"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

Citation:
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. Westminister, Maryland: Random House, 2006.
ISBN: 9780375831003

Plot Summary:
Death narrates the moving tale of Liesel, a young girl who is placed with a foster family in Germany during World War II.  As a manner of coping, Liesel finds herself stealing things, the first of which being "The Gravedigger's Handbook" at her younger brother's burial.  In time, Liesel learns to read and realizes the gift of literature.  She steals more books from Nazi book burnings in an effort for share the gift with others.  With Death as an all-seeing narrator, how will the story end?

Critical Analysis:
Zusak made a bold and interesting choice by narrating the novel with "Death".  It's ironic that death should be personified-- giving life to death.  Liesel is the heroine of the story and she has had tremendous loss in her life.  The reader is made to feel empathy for Liesel even if they are not fully able to understand her experiences.

Review Excerpts:
Kirkus Reviews: "The writing is elegant, philosophical and moving. Even at its length, it's a work to read slowly and savor. Beautiful and important."
School Library Journal: "Death is not a sentimental storyteller, but he does attend to an array of satisfying details, giving Liesel’s story all the nuances of chance, folly, and fulfilled expectation that it deserves. An extraordinary narrative."
Publishers Weekly: "This hefty volume is an achievement—a challenging book in both length and subject, and best suited to sophisticated older readers."

Connections:
*Michael L. Printz Award For Excellence In Young Literature - Award Winner And Honor Books 2000
*A nonfiction companion about WWII and the Holocaust:
We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers who Died in the Holocaust
ISBN: 9780590844758
*Other books by Mark Zusak:
I am the Messenger
ISBN: 9780375836671
Fighting Ruben Wolfe
ISBN: 9780439241878