For my birthday, Robyn got me Inkheart and The Thief Lord, both by Cornelia Funke. I just finished reading The Thief Lord to her. It's about a small gang of homeless kids in Venice, led by the only slightly older "Thief Lord," who goes on daring missions to steal valuables in order to provide for the kids. Prosper and his little brother Bo, whose parents died recently, are there to avoid their aunt, who wants to adopt only Bo and send Prosper off elsewhere.
Throw in Victor, the snoop hired to track down the kids; Barbarossa, the obnoxious redbeard who fences the Thief Lord's stolen goods; and the mysterious Conte, who offers an enormous sum for a mysterious object; and you have a wonderful tale about people who aren't necessarily who they appear to be.