The Book Thief

                                                              The Book Thief Book Review

By Kelly Hartman

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Zusak, Markus.  The Book Thief. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers,  2007 ISBN 9780375842207

PLOT SUMMARY

Liesel, a young girl living in World War II Germany, finds herself in the care of foster parents, Rosa and Hans.  In the midst of great loss and grief, Liesel clings to a book that connects her to her past; and yet she learns how to move forward as she falls in love with her new life in her community. Words, both spoken and written, become very important to Liesel as she is trusted with her family's secret to harbor Max, a young Jewish man in their basement. Books, forbidden and even the stolen kind, become an anchor for Liesel as the world around her begins to fall apart.  She learns that the story of the human condition contains both horrific pain and wonderous joy.       

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In The Book Thief, Death tells the story of Liesel, a young girl growing up in Germany right before and during World War II. Zuckus personifies Death as an outsider looking in to the same lives that intertwine with Liesel's.  Due to the nature of the World War II and the Holocaust, this point of view may seem morbid, but the reader will soon realize the creativity and necessity to the author's purpose of showing the human condition at its worst and at its best.   

Zuckus takes the reader on an emotional journey with the main character, Liesel.  Liesel begins the story as a frail, grief-stricken girl who has night terrors, bed-wetting incidents, and cannot read the very book that she stole from her brother's gravesite.  Yet, she blossoms to a brave girl who helps to keep her family's secret of a Jew living in the basement.  Believable dialogue develops each character: foul-mouthed, yet nurturing foster mother, Rosa; tender-hearted and selfless foster father, Hans; competitive, yet loyal best friend, Rudy; and creative and determined, Max.  

Zuckus dips in and out of Death's narration and into the Liesel's life.  As the story unfolds, Death foreshadows the demise of the characters, both beloved and despised, within the story; and yet, Zuckus cleverly keeps the reader guessing as to the actual moment when Death will arrive.  Just like real life, no one will escape Death.  

The topic and theme is most appropriate to older audience of middle schoolers or above.    

AWARD AND REVIEW EXCERPTS 

Sydney Taylor Book Award, winner 2007

USSBY, Outstanding International Books 2007

Margaret A. Edwards Award, winner 2014

CONNECTIONS

Use the Audio Excerpt to discuss personification.  Create a bubble map describing the narrator(using text evidence from the passage). Infer the name of the narrator using description.  

Use this Reader's Guide for discussion questions. 

Teach theme: Good vs. Evil (The Holocaust)

Discuss point of view comparing the book with the Movie Trailer