THE BOOK THIEF

Zusak, Markus. 2006. THE BOOK THIEF. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.

 THE BOOK THIEF is interesting from the very beginning because it’s narrated by someone (or something?) a little different: Death. That’s right, Death is telling this story. I dare the reader not to get sucked in by that little nugget of information alone. Let’s face it—when Death has something to say, people take notice.

In BOOK THIEF, Death tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl who lives right outside of Munich, Germany during the time of World War II. She is the book thief to which the title refers. She arrives at her foster home at age 9 with her first steal, The Gravediggers Handbook, and her foster father reads to her from it when she has nightmares about her brother’s death. To her, books are treasures and so she continues to steal them throughout the ensuing years, and it’s while she’s pursuing this “hobby” that she makes the most unusual friends.

Readers will be able to relate to Liesel’s love of books and reading, and will be intrigued by her daring as she pilfers from Nazi book burnings and from the mayor’s wife’s personal library. Because this is historical fiction, events that happened in real life are experienced here through the eyes of the characters. World War II and the Holocaust stir up emotions in people to this day—even in people who never had to experience it, and don’t know anyone who did. It was just a bleak and tragic time in history that touches a chord in everyone. This book did that for me.

This book is for all ages 12 and up, for those who love history, those who have had something taken from them and want to take something back in any way they can, and for those looking to add a bit more meaning in their lives. The novel is just captivating: “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” (Goldsmith).

Reference List:

Goldsmith, Francisca. 2006. Review of The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. School Library Journal.