LS 5653: MODULE 1: THE THIEF LORD

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Funke, Cornelia. 2000. The Thief Lord. Illus. by author. Hamburg, Germany: Cecilie Dressler Verlag. ISBN: 0-439-40437-1

Funke, Cornelia. 2002. The Thief Lord. Illus. by author. New York: Chicken House. ISBN: 0-439-40437-1

PLOT SUMMARY

Running from an unpleasant family situation, Prosper and Bo are a pair of young orphans who are living with a band of thieves in Venice. The leader of this group, known as the Thief Lord, strays from the group’s usual thievery and accepts an unusual assignment from a wealthy client. Soon, the adventure begins. While preparing for this new assignment, Prosper and Bo are located by private detective who wants to return them to their family. The group learns a great many secrets about their beloved leader and become increasingly entrenched in and mystified by their new assignment. The course of events that follow the fateful night they commit their final burglary is a roller coaster of emotions and unexpected twists. A magical merry go round, a generous benefactor, and experiences that cause all of the characters to grow and evaluate themselves draw all of the seemingly disjointed events of the story together.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Often adolescents desire to live without the “interference” of adults. Initially, it seems that THE THIEF LORD is going to indulge this fantasy. Set in Venice, Italy, Hornet, Bo, Prosper, Riccio, and Mosca are young people who have run away from home and are surviving by stealing and selling products. They live in an abandon movie theater. Their leader, Scipio the Thief Lord, breezes in and out of the theater mysteriously.

The first third of the book introduces develops the characters as well as establishes background information for the reader. Ms. Funke uses dialogue and actions to create credible characters. They have strengths and weaknesses, and the reader sees both the good and bad. For example, when Prosper thinks that he has lost Bo forever, he does not react in a rational manner. He is impulsive and lost in sorrow. This mood leads to an outcome that alters the remainder of the story. Yet, based on what the readers have already learned about Prosper, these events are realistic and plausible.

As the story continues, characterization yields to the storyline. The plot is a well-constructed and original series of events. The events happen rapidly and logically. Readers should be prepared for twists and unexpected revelations. Sprinkled within the text are simple black and white pencil sketch drawings. These illustrations assist the reader with developing a mental image and a framework for the events that unfold. As the book continues, it is realized quickly that things are rarely as they seem.

Readers could extract several themes from this story. Ms. Funke cleverly intertwines events, characters, and ideas into a cohesive tale that is open to many interpretations. The need for trustworthy friends; the importance of examining one’s actions and the repercussions; and the value of age, maturation, and experience are all themes that could be extracted from the story. One’s personal experience and current situation could influence the manner in which the story is interpreted.

THE THIEF LORD is classified as international literature. It has been published in several different countries. While the story is set in Italy, the characters and events could have existed anywhere. This lends to the story’s international appeal. It does not only appeal to one group. Gender, age, and ethnic stereotypes are avoided. In fact, the cultural background of the characters is secondary to the personality traits and the action.

Since Ms. Funke did set this story in Italy, she does use this opportunity to build awareness of the Italian language and of Italian landmarks. At the close of the book, there is an Italian vocabulary dictionary for readers. Most of the Italian words referenced in the text are defined. Readers’ lack of prior knowledge is not a hindrance to comprehending the story. She does avoid stereotypically Italian elements. No one in the story eats spaghetti, and there are no gangsters or Mafia-type individuals.

Readers can enjoy the story without being saturated with stereotype or moralizing dialogue. THE THIEF LORD is a fast paced, spellbinding novel.


REVIEW EXCERPTS

Batchelder Award 2003
Children’s Book Award from the Vienna House of Literature 2001
Winner of Zurich Children’s Book Award 2000

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “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.”-- By John Peters, New York Public Library.


CONNECTIONS

This is a fan created website with games and activities.
www.CorneliaFunkeFans.com - The Official Cornelia Funke Web site.

This is an online literature unit for THE THIEF LORD.
The Thief Lord Literature Unit - activities, vocabulary, quizzes, and more

This is another website of activities and lessons.
Suite101: Homeschooling articles

This website is movie information about THE THIEF LORD, released in 2006.
The Thief Lord (2006)
YouTube - Thief Lord Trailer (Movie trailer)

After reading the book, students will write a review of the book. A sample review is provided. Kidsreads.com - THE THIEF LORD by Cornelia Funke
Once this has been completed, students will watch the movie and compare and contrast the two presentations.