The magical multi-award-winning modern classic from masterstoryteller and New York Times-bestselling author,Cornelia Funke - over a million copies sold worldwide!'A completely delicious read.' THE OBSERVER'Today's young readers will probably love this book as theylove the Harry Potter series' THE NEW YORKTIMES'My enjoyment of The Thief Lord grew and grew asI read it' DIANA WYNNE JONESWinterhas come early to Venice.Two orphaned children areon the run, hiding among the crumbling canals and misty alleywaysof the city. Befriended by a gang of street children and theirmysterious leader, the Thief Lord, they shelter in an old, disusedcinema.On their trail is a bungling detective, obsessedwith disguises and the health of his pet tortoises. But a greaterthreat to the boys' new-found freedom is something from aforgotten past - a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spintime itself ... A thrilling, atmospheric adventure set among the crumblingcanals of VeniceOver one million copies sold worldwide!By the bestselling author of Inkheart and DragonRider, Cornelia Funke.  Winner of the Zurich Children’s Book Award andThe Children’s Book Award by the Vienna House of Literature.