The Book Thief

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Zusak, M. (2006). The Book Thief. New York, NY: Random House. Print. ISBN: 9780375831003 $12.99. 576 pages.

Awards & Honors:

BCCB Blue Ribbon Book 2006

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year 2006

Ena Noel Award 2006

A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book 2006

Book Sense Summer Pick Teen Readers 2006

National Jewish Book Award (Children's and Young Adults' Literature, 2006)

Kathleen Mitchell Award 2006

ALA Best Books for Young Adults 2007

Book Sense Book of the Year 2007

Sophie Brody Award Short List 2007

Printz Honor 2007

Sydney Taylor Book Award 2007

Exclusive Books Boeke Prize 2007

Whitcoulls top 100, 2008

ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults 2009

ALA Outstanding Books for the College Bound 2009

Annotation:

Leisel is living in a new home, her parents are out there somewhere, the world is at war, and now she is helping hide a Jewish refugee, so for Leisel, books provide her with the perfect escape.  The Book Thief is incredibly written, unbelievably powerful, and should be read by as many readers as possible.

Review:

Death narrates the tale of Liesel Meminger, a little girl who is relocated to strange house on Himmel Street in 1939 as war plagues Germany in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Her new foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, welcome her and she quickly makes herself at home. Hans is kind and gentle, and Rosa is strict and harsh, but both love Liesel. Hans teaches Liesel to read and she soon discovers that she is captivated by the world of words. Books and words become Liesel’s passion, which intensifies when she helps to hide, Max, a refugee from the Nazis. Max shares Liesel’s love of the written word and she is devastated when he has to leave and is later captured. The Book Thief is about growing up in Nazi Germany. But it is really about love and fear, tragedy and bravery, passion, and discovering that words can be powerful.

The Book Thief is one of the more beautifully written books I have read.  Death describes Liesel’s story and thoughts in the most eloquent and provocative manner.  I highly recommend this book, especially for its depiction of Hitler’s reign, because it tells the story from a point of view that is unique and insightful.  In a library setting, I would place this book in Young Adult, but could easily place a second copy in Adult Fiction for those who discover books through browsing. I would recommend this book to a diversity of readers from 7th grade on up.  Zusak’s tale speaks to students of World War II history, fans of fiction, and simply to lovers of books.

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

 

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