Cornelia Caroline Funke

Two brothers, having run away from the aunt who plans to adopt only the younger one, are sought by a detective hired by their aunt, but they find protection from a gang of Venetian street children and their leader, the Thief Lord.

Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel "Inkheart" years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story.

Ferocious pirate Captain Firebeard THINKS that he and the ruthless crew of the "Horrible Haddock" rule the high seas. But Firebeard and his band meet their match when they kidnap a small but feisty girl named Molly. Even after the pirates threaten Molly with sharks and make her scrub the deck, she is utterly defiant -- and will NOT tell Firebeard who her parents are. All the while, Molly is busy sending secret messages in bottles...but to whom? When...

Eight--year-old Emma and her little dog Tristan take a magic carpet ride to the distant land of Barakash to help a genie recover his stolen magical nose ring.

On Butterfly Island, sailer Stout Sam and his deckhand Pip must rescue their treasure-sniffing pig from nasty pirate Barracuda Bill.

After their mother dies, two boys travel for Venice, where they meet Scipio, the Thief Lord. Along with a small band of abandoned kids, the boys join Scipio's world of robbing the rich. Soon, they win the heart of the detective hired to track them.