The Book Thief By: Markus Zusak Presentation By: Omit Uddin

Why Choose This? Remembered reading it in sophomore year On my list of books (in the beginning of the year)

Summary Narrated by Death itself, The Book Thief is about a young girl named Liesel who is growing up during World War II in Nazi Germany. Liesel lives with her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann. On her way to their house, her little brother dies. This is a very traumatic experience that haunts her throughout the book. Also throughout the book, Death encounters with her and notices Liesel steal books. At first, she doesn't know how to read and write, but she learns from Hans. Although Hans and Rosa are German, they don’t agree with the Nazis. They actually help out by hiding a Jewish man named Max in their basement. Their efforts remain a secret until Hans helps a Jew who is struggling to keep up with the group as they're being marched to a concentration camp which results in the German soldiers whipping both Hans and the man. Hans is worried that this incident will negatively affect his family and that Max is no longer safe so he sends him away. After Max leaves, Liesel is given a book he made her called The Word Shaker, which he wrote about their friendship and a promise that they will be reunited. Then, Hans is drafted into the German army, because he helped the Jewish man, but he ends up breaking his leg. For that, he is sent home for medical leave. Unfortunately, Max was not able to escape the Nazis, and Liesel sees him being marched through town on his way to the concentration camp. As the war continues, Liesel is given a blank notebook to write her story in. One day while writing in her basement, her neighborhood is bombed and Hans, Rosa, and her friend Rudy are all killed. In the rubble, Liesel leaves her notebook behind. After the war ends and the Jews are freed, Max goes back to find Liesel, and they are happily reunited. Liesel eventually grows up and moves to Australia, where she has a family and lives to an old age. When Death comes to take her soul, he shows her the book she wrote that was left behind.

Liesel (Protagonist) Kind Courageous Moral

Hitler/Nazi Party (Antagonist) Immoral Controlling

Major Themes Death Power of Words War

Pros Easy read Interesting Good unpredictable ending

Cons Length Writing Boring (at times)

Recommendation If you really like it or interested, you should pick it. If you don’t seem interested, picking a work out of the list Mrs. Fisher gives you won’t hurt.