THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak

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Zusak, Markus. 2006. The Book Thief. New York: Random House Children’s Books. ISBN: 9780375931000

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, is a haunting work of historical fiction set during the years of the Holocaust. The story of the titular character, a 10 year old orphaned girl, is narrated from the point of view of Death. The story progresses as Death goes about his business claiming lives in Nazi Germany, personified like an observant operative. Young Liesel Meminger faces the depressing circumstances of her father’s abandonment, her brother’s death, her mother’s disappearance, and forced foster care with a poor German family. The only bright spot in her life is a book which she has stolen and yearns to read. Her gentle and gracious foster father teaches her to read and write fueling her desire to steal more books from Nazi book-burnings and elsewhere. Other friendships include her neighborhood buddy Rudy and Max, the Jewish hideaway in the basement. 


The novel is set in 1939 in a small working class town outside of Munich where Liesel’s life is defined by nightmares and bombing raids. Zusak successfully paints believable and accurate scenes of the horrors of the time. Through his clever style of narration, the theme of struggling to survive in the face of Death is all too literal. As with all works regarding World War II, the underlying theme of hate and tolerance is evident. Since the story unfolds through the detached words of Death, it manages to speak about human tragedy in a sometimes light and mocking tone of voice. School Library Journal proclaims, "Death is not a sentimental storyteller, but he does attend to an array of satisfying details...". Most importantly, the realistic story of the Hubermann family gives readers a glimpse of the conflicts of average people living during a dangerous time in history. SLJ agrees, "Zusak explores behind-the-lines life in World War II Germany, showing the day-to-day heroism of ordinary people." 

The Book Thief was awarded the Michael L. Printz Honor in 2007.

Extensions for this book could include a study of other young adult World War II novels such as Number the Stars by Lois Lowry or The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. 

Books in Print. TWU Library. Accessed December 3, 2013 http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2125/