- Bibliography
Zusak, Markus. 2005. THE BOOK THIEF. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780375831003.
- Summary
Set in Nazi Germany, this book describes Liesel Meminger’s relationship with her foster parents, Hans and Rosa, and the other residents of their neighborhood, as well as a Jewish fist-fighter who hides in her home during the escalation of World War II. With the help of Hans, Liesel shows the community that stories and friendship are some of the best gifts one has to offer.
- Critical Analysis
The narrator is Death who does not choose those whose souls he takes; it is his job to gather them after their owners have died. He is appalled by the way in which humans often behave, and especially the horrendous ways in which victims of Hitler’s fanaticism meet their appointments with him. It’s a clever device, allowing for dispassionate observation of events and for a different commentary on matters which can lose their impact by becoming over familiar. It also provides opportunities for Death to drop oblique remarks, leaving the reader fearful for sympathetic characters. This is not a ‘them and us’ war novel. Death portrays what he sees through metaphorical colors that add to the sensory details of the story. However, Death is not sinister and he is very unobtrusive. The reader is not always aware of him because much of the story is seen through Liesel’s, the book thief’s, eyes. Death finds her story in the rubble from the bombing of Munich and is recounting it. Most of all, it is about survival; the survival of people in the first instance, but it is also a reflection on the survival of books despite efforts to eradicate them, and of words too in the face of a political system which makes everyone afraid of saying too much. It’s a haunting tale, a strange mixture of ugliness and beauty, of cruelty and kindness, heart-warming and heart-rending, full of vivid metaphor and an absolutely compelling read. It can be read on several levels and without a doubt will be enjoyed by adults as well as older teenagers.
- Awards and Review Excerpts
- AWARDS -
2006 - Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book (South East Asia & South Pacific)
2006 - Horn Book Fanfare
2006 - Kirkus Reviews Editor Choice Award
2006 - School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
2006 - Daniel Elliott Peace Award
2006 - Publishers Weekly Best Children Book of the Year
2006 - Booklist ChildrenEditors' Choice
2006 - Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
2007 - Boeke Prize
2007 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults
2007 - Michael L. Printz Honor Book
2007 - Book Sense Book of the Year
- REVIEW EXCERPTS -
BOOKS FOR KEEPS review: “Within this powerful novel, the power of story is manifest when, for example, Liesel distracts her neighbours as they shelter from bombings, and where Max finds distraction from his basement hideout by creating stories. The Book Thief has much to say to thoughtful readers, young and old.”
INIS Children’s Books Ireland Magazine review: “This is a memorable piece of work - beautifully written, rich and poetic in language and peopled with wonderful characters.”
- Connections
Read other books about WWII from both the point of view of the Nazis and the Jews
Write an alternative ending for the story
Write the story of Liesel’s parents
Discuss what stories would make them feel less scared if they were in a situation such as Liesel’s neighbors in the bomb shelter
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