Batchelder Award.

Bo and Prosper are orphans, who are about to be split up. They run off to Venice, the place their mother often talked of. Alone and just about out of options they hook up with a band of young thieves, headed by The Thief Lord, who base themselves in a closed movie theater. Like Bo and Prosper, they are all orphans and they are their own family. Prosper proves his worth to the group early on with his slick negotiating skills. He becomes a close and trusted aide of The Thief Lord. When an elderly couple seeks The Thief Lord's assistance to steal a rather unusual artifact Proser is there by his side. In the meantime the children work hard to keep out of the clutches of the police and a private detective hired by Bo and Prospero's aunt. The story takes some interesting turns when they confront the private detective and learn about the magical powers behind the sought after goods. The unmasking of The Thief Lord's true identity provides some drama to this magical, fun, and plot-driven tale. ( )

Discovery Journey reviews
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These reviews are from Amazon.com
Thief lord 4 eva!, March 14, 2007
A Kid's Review

The thief lord is a realy good adventure/family movie. i read the book and since then i'd been begging my mum to get the Thief Lord on DVD. then when i saw it in the library i thought. well now this is cool i can take it out whenever i want. so i took it out todays ago and since then ive watched it twice. I really enjoyed it and i have to say that Aaron Johnson and Rollo Weeks are well hot and i'd really like to meet them and ask them some questions about the movie. the way Prosper and Bo seemed to hav a connection that was really special and the way scipio was actually a very rich boy but hung out with the orphans and thieves. I really enjoyed it and if i could actually just meet Aaron Johnson or Rollo Weeks i'd be really excited. im just about 12 and i wont be able to write here much longer so kids listen here. the theif lords a good 'un and u better watch it!

Why Watch a Movie About a Rich Kid Thief?, February 26, 2007
By Artist & Author (Near Mt. Baker, WA) - See all my reviews

Why this movie is an award winner I don't know, and can't imagine. Its production quality is first rate, but the values in it are horrible from a traditional values point of view. The Thief Lord is a son of a wealthy family that steals. In a way, he is a fifteen year old Robin Hood. It isn't made clear what he does with the money, except that he seems to support a bunch or orphans and runaway kids. There is a bit of fantasy in the story as a magical merry-go-around turns kids into adults and adults into kids. If parents show this movie to their kids, there is much to discuss. I sometimes say that nobody is completely useless; they can always be used as a bad example. I'd say the same about this movie - it isn't completely useless, parents can point out all these kids are doing wrong or immorally. However, there are so many great movies with good traditional values that it seems pointless to waste time on one such as this. There are even a few swear words in the movie.