Welcome to the magical underworld of Venice, Italy, where hidden canals and crumbling rooftops shelter runaways and children with incredible secrets. Prosper and Bo are orphans on the run from their cruel aunt and uncle. The brothers decide to hide out in Venice, where they meet a mysterious thirteen-year-old boy who calls himself the "Thief Lord.
While accompanying their uncle, a wily politician, on a trip from Mars to Earth, Podkayne and her brilliant, but pesky brother are caught in a plot to keep Uncle Tom from an important conference.
Axel Lindenbrock's uncle, Professor Otto Lindenbrock, discovers an old piece of paper written in old Icelandic. Axel translates it, and it leads him and his uncle to Iceland to an extinct volcano called Sneffells. There, they decend into it's crater with the help of a guide named Hans Bjelke, in hopes to reach the centre of the earth! They will face many adventures and close calls in this gripping story of their journey.
