The Book Thief - Fiction



Bibliography:

Zusak, Markus. 2005. THE BOOK THIEF. New York: Alfred A Knopf. 978-0-375-84220-7.

Plot Summary:

Liesel Meminger is a young girl in Nazi Germany, her brother has died and her Mom is taking her to live with a foster family.  During her brothers funeral Liesel finds a book partially buried in the snow and takes it as her own, this begins the story of Liesel’s obsession with books, taking them when she finds them; becoming The Book Thief.  During these difficult times Liesel builds a relationship with her new foster family especially her foster father Hans who teaches her to read, a Jewish boy named Max who her foster family is hiding from the Nazi’s and a neighbor boy named Ruby who will ultimately become her best friend.  This captivating story follows Liesel as she begins her obsession with books and reading and the relationships she builds during such a horrific time in Germany.

Critical Analysis:

Liesel is a young girl that many girls can admire and possibly identify with.  She never learned how to read but discovers a love of books.  She is admired by Ruby, the boy next door, but never gives into his desire to kiss her until she kisses him when he tragically dies.  And she develops a lovely relationship with her foster father who teaches her how to read. All circumstances that Liesel finds herself in are realistic, situations that many people can understand.  Being a young girl and developing these relationships allows young girls to identify with Liesel’s character and then the culture and dynamic of which she is now living. 

It is always tragic to read books that take place during World War II and discuss Nazi’s, concentration camps and the death of beloved characters but The Book Thief is written beautifully.  One unrealistic aspect of The Book Thief is the voice of Death, this is something many people and children can contemplate but The Book Thief gives Death interesting qualities.  The style of which Death is written is very unique and one that is not often found in books.  He has a voice periodically throughout the book but I think one of the most reassuring statements is when Death says, “When the war was over and Hitler delivered himself to my arms…”  Death is a topic that can scare children and adults alike and to read a book that gives Death a voice and to associate colors with circumstances is downright interesting.

The Book Thief’s plot is realistic in that it takes place during World War II Nazi Germany, there are Jewish people in hiding to keep from being captured by the Nazi’s and there were book burnings that took place per Hitler’s request.  These are all true events that took place in our world’s history.  This is one of the reasons this book is so intriguing, these are events that have taken place in history and we continue to be fascinated by the sequence of events and then to read about those events in a fictional novel makes it a special read.   

Review Awards and Excerpts:

Winner of the Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award

Winner of the Book Sense Book of the Year Award for Children’s Literature

Winner of the National Jewish Book Award

A Booklist Best Book of the Year

A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book

A Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

An American Library Association Notable Book

“Beautiful and important.” – Kirkus Reviews, Starred

“An extraordinary narrative.” – School Library Journal, Starred

Connections:

·    The Book Thief is a young adult book that many adults have found enjoyment in reading too.  It deals with a true piece of world history, World War II and the impact it made on thousands of people’s lives.  This type of literature can be used as a tool to help teach children and adults about our history and what we can learn from it.  Dealing with different religions and opening the door to a conversation about being open minded of other people’s religious reviews is an incredibly important lesson to learn.  Reading The Book Thief aloud and having conversations about different aspects of the book will allow for a lively conversation that could possibly make a life long impact.

• Because The Book Thief takes place during World War II it would be a fantastic piece of literature   to use in a history class.  Doing a comparison of historical facts that are listed in history books and what is in the storyline would be an interesting assignment.  This is not considered a non-fiction book so there are aspects of the book that are probably fabricated or embellished so doing a comparison of what is real versus what is not would be a great lesson.