Cornelia Funke

Cornelia Funke is a highly respected German author, best known for her adventure and fantasy novels for children and young adults. She has gained international acclaim for her work, and has been referred to as the "German J.K. Rowling." Funke initially aspired to be an astronaut or a pilot in her youth, but eventually pursued a degree in pedagogy from the University of Hamburg. She later became a social worker for deprived children.

Funke's writing is known for its well-developed characters and richly detailed settings. She is a master storyteller who has inspired many young writers to pursue their own careers in literature. Funke's own passion for reading began at a young age, and she has credited various books and authors as being her mentors and role models. She is widely admired for her ability to create stories that are both entertaining and thought-provoking.

In addition to her writing, Funke is also an accomplished illustrator. Many of her books feature her own illustrations, which add an extra layer of depth and richness to her stories. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the prestigious Book Sense Book of the Year Award. Funke currently lives in Beverly Hills, California, with her family and a menagerie of pets. She continues to write and illustrate stories that captivate and inspire readers of all ages.

Funke's books have been translated into over 30 languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. Some of her most popular titles include "The Thief Lord," "Dragon Rider," "Inkheart," "Inkspell," and the "Ghosthunters" series. She is known for her imaginative storytelling and her ability to create worlds that are both magical and believable. Funke's work has been compared to that of Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling, and she is widely regarded as one of the most talented and original writers of her generation.
Inkheart/Inkworld Books
# Title Year
1 Inkheart 2003
2 Inkspell 2005
3 Inkdeath 2007
4 The Colour of Revenge 2023
Ghosthunters Books
# Title Year
1 Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost 1993
2 Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost! 1994
3 Ghosthunters and the Totally Moldy Baroness! 1995
4 Ghosthunters and the Muddy Monster of Doom! 1995
Mirrorworld Books
# Title Year
1 Reckless/Petrified Flesh 2010
2 Fearless/Living Shadows 2012
3 The Golden Yarn 2015
4 The Glass of Lead and Gold 2018
5 The Silver Tracks 2020
MirrorWorld Anthologies
# Title Year
1 The MirrorWorld Anthology 2013
C.H.I.X. Books
# Title Year
1 The Summer Gang 1993
Dragon Rider Books
# Title Year
1 Dragon Rider 1997
2 The Griffin's Feather 2016
3 The Aurelia Curse 2021
Die Wilden Hühner / Wild Chicks Books (with Thomas Schmid)
# Title Year
1 The Wild Chicks / Die wilden Hühner 1993
2 Class Trip / Auf Klassenfahrt 1996
3 Fuchsalarm 2018
4 Und das Glück der Erde 2019
5 Und die Liebe 2019
6 Und das Leben (By: Thomas Schmid) 2019
Wild Chicks Books
# Title Year
1 The Wild Chicks 1993
2 Class Trip 1996
Pan's Labryinth (with Guillermo del Toro)
# Title Year
1 The Labyrinth of the Faun 2019
Standalone Novels
# Title Year
1 The Thief Lord 2000
2 When Santa Fell to Earth 2006
3 Igraine the Brave 2007
4 Saving Mississippi 2010
5 Ghost Knight 2011
6 The New Girl 2012
7 Young Werewolf 2013
8 The Green Kingdom (With: Tammi Hartung) 2025
Short Story Collections
# Title Year
1 A Princess, A Pirate, And One Wild Brother 2008
2 Through the Water Curtain and other Tales from Around the World 2018
Picture Books
# Title Year
1 The Princess Knight 2001
2 Pirate Girl 2005
3 The Wildest Brother 2005
4 Princess Pigsty 2007
5 Gawain Greytail and the Terrible Tab 2015
6 The Book No One Ever Read 2017
7 Molly Rogers, Pirate Girl 2017
Chapter Books
# Title Year
1 Inkheart Movie Novelization (With: Jane B. Mason, Sarah Hines Stephens) 2009
2 The Moonshine Dragon 2014
3 Sea Urchins and Sand Pigs 2014
4 The Monster From The Blue Planet 2015
5 Monster Busters 2015
6 The Pirate Pig 2015
7 Ruffleclaw 2015
8 Lilly and Fin 2017
Chapter Books (with Jane B. Mason, with Sarah Hines Stephens)
# Title Year
1 Inkheart Movie Novelization 2009
2 The Moonshine Dragon 2014
3 Sea Urchins and Sand Pigs 2014
4 The Monster From The Blue Planet 2015
5 Monster Busters 2015
6 The Pirate Pig 2015
7 Ruffleclaw 2015
8 Lilly and Fin 2017
Jane B. Mason Chapter Books (with Jane B. Mason, with Sarah Hines Stephens)
# Title Year
1 Hello, Two-Wheeler! 1995
2 Animaniacs Adventures: Two Wacky Tales in One Cool Book 1995
3 Star Trek, First Contact: The Movie Storybook 1996
4 Monstrous Opus 1997
5 Franklin Goes to Day Camp: A Story and Activity Book 1997
6 Flying Horse: The Story of Pegasus 1999
7 The Nutcracker 2003
8 Inkheart Movie Novelization 2009
Junior Library Guild Selection Books
# Title Year
1 Emma and the Blue Genie (With: Oliver Latsch, Kerstin Meyer) 2002
2 Egyptian Diary: The Journal of Nakht (By: David Parkins, Richard Platt) 2005
3 My Best Friend, the Atlantic Ocean, and Other Great Bodies Standing Between Me and My Life with Giulio (By: Jane Harrington) 2008
4 Lucky: Maris, Mantle, and My Best Summer Ever (By: Wes Tooke) 2010
5 Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's (By: Michael O. Tunnell) 2010
6 Child of the Civil Rights Movement (By: Raúl Colón) 2011
7 Zombie Makers (By: Rebecca L. Johnson) 2012
8 Zorro Gets an Outfit (By: Carter Goodrich) 2012
9 Courage Has No Color (By: Tanya Lee Stone) 2013
10 Chasing Shadows (By: Swati Avasthi) 2013
11 Journey into the Deep ( By: Rebecca L. Johnson) 2013
12 Behold the Beautiful Dung Beetle (By: Cheryl Bardoe) 2014
13 Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole (By: Chuck Groenink) 2014
14 Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey (By: Loree Griffin Burns, Ellen Harasimowicz) 2014
15 Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold (By: Joyce Sidman) 2014
16 The Hugely-Wugely Spider (By: Ethan T. Berlin) 2018
Jane B. Mason Chapter Books
# Title Year
1 Hello, Two-Wheeler! (By: Jane B. Mason) 1995
2 Animaniacs Adventures: Two Wacky Tales in One Cool Book (By: Jane B. Mason) 1995
3 Star Trek, First Contact: The Movie Storybook (By: Jane B. Mason) 1996
4 Monstrous Opus (By: Jane B. Mason) 1997
5 Franklin Goes to Day Camp: A Story and Activity Book (By: Jane B. Mason) 1997
6 Flying Horse: The Story of Pegasus (By: Jane B. Mason) 1999
7 The Nutcracker (By: Jane B. Mason) 2003
8 Inkheart Movie Novelization (With: Jane B. Mason, Sarah Hines Stephens) 2009
Cornelia Funke Anthologies
# Title Year
1 What You Wish For 2011
2 What You Wish For: A Book for Darfur 2011
3 First Light: A Celebration of Alan Garner 2016