by Cornelia Funke and Oliver Latsch
 
Welcome to the magical underworld of Venice, Italy, where hidden canals and crumbling rooftops shelter runaways and children with incredible secrets...
 
Prosper and Bo are orphans on the run for their cruel aunt and uncle. The brothers decide to hide out in Venice, where they meet a mysterious thirteen-year-old boy who calls himself "the Thief Lord." Brilliant and charismatic, the Thief Lord leads a ring of street children who dabble in petty crimes. Prosper and Bo delight in being a part of this colorful new family. Then the Thief Lord invites them on a magical adventure to a land of forgotten mysteries that will change their lives forever, This exciting tale of fun, flight, and freedom is sure to enchant readers and keep them guessing up until a breathtaking finale. Escaping the aunt who wants to adopt only one of them, two orphaned brothers run away from Hamburg to Venice, finding shelter with a gang of street children and their leader, the thirteen-year-old "Thief Lord," while also eluding the detective hired to return them to Germany.