Hopkinson, Deborah, A Bandit’s Tale: The Muddled Misadventures of a Pickpocket.
Gutsy eleven year old Italian immigrant Rocco arrives in NYC in the spring of 1887 without a penny to his name. Forced to work for an unscrupulous padron, Rocco decides to strike out on his own than succumb to daily abuse. In his struggle for a better life he faces many misadventures and makes a new friend or two along the way.