The Book Thief

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. (2007). New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers. 

ISBN 978-0375842207

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Told through the perspective of Death, this is the story of how one young girl survives the

evils of World War II.  

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The author uses a nonlinear plot to show the unique narrator, Death reminiscing about a

certain girl  that really stood out to him.  It describes the scene with so much imagery that

the beginning chapters instantly hook the reader.  To describe the bombing scene in the

beginning which ultimately shows up at at the end, the author writes, “The sky was like

soup, boiling and stirring.”  He also writes, “The streets were ruptured veins” to show the

magnitude of the destruction.  

Death is set up right from the beginning to be a compassionate and charismatic narrator

but also matter of fact.  He is sorry for what he has done to the protagonist in the story,

Liesel Meminger or as he calls her, the book thief.  You see his compassion when he says,

“I wanted to say: I’m sorry, child.”  However he knows his place, and despite what he

feels, he cannot speak to the living.  He is truly impacted by humans as can be seen in his

last line, “ I am haunted by humans.”  

Despite the dark and melancholy beginning, the book progresses to happier times when

Liesel meets her new foster family.  Hans Hubermann was a loving foster father.  His

eyes are “... Made of kindness, and silver” to show how gentle and worthwhile this

man is.  Liesel instantly feels a connection to him, and he is always there to soothe

her during her nightmares.  Rosa, Hans’ wife, on the other hand, comes off as a harsher

character, but deep down she is good natured and acts a comic relief.  She brings humor

to the plot when she tells Liesel, “That Saukeri, that filthy pig, you call him Papa…”

She has quite the mouth on her and even responds to Hans one day, “Saukerl! Lick

my ass! I’ll speak as loud as I want.”  Her character development is flawless and really adds to the story.  

Happier times continue when Liesel meets Rudy Steiner.  Despite the initial snowball to the face,

Rudy liked Liesel.  They have an innocent, cute relationship.  Rudy is always trying to find ways

to kiss Liesel and because of how he treats her and looks out for her, the reader will root for this

character.  The death of Rudy at the end of the story is so hard to take because he is Liesel’s closest

friend and never gets the kiss he longed for.  The words, “He tasted like regret in the shadow of the

trees…” leaves the reader wishing that Liesel had more time.

Themes of sacrifice and selflessness can be seen when Hans and Rose take in Max, a Jew,

trying to escape the wrath of Hitler.  They put their lives at stake to repay Erik Vandenburg

saving Hans’ life.  Another theme is persevering during hard times.  Each character is plagued

by all the effects of war and death, but they somehow keep going.  Family and friendship are

a big part of each character surviving during these hard times.  

Despite being an historical fiction novel, the reader gets a glimpse into the world of Germany.

The author uses authentic German words throughout the story.  The infamous phrase “Heil Hitler”

is repeated throughout the novel and Hitler’s novel Mein Kampf plays a role in this novel.  Research

for this book is evident in her acknowledgements in the end of the book.  Minor details were

even researched as she talks about meeting someone to discuss the seasonal habits of apple trees.  

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

The Horn Book STARRED REVIEW: "Exquisitely written and memorably populated,

Zusak's poignant tribute to words, survival, and their curiously inevitable entwinement is

a tour de force to be not just read but inhabited."

Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW: "Elegant, philosophical and moving...Beautiful and important."

Publisher’s Weekly STARRED REVIEW: "This hefty volume is an achievement...a challenging book in both length and subject..."

School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW: "An extraordinary narrative."

5. CONNECTIONS

Other books with similar topics or themes: 

Morris, Heather          The Tattooist of Auschwitz       ISBN 9788703093352

In groups, students can research different parts of the Holocaust.  They can present using different digital tools such as Google Slides, Glogster, or a Prezi.