A thief takes what is not theirs. A robber adds confrontation. An outlaw has crossed so far beyond the rules that the label can sound like a warning, a profession, or — in Robin Hood’s case — the beginning of a legend. Children’s books cheerfully complicate all three. Their lawbreakers may be ridiculous villains, hungry street children, swaggering folk heroes, or gifted young people who can open any lock except the question of whether they should.
Drawing on Bookroo’s collection of 433 books about thieves, robbers, and outlaws, our editors chose fifteen that travel from a farmyard burglary and a missing school library to Robin Hood’s forest, Billy the Kid’s New Mexico, Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, a Newbery Honor quest, and the true theft that made the Mona Lisa famous. Start with the fixed shortlist below, then browse picture books for lively read-aloud capers and chapter books for mysteries, legends, moral arguments, and elaborate plans that cannot possibly go wrong.
Two orphaned brothers hide among Venice’s canals with a band of street children led by the masked Thief Lord.
Every book has vanished from Peter’s school. Fortunately, Detective Dog Nell can follow a story by scent.
Jack and Annie track the facts behind ghost towns, cowboys, and the young outlaw who became Billy the Kid.
Ronia grows up in a robber stronghold — until friendship with a rival robber’s son makes the family feud impossible to inherit quietly.
On an August morning in 1911, the Mona Lisa disappears from the Louvre and an empty patch of wall becomes a sensation.
Robin Hood poaches the king’s deer, empties wealthy purses, and turns life outside the law into a legend about justice.
Leroy Ninker slips into the Watsons’ kitchen looking for loot and finds Mercy looking for buttered toast.
Gen boasts that he can steal anything. A king’s scholar takes him out of prison to prove it.
Bass Reeves escapes slavery, becomes a deputy U.S. marshal, and builds a career bringing the West’s most wanted outlaws to court.
Two burglars have drawn a map to the prize cow. The farm’s quietest animal hears every word.
Three young mule trackers follow a rustler into Colorado’s outlaw country and discover that Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch is close behind.
A compact, photograph-filled tour asks what the Wild West was really like and what the familiar Billy the Kid stories leave out.
A crooked developer has taken Vita’s grandfather’s castle. She recruits a pickpocket and two circus performers to steal it back.
The Highway Rat takes every traveler’s food — even clover and leaves he does not want — until one duck offers a tempting new prize.
A sparkly green stone slips from a classroom shelf into Eliza Jane’s pocket. It feels much heavier once she gets home.
Bungling burglars, stolen snacks, missing books, and small readers deciding what separates one bad choice from a bad person — lively read-alouds for ages 2–8.
A baby plans a bank heist to buy a pet. Chaos ensues.
Two friends chase a cunning robber and his magical ally. Can they outsmart him?
A bookstore prank turns into a real robbery. Can the kids solve the mystery?
Who's sneaking through the night? It's Burglar Bill on a curious adventure.
A masked bandit bird questions his criminal ways when humans welcome him.
A wild boar's clover patch mysteriously shrinks. Can he outsmart the thief?
Twenty-four robbers keep returning. What will finally change their ways?
Can Mr. Whiskers protect the town's money from pirate thieves on Halloween night?
A pearl necklace vanishes at a charity event. Can Cam solve the mystery before the thief escapes?
A tiny watchdog faces a big robber. Can size win the day?
Two cows mistaken for robbers must outwit the law.
Jiva's peas vanish mysteriously before harvest. Who's behind the garden heist?
Robin Hood legends, robber families, first mysteries, master thieves, true crime, and Wild West outlaws pursued across two continents — for readers ages 5–15.
Six outcasts. One impossible heist. Can they survive each other and save the world?
A boy must trade up from a keychain to reclaim his grandfather's stolen instrument.
Rapunzel's enchanted tower hides secrets. A thief's arrival changes everything.
A young boy receives a call from the Queen of England, asking for his help in retrieving a stolen spoon.
A doll goes missing at a sleepover. Can a young detective solve the mystery?
A baseball bat is stolen from a famous player and two kids try to solve the mystery.
A young girl with a photographic memory helps solve a jewelry store robbery with her friend and her friend's baby brother
A young thief faces former villains at a reform school. Can she trust them?
A prince and a pauper must trust each other to escape dangerous outlaws.
A boy's luck changes when a girl and a flying machine lead him on a quest for a stolen treasure.
Five young talents face a deadly heist against a powerful sorcerer. Success or betrayal awaits.
A group of young dragon riders must work together to stop an evil wizard from stealing a powerful dragon stone
