THE BOOK THIEF

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Zusak, Mark. The Book Thief. 2005. Ill by Trudy White. New York. Alfred A. Knopf.

ISBN#  978-0-375-84220-7

PLOT SUMMARY:

            Liesel Meminger’s life changes forever with the death of her brother and the theft of a book found in the graveyard. The book, The Grave Digger’s Handbook, becomes the means used by her foster father Hans to calm her after the nightmare episodes begin. The book also leads to the beginning of more book stealing from the mayor’s wife’s library, from the infamous Nazi book burnings and is the instrument Hans uses to begin Liesel’s reading and writing lessons.  When her foster father hides a Jew in their basement, the entire family is put in danger and Liesel’s somewhat sheltered world becomes a thing of the past.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

            Narrated by Death, the book tells the story of scared, 9 year old Liesel who witnesses the death of her little brother, is abandoned by her mother, put into foster care and how she struggles to make sense of it all growing up. Readers who have ever been abandoned, put in foster care, lost someone they loved or has ever been teased and made fun of will identify with Liesel.

Set in 1939 Nazi Germany, Mark Kusak has written a story that brings home the mindset and trials of the German people during the war.  Detailed accuracy of book burnings and Jewish persecution make this story very believable. The neighborhood Liesel lives in could easily be any neighborhood today. Her friendship with Rudy begins innocently enough but along the way it changes as they grow older and mature. Several times in the book, Death foreshadows what is to come but the path Kusak chooses to get to that point keeps the reader guessing as to when it will happen.

This book is a must read for teenagers and is reminiscent of The Diary of Anne Frank.

REVIEWS:

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  “Zusak not only creates a mesmerizing and original story but also writes with poetic syntax, causing readers to deliberate over phrases and lines, even as the action impels them forward.”

KIRKUS:  "Elegant, philosophical and moving...Beautiful and important."

AWARDS:

Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award

Book Sense Book of the Year Award for Children

National Jewish Book Award

ALA Notable Book

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Booklist Best Book of the Year

CONNECTIONS:

Students may study the following subjects in relation to this book:

World War II, Adolf Hitler, Nazi Party and Persecution of the Jews

Find examples from the book of the following figurative languages:

            Simile, metaphor, personification