My ten-year-old daughter recommended I read this novel, which is probably the only reason I picked it up. I’ll take her recommendations more seriously from now on (though I’ll probably pass on The Babysitters’ Club books she likes so much).

A pair of runaways make their way to Venice, Italy, and are lucky to fall in with a group of kids living in an abandoned theatre and supported by the mysterious Thief Lord, a child who makes seemingly impossible robberies commonplace.

When the Thief Lord turns out to be something of an imposter, the group’s camaraderie is threatened as the unbelief and anger mount. Simultaneously, the Thief Lord lands a real commission to steal a Venetian historical artifact, heightening the tension as the group is torn between dissension and purpose.

The story provides a readable and interesting meditation on two themes. The first, sparked by the “unmasking” of the Thief Lord, asks how people respond to unsought charity. The group is grateful for all the things the Thief Lord has provided, but nonetheless angry at his willingness to wrap the gifts in a lie. The second theme has to do with the promises and perils of trying to join a different generation (ala the mythical Fountain of Youth or the movie Big).

Both themes are significant, especially for younger readers like my daughter, and both are explored with few pat answers in a story well told.