The Book Thief

 

A. Bibliographic Data

     Zusak, Markus. 2007. The Book Thief. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

    ISBN: 0375842209

B. Summary

When Death has a story to tell, you listen.

The Book Thief is one of the best books I have read on the topic of WWll and the Holocaust. I find this topic to be one of my favorites when it comes to historical fiction and nonfiction. It is something that has always interested me in learning more about. Zusak’s storyline and characters are written with details and a plot that drags you in. Lisel is the book thief, and you find that interesting because from the start she is uneducated and is not about to read that well. She and her family are on the train when death comes to collect her younger brother. During this part of the story Lisel “steals” her first book. The Gravediggers Handbook, which she justifies as being okay that she stole it because so much has been taken from her. Soon after her mother passes her off to a foster care woman and is gone forever. Once she is with her new foster parents she connects with the father Hans, and it’s a wonderful story of a caring adult helping a child heal. He teaches her to read, and she falls in love with words

As the book continues, she is embarrassed in school by being put with younger students because she can’t read that well. Hans continues helping her learn to read using her first stolen book and over time Liesel acquires books. It is hard to find books as the Nazis burned books among other things. This book has truly a unique storyline and you see that when she is forced to join Hitler's Youth. During this time a man comes to hide with the family as Hans is in debt to this man's family. Liesel becomes friends with this man, and he eventually writes a book for her, “The Stand over Man. She continues to grow up during this time and steals 14 books in all over time. The story continues with Liesel and her friends growing up during WWll and what it's like for everyone.

C. Critical Analysis

 This book was very powerful in my opinion, and I often connected with the text.  She begins to fall in love with words and realizes that Hitler didn’t need guns when his words were enough to get others to hate.  This part of the book I found interesting because it is often something I think of that one man was able to convince so many to hate others with just words. It has been stated that he possibly never killed anyone himself during his evil reign. So this book hits all the points of things I have thought about over the years with my interest in the Holocaust. I was so deeply into this book that I finished it in one evening. I found the characters to be well written and the writing pulled you into what it must have felt like to be each of these characters. I liked that Zusak included humor in this book as well because it is such a sad and dark topic that you must find laughter when you can, and I find it relatable with life even now. When bad things happen you find that at times you are laughing and think “should be laughing” but it's part of life. This book is a must for all, not just young adults, and I think that there is something for everyone in this story to relate to.

D.  Book Reviews

“The kind of book that can be life-changing.” —The New York Times
 
“Deserves a place on the same shelf with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.” —USA Today

"One of the most highly anticipated young-adult books in years."
- The Wall Street Journal

"Exquisitely written and memorably populated, Zusak's poignant tribute to words, survival, and their curiously inevitable entwinement is a tour de force to be not just read but inhabited."
- The Horn Book Magazine, Starred

"Elegant, philosophical and moving...Beautiful and important." -Kirkus Reviews, Starred

"This hefty volume is an achievement...a challenging book in both length and subject..." -Publisher's Weekly, Starred 

"One of the most highly anticipated young-adult books in years." -The Wall Street Journal

E. Connections

·         Great discussions can happen with the talk of the stories narrator: Death.

·         This book is a great book to use to work on vocabulary as numerous words may be new to your readers.

·         Discussions of the Holocaust and comparing this character with characters from other Holocaust-themed books.

·         These lesson plans are full of questions/discussions to use with analyzing the text.

·         Author study of Zusak as he wrote this book because of his parents stories of growing up during the Holocaust.

·         Publisher released discussion questions: Link