunt is only interested in adopting the younger brother, Bo, and Prosper, the older brother, is determined to prevent that from happening. With memories of their mother’s magical stories about Venice, the boys become runaways and seek shelter among Venice’s infinite hiding places. The boys soon connect with a group of misfit, runaway children led by a mysterious boy named Scipio, or “The Thief Lord,” who provides for the group by stealing. With a private investigator hot on their trail, the boys uncover some incredible secrets, including some secretes about The Thief Lord’s true identity. The story takes an amazing, magical turn as The Thief Lord attempts his biggest theft yet, recovering the missing piece of a merry-go-round that is believed to make children out of adults and adults out of children. With some unusual allies, the boys earn their freedom and experience some unbelievable things they will not soon forget.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The setting of THE THIEF LORD plays an important role in the story and represents a major cultural marker for the story. Venice is richly described with its winding canals, surrounding waters, and magnificent architecture. The story’s location is deeply embedded in the plot as Prosper and Bo discover how easily they can hide in Venice’s many alleys and ancient buildings. Prosper and Bo’s vision of Venice as a magical place touches upon the beauty, mystery, and magnificence of the city while giving the reader a glimpse of what is to come in the story.

Language offers clues to other important cultural markers through many Italian words, names, and locations. The sprinkling of Italian words throughout the story lends credibility to the story’s atmosphere, and a glossary at the back of the book will aid the reader’s understanding. The use of authentic language in describing landmarks and objects that are a part of Venice, such as “vaporett” (waterbus), “campo” (open square), “Rialto” (the market district by the Grand Canal), and “Basilica St. Marco” (St Marks Cathedral), allows the reader to become a part of the culture of the story.

The characters of the story are cleverly constructed and offer the reader a glimpse into the culture of Venice through their eyes. The reader will easily urge likeable Prosper on as he fights to protect Bo, and Bo’s innocence and magical view of Venice will resonate with the reader. Victor, the private investigator, opens the book with his reflections on Venice’s beauty, giving the reader an immediate context for the story. Despite the fact that Victor poses a threat to Prosper and Bo and their freedom, Victor’s character is instantly likeable. Similarly, Ida Spavento, the intended target of The Thief Lord’s biggest theft, turns out to be a likeable character who relays the history behind the magical merry-go-round to the children and helps them out in the end.

THE THIEF LORD has appeal for both children and adults, and unique characters, a surprising plot, and a richly described setting make this a truly remarkable story. The reader will certainly feel transported to a different place through this extraordinary story.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (October 1, 2002):
“Funke delineates her characters and the changing textures of their relationships with masterful subtlety, as well as sometimes-puckish humor. It's a compelling tale, rich in ingenious twists, with a setting and cast that will linger in readers' memories.”

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (June 24, 2002):
“Wacky characters bring energy to this translation of an entertaining German novel about thieving children, a disguise-obsessed detective and a magical merry-go-round…The Venetian setting is ripe for mystery and the city's alleys and canals ratchet up the suspense in the chase scenes.”

From KIRKUS REVIEW starred (August 1, 2002):
“A bestselling author in Germany, who has reached the US for the first time, Funke delights readers in the feelings of childhood, what it feels like to be innocent, afraid, curious, and safe; need friends and love; and want independence yet also to be cared for. Although the core of this tale is heartwarming, the merry-go-round, like Ray Bradbury's carousel in Something Wicked This Way Comes, hints at darkness, leaving its riders and the novel's readers changed forever.”

CONNECTIONS:

* Scipio truly desires to be an adult, but he seems unsure of his decision after his ride on the merry-go-round turns out to be successful. An interesting extension activity might be to have students write whether or not they would ride the magical merry-go-round and explain why or why not.

* THE THIEF LORD includes a map of Venice at the front of the book. This map could spur an interesting geography lesson as well as a look into the history of the city. Students might be interested in completing a research project about the history of Venice. An interesting website students might want to visit to learn more about Venice is http://www.venetia.it/.

* The magical merry-go-round in the story will undoubtedly fascinate students. A fun and easy extension activity would be to have students illustrate the merry-go-round using clues from the story.