Book Review: The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Zusak, Marcus.  The Book Thief.  New York: Knopf, 2006.
ISBN: 978-0-375-84220-7

$18.99
Grades 9 and up (School Library Journal)
Awards: 2006 - Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book (South East Asia & South Pacific), Horn Book Fanfare, Kirkus Reviews Editor Choice Award,  School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Daniel Elliott Peace Award,  Publishers Weekly Best Children Book of the Year,  Booklist Children Editors' Choice, Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book, 2007 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Michael L. Printz Honor Book, Book Sense Book of the Year, 2009 - Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Master List

                Set in Nazi Germany, Death tells the story of teenaged Liesel Meminger, all those she loves, and all those she loses.  Liesel arrives on Himmel Street an illiterate, quasi-orphan, is taken in by a German family, and quickly develops a love of reading stolen books.  While living on Himmel Street, Liesel learns the meaning of friendship and hatred, safety and danger, happiness and sadness, but mostly she learns the meaning of love and loss.

                As evidenced by the long list of awards, The Book Thief is a pretty fantastic novel.  Zusak cleverly tells the story of Nazi Germany through the perspective of those living in the midst of it.  But this book is more than just a historical look at Nazi Germany.  Throughout the book, the narrator, Death, makes many profound statements that can be used to sum up the theme of this book.  Death’s last line says it best when Death proclaims, “I am haunted by humans.”  Zusak covers such concepts as propaganda, the power of words, the strength it takes to stand up for others, and so many more.  I think high school students would enjoy reading this novel especially after they read Night (in 10^th grade at our school) or The Diary of Anne Frank (the end of 8^th grade at our school).