Zusak, Markus (2006). The Book Thief. New York, New York: Knopf Books.
ISBN: 9780375831003
576 pages
Classification: Fiction: Fiction
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 15-19
Stars: 5 stars
Subjects: Books, Nazis, World War II, Death, War, Germany, Holocaust
Reader's Annotation
Death tells the story of a 9-year-old book thief, Liesel Meminger who first steals a book at the burial of her 6-year-old brother and thereafter continues to steal books as she avoids Death even as it envelops World-War II era Nazi Germany.
Summary
Death is not a very involved narrator- he is rather dry and sardonic at times, but he weaves the story of Liesel Meminger incredibly well. 9-year-old Liesel is sent away with her 6-year-old brother to live with a family in the countryside and avoid detection from the Nazis. On the way there, her brother develops a cough that proves fatal. At his burial, Liesel steals her first book, The Gravedigger's Handbook, even though she can't read. She learns to read and she marks the years by the various books she manages to steal as well as a group of friends she meets. As she survives when so many others do not, she begins to write her own story, and that is what seems to be her own saving grace.
Notes
There have been a number of books on World War II and the Holocaust, and most readers will be familiar with Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl. This basis of knowledge will serve them well as they read this heartwrenching story. The dry tone it is told with makes the material palatable, and the rich story and characters created present hope in the most unlikely of places, in the most unlikely of times.
Awards
New York Times Bestseller
Other Information
Readers who enjoy this book may also enjoy Zusak's I am the Messenger.
Author Information
