The Book Thief

The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, ISBN 978-0-375-84220-7, Knopf 2006

Plot Summary:

The protagonist of the story is Liesel Meminger, a young girl who has been taken in by a foster family in Germany during WWII following the death of her younger brother. The narrator of the novel is Death, an entity who is responsible for carrying souls out of the mortal realm. Death wishes he could get a vacation from his job, but there is nobody to take his place so he must keep working all the time. When Liesel arrives in Germany, she has stolen her first book, even though she can’t read yet. Her foster father, Hans, reads the book to Liesel at night when she can’t sleep. Hans can’t read very well, but he and Liesel help each other by reading at night and writing words they’ve learned on a wall in the basement. As the years during the war pass, Liesel finds out that the Nazis are going to burn books that they don’t think should be read. She begins to steal more and more books in order to keep them from being destroyed, giving her the title of Book Thief.

Critical Evaluation:

The narration of the book is one of the more interesting elements. Having Death tell the story allows the reader to know that while Liesel and her family and friends are safe for the time being, Death is always close, especially during times of war and persecution. An important lesson throughout is that the books that Liesel helps preserve become treasure to her and Hans. This also illustrates a larger component of the book, which is the power of the written word and how it can alter a person’s views and, ultimately, their actions. The characters seem very real to the place and time. Liesel’s foster mother, Rosa, is seemingly grim and somewhat verbally abusive, but Zusak can still find a way to show the reader that she cares very much for Liesel. Max is perhaps the most important character outside of the protagonist. He is a Jewish man who is taken in and hidden by the foster family, and it’s his relationship with Liesel that makes her understand just how powerful the written word can be. It’s their relationship that gives Liesel the idea to steal the books and, along the way, teaches her about compassion and courage. The language makes for an easy read and learning how to not only survive, but thrive, in a hostile atmosphere and still maintain hope is the real message of the story.

Reader’s Annotation:

Liesel finds herself with a new family in a strange place. Will she be able to overcome the traumas of her past to make a better future?’

Information about the Author:

From the author’s page at the Random House website:

Markus Zusak was born in 1975 and is the author of five books, including the international bestseller, The Book Thief, which is translated into more than forty languages. First released in 2005, The Book Thief has spent a total of 375 weeks on the New York Timesbestseller list, and still remains there eight years after it first came out.

His first three books, The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe and When Dogs Cry (also known as Getting the Girl), released between 1999 and 2001, were all published internationally and garnered a number of awards and honours in his native Australia, and the USA.

The Messenger (or I am the Messenger), published in 2002, won the 2003 Australian Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Award (Older Readers) and the 2003 NSW Premier’s Literary Award (Ethel Turner Prize), as well as receiving a Printz Honour in America. It also won numerous national readers choice awards across Europe, including the highly regarded Deutscher Jugendliteratur prize in Germany.

It is The Book Thief, however, that has established Markus Zusak as one of the most successful authors to come out of Australia. To date, The Book Thief has held the number one position at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, the New York Times bestseller list, as well as in countries across South America, Europe and Asia. It has also been in the top five bestsellers in the UK and several other territories. It has amassed many and varied awards, ranging from literary prizes to readers choice awards to prizes voted on by booksellers. It was the only book to feature on both the USA and UK World Book Night Lists in 2012, and has now been adapted into a major motion picture.

The Book Thief (the film adaptation) is directed by Emmy Award-winning Brian Percival (Downton Abbey) and was shot in Berlin by Twentieth Century Fox. The cast is headlined by Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush (Shine, The King’s Speech) and Academy Award nominee Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves, Anna Karenina). It also includes exciting new talents Ben Schnetzer, Nico Liersch, and Sophie Nelisse (Monsieur Lazhar), with Nelisse cast as The Book Thief, Liesel Meminger.

The Guardian calls The Book Thief  “a novel of breathtaking scope, masterfully told.” The New York Times: “Brilliant and hugely ambitious…the kind of book that can be life-changing.” The Age: “an original, moving, beautifully written book.”

Markus Zusak grew up in Sydney, Australia, and still lives there with his wife and two children.

Genre:

Historical fiction, family drama

Curriculum Ties:

WWII studies

Challenge Issues:

The book could be challenged because Death is the narrator and ends up taking everyone with him by the end. It’s pretty depressing.

Creating a Defense:

• Make sure you have thorough knowledge of the library’s selection policy as well as a copy on hand. Your insight as well as pointing out specific portions of the policy will be helpful in discussion with the patron.
• Always have the library Bill of Rights close to show the patron your library’s commitment to providing all kinds of information.
• Have some reveiws on hand, both good and bad, from respected sources like YALSA or Amazon so both you and the patron can gain an understanding of both sides of the issue.
• Make sure you’re familiar with the books that might be challenged. Be prepared to discuss the book’s intended audience, its educational significance, purpose, and also some alternative titles to read.
• Don’t get defensive. The librarian can’t take the challenge personally and either party getting upset will cause the discussion to devolve into a fight.
• LISTEN. Even if you don’t agree with the patron, their views are as valid as yours and should be respected.

Reading Level:

Ages 12+

Booktalking Ideas:

Do you feel any compassion for Death as a character? Does his presence make the deaths of some characters easier for you to read and handle?

Why is the material included?:

I would always encourage young adults to read a story about the power and magic of reading. 

Image via Google