Thief Lord Book Assignment
13 December 2010
Funke, Cornelia. The Thief Lord. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2000. 345
Reading Assignment
A3. The Thief Lord is about two brothers, who live with their aunt and uncle. When Esther and Max want to adopt Bo after their mother's death so the boys decide to run away to Venice, Italy. The boys arrive in Venice and are taken in by four other orphans: Hornet, Riccio, Mosca, and their mysterious leader, Scipio, or "The Thief Lord." The children survive by selling the things that Scipio steals from wealthy houses to an old shopkeeper, Ernesto Barbarossa. Prosper and Bo settle in to their new life; unbeknown to them, however, Esther and Max have deduced that they are in Venice, and they enlist the services of Victor Getz, a detective, …show more content…
to retrieve them. Meanwhile, Barbarossa tells the children about one of his clients that needs someone to procure (steal) something for him. The Thief Lord accepts the job and meets the client, who is called The Conte, in a confessional with the others. They find out that the object they are to steal is a wooden wing and that they are to steal it from the home of a wealthy photographer named Ida Spavento. If they manage to steal it, they will receive five million lire. While Mosca, Prosper, and the Thief Lord are inside the confessional talking to the Conte, Riccio, Hornet, and Bo wait outside. Victor, who had run into Prosper earlier, follows the children and distracts Bo in order to get more information about where the children are staying. He persuades Bo to tell him his name and that he lives in an abandoned movie theatre. When the others see Bo talking to Victor, Victor escapes, but watches the kids as they enter a store. Hornet follows Victor and creates a distraction by pretending that Victor was trying to kidnap and hurt her while the others escape back to the movie theatre. Hornet manages to steal Victor's wallet and the children find out that Victor is a detective and is searching for Prosper and Bo. As Victor searches for the movie theater where the children are staying, he visits Dottore Massimo, the wealthy owner of the Stella, for the keys, and in the process discovers that Scipio is Massimo's son. Scipio sees him and frantically hurries to the theater to warn the others. When Victor arrives at the Stella, the children ambush him, tie him up, and lock him in the bathroom. As Victor remains their captive, the children gradually begin to warm up to the detective, with the exception of Riccio, who stubbornly believes that Victor will turn them in to the police if they release him. The negative feelings between the two escalate into an argument one day, and Victor gives the children Dottore Massimo's address and tells them that Scipio lives there. The children go to the address, and when Prosper and Bo go inside, they meet Scipio and learn that Scipio is indeed Dottore Massimo's son, and that all the loot he told them he stole from wealthy houses was actually stolen from his own home. Furious, Propser leaves and tells the others about what he has learned.When the children return to the Stella, they find Victor has escaped, leaving a note saying that he will not tell the police about their hideout as long as they do not try to steal the wing. Although Prosper does not want to steal the wing, the other children go to steal it that night regardless, and when Prosper wakes up to find them all gone, he hurriedly follows them. Inside the house, the children run into Scipio and angrily tell him to leave. During the ensuing argument, Ida Spavento wakes up and demands to know who they are. After they explain, Ida tells them the story of the merry-go-round of the Merciful Sisters. Long ago, a rich man decided to generously build a merry-go-round of magic with the gracefulness of 5 figures: a unicorn, mermaid, merman, sea horse, and a winged lion. According to legend, the merry-go-round could change a person's age if they rode it. The merry-go-round was stolen, however, and never found. After telling the story, Ida agrees to let them have the wing as long as they take her along for the exchange, as she hopes to catch a glimpse of the merry-go-round, and the children agree to the deal. The next night, the children decide to leave Bo behind when they go to the deal, and Hornet stays behind as well in order to watch him. The others meet with Ida and Scipio and sail to the designated exchange location. They meet with the Conte and his sister, Morosina, and make the exchange. Afterwards, they follow him in an attempt to find the merry-go-round, but dogs on the island alert the Conte to their prescence, and the children and Ida narrowly escape after the Conte begins shooting at them.
When Riccio, Prosper and Mosca return to the hideout they find Hornet and Bo missing; in their place, Hornet has left a note saying that there were police at the door. Knowing that Victor was the only person who knew about their hideout, the children go to confront him, but Victor swears he did not give up their secret, and reveals that there are posters with Prosper and Bo's picture all over Venice, and that someone likely saw Bo and called the police after recognizing him. He also informs them that the five million lire they have received is fake. Despondent, Prosper leaves to search for Bo, and Riccio and Mosca decide to stay with Ida for the time being. They later learn that Hornet is in an orphanage called The Merciful Sisters, and Ida and Victor go there and manage to free her. Riccio goes searching for Prosper and brings him back to Ida's house. That night, Prosper is unable to sleep, and when he goes outside, he finds that Scipio has come looking for him. Scipio convinces Prosper to join him on a voyage to the Isola Segreta, where the Conte lives, in order to demand either payment or a ride on the merry-go-round. When they arrive, however, they are discovered by the dogs, and a mysterious young girl forces them to sleep in the stables that night. Meanwhile, Victor receives a phone call from Esther, informing him that Bo has run away and that she no longer wants anything to do with him. Victor goes to the Stella and finds Bo. When he takes him back to Ida's, he finds Prosper missing and everyone in the house frantic to find him. The next morning, Scipio and Prosper are taken to an office and meet with a young boy, and it is revealed that the young boy and girl are actually the Conte and Morosina, and that they have gotten the merry-go-round to work. Scipio asks for a ride on the merry-go-round, and the Conte grants him his wish. After his ride, Scipio has indeed become older and now closely resembles
his father. Just as he gets off the merry-go-round, Barbarossa arrives, dragging Morosina by the hair. He reveals that he has poisoned the dogs in order to get on the island and demands a ride on the merry-go-round. Scipio, using his new appearance, passes himself off as Dottore Massimo and gives Barbarossa permission to ride; however, while Barbarossa becomes a five-year-old boy, he accidentally breaks the merry-go-round, infuriating the Conte. Scipio and Prosper leave after promising the Conte that they will not talk about the merry-go-round, and Barbarossa is forced to come along with them and give the Conte all the money in his shop safe as repayment. The next day, everyone at Ida's home searches for Prosper with no luck; when they return, they find Prosper, Scipio, and Barbarossa inside. Although no one recognizes Scipio or Barbarossa due to their changed appearances and Prosper is unable to explain due to his promise, Ida immediately understands that they have ridden the merry-go-round. When the question of what to do with Barbarossa arises, Scipio eventually comes up with the idea to set up a meeting between Esther and Barbarossa in the hopes that Esther will adopt him. Barbarossa consents to the plan after learning that Esther is rich, and Esther likes Barbarossa immediately upon meeting him, deciding to adopt him. Prosper, Bo, and Hornet decide to live with Ida and go to school, while Mosca and Riccio leave to live in an abandoned warehouse. Scipio decides to work for Victor and sends his father a letter saying that he is safe and happy, but isn't coming home. Eventually, he and Prosper take another trip to the Isola Segreta only to find that the Conte and Morosina have disappeared. Esther eventually catches Barbarossa poaching her jewelry and other possessions and sends him off to boarding school, where he becomes a menacing bully; he forces other children to do things for him and encourages them to steal, and insists that everyone call him "The Thief Lord." B2. Prosper is brave and caring. He is a brave person because he just ran away from his orphanage and took his little brother Bo with him to Venice not know what they are going to do for food. When they arrived at Venice, Prop realized Bo had a cold and didn’t have any money so he goes in to the pharmacy and tries to steal some medicine but fails and then runs away. Prop is caring because he knew that Bo hated living with Aunt Esther and took him and protected him from others. Prop even stopped Scipio from teaching him how to steal and refused him from going raids (robberies).
Funke, Cornelia. The Thief Lord. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2000. 345
Reading Assignment
A3. The Thief Lord is about two brothers, who live with their aunt and uncle. When Esther and Max want to adopt Bo after their mother's death so the boys decide to run away to Venice, Italy. The boys arrive in Venice and are taken in by four other orphans: Hornet, Riccio, Mosca, and their mysterious leader, Scipio, or "The Thief Lord." The children survive by selling the things that Scipio steals from wealthy houses to an old shopkeeper, Ernesto Barbarossa. Prosper and Bo settle in to their new life; unbeknown to them, however, Esther and Max have deduced that they are in Venice, and they enlist the services of Victor Getz, a detective, …show more content…
to retrieve them. Meanwhile, Barbarossa tells the children about one of his clients that needs someone to procure (steal) something for him. The Thief Lord accepts the job and meets the client, who is called The Conte, in a confessional with the others. They find out that the object they are to steal is a wooden wing and that they are to steal it from the home of a wealthy photographer named Ida Spavento. If they manage to steal it, they will receive five million lire. While Mosca, Prosper, and the Thief Lord are inside the confessional talking to the Conte, Riccio, Hornet, and Bo wait outside. Victor, who had run into Prosper earlier, follows the children and distracts Bo in order to get more information about where the children are staying. He persuades Bo to tell him his name and that he lives in an abandoned movie theatre. When the others see Bo talking to Victor, Victor escapes, but watches the kids as they enter a store. Hornet follows Victor and creates a distraction by pretending that Victor was trying to kidnap and hurt her while the others escape back to the movie theatre. Hornet manages to steal Victor's wallet and the children find out that Victor is a detective and is searching for Prosper and Bo. As Victor searches for the movie theater where the children are staying, he visits Dottore Massimo, the wealthy owner of the Stella, for the keys, and in the process discovers that Scipio is Massimo's son. Scipio sees him and frantically hurries to the theater to warn the others. When Victor arrives at the Stella, the children ambush him, tie him up, and lock him in the bathroom. As Victor remains their captive, the children gradually begin to warm up to the detective, with the exception of Riccio, who stubbornly believes that Victor will turn them in to the police if they release him. The negative feelings between the two escalate into an argument one day, and Victor gives the children Dottore Massimo's address and tells them that Scipio lives there. The children go to the address, and when Prosper and Bo go inside, they meet Scipio and learn that Scipio is indeed Dottore Massimo's son, and that all the loot he told them he stole from wealthy houses was actually stolen from his own home. Furious, Propser leaves and tells the others about what he has learned.When the children return to the Stella, they find Victor has escaped, leaving a note saying that he will not tell the police about their hideout as long as they do not try to steal the wing. Although Prosper does not want to steal the wing, the other children go to steal it that night regardless, and when Prosper wakes up to find them all gone, he hurriedly follows them. Inside the house, the children run into Scipio and angrily tell him to leave. During the ensuing argument, Ida Spavento wakes up and demands to know who they are. After they explain, Ida tells them the story of the merry-go-round of the Merciful Sisters. Long ago, a rich man decided to generously build a merry-go-round of magic with the gracefulness of 5 figures: a unicorn, mermaid, merman, sea horse, and a winged lion. According to legend, the merry-go-round could change a person's age if they rode it. The merry-go-round was stolen, however, and never found. After telling the story, Ida agrees to let them have the wing as long as they take her along for the exchange, as she hopes to catch a glimpse of the merry-go-round, and the children agree to the deal. The next night, the children decide to leave Bo behind when they go to the deal, and Hornet stays behind as well in order to watch him. The others meet with Ida and Scipio and sail to the designated exchange location. They meet with the Conte and his sister, Morosina, and make the exchange. Afterwards, they follow him in an attempt to find the merry-go-round, but dogs on the island alert the Conte to their prescence, and the children and Ida narrowly escape after the Conte begins shooting at them.
When Riccio, Prosper and Mosca return to the hideout they find Hornet and Bo missing; in their place, Hornet has left a note saying that there were police at the door. Knowing that Victor was the only person who knew about their hideout, the children go to confront him, but Victor swears he did not give up their secret, and reveals that there are posters with Prosper and Bo's picture all over Venice, and that someone likely saw Bo and called the police after recognizing him. He also informs them that the five million lire they have received is fake. Despondent, Prosper leaves to search for Bo, and Riccio and Mosca decide to stay with Ida for the time being. They later learn that Hornet is in an orphanage called The Merciful Sisters, and Ida and Victor go there and manage to free her. Riccio goes searching for Prosper and brings him back to Ida's house. That night, Prosper is unable to sleep, and when he goes outside, he finds that Scipio has come looking for him. Scipio convinces Prosper to join him on a voyage to the Isola Segreta, where the Conte lives, in order to demand either payment or a ride on the merry-go-round. When they arrive, however, they are discovered by the dogs, and a mysterious young girl forces them to sleep in the stables that night. Meanwhile, Victor receives a phone call from Esther, informing him that Bo has run away and that she no longer wants anything to do with him. Victor goes to the Stella and finds Bo. When he takes him back to Ida's, he finds Prosper missing and everyone in the house frantic to find him. The next morning, Scipio and Prosper are taken to an office and meet with a young boy, and it is revealed that the young boy and girl are actually the Conte and Morosina, and that they have gotten the merry-go-round to work. Scipio asks for a ride on the merry-go-round, and the Conte grants him his wish. After his ride, Scipio has indeed become older and now closely resembles
his father. Just as he gets off the merry-go-round, Barbarossa arrives, dragging Morosina by the hair. He reveals that he has poisoned the dogs in order to get on the island and demands a ride on the merry-go-round. Scipio, using his new appearance, passes himself off as Dottore Massimo and gives Barbarossa permission to ride; however, while Barbarossa becomes a five-year-old boy, he accidentally breaks the merry-go-round, infuriating the Conte. Scipio and Prosper leave after promising the Conte that they will not talk about the merry-go-round, and Barbarossa is forced to come along with them and give the Conte all the money in his shop safe as repayment. The next day, everyone at Ida's home searches for Prosper with no luck; when they return, they find Prosper, Scipio, and Barbarossa inside. Although no one recognizes Scipio or Barbarossa due to their changed appearances and Prosper is unable to explain due to his promise, Ida immediately understands that they have ridden the merry-go-round. When the question of what to do with Barbarossa arises, Scipio eventually comes up with the idea to set up a meeting between Esther and Barbarossa in the hopes that Esther will adopt him. Barbarossa consents to the plan after learning that Esther is rich, and Esther likes Barbarossa immediately upon meeting him, deciding to adopt him. Prosper, Bo, and Hornet decide to live with Ida and go to school, while Mosca and Riccio leave to live in an abandoned warehouse. Scipio decides to work for Victor and sends his father a letter saying that he is safe and happy, but isn't coming home. Eventually, he and Prosper take another trip to the Isola Segreta only to find that the Conte and Morosina have disappeared. Esther eventually catches Barbarossa poaching her jewelry and other possessions and sends him off to boarding school, where he becomes a menacing bully; he forces other children to do things for him and encourages them to steal, and insists that everyone call him "The Thief Lord." B2. Prosper is brave and caring. He is a brave person because he just ran away from his orphanage and took his little brother Bo with him to Venice not know what they are going to do for food. When they arrived at Venice, Prop realized Bo had a cold and didn’t have any money so he goes in to the pharmacy and tries to steal some medicine but fails and then runs away. Prop is caring because he knew that Bo hated living with Aunt Esther and took him and protected him from others. Prop even stopped Scipio from teaching him how to steal and refused him from going raids (robberies).