Lord of the Thieves

this is the mysterious leader of a gang of children in Venice, whom he keeps afloat by selling the loot from his raids. No one knows his name, his origins. Not even Prosper and Bo - two runaways who, on the run from their aunt and the detective Victor, have found shelter with the gang. When Victor actually tracks down the children, he puts everyone in danger. But the community of the gang finally seems to break up when a mysterious mission, given by the mysterious "Conte", leads the children to a lagoon island. This island, seemingly uninhabited and lonely from the outside, holds a secret that changes everything.
Cornelia Funke, who already showed the breadth of her storytelling talent with her bestselling "Dragon Rider", also captivates her readers - of all ages - with this book from the very first line. She leads us through a wintry Venice, entangles us in perplexing riddles and, at the end, fulfils an old human dream for her heroes.
Awarded the Kalbach Rattlesnake 2001.