1. The Book Thief Exam Prep
English B60
The Book Thief Exam Prep

2. The Book Thief Exam
Your exam on The Book Theif will consist of 10 quotes from the novel.
I will ask you to write one paragraph (AT LEAST 5 sentences long) in response to each quote.
Your paragraph needs to answer the following questions about the passage:
If the passage is dialogue, include who is speaking and who is being spoken to or about.
Where does this passage take place in the plot of the novel? Orient us.
Why is this passage significant? How does it help us to better understand the story, the characters, and the world of the novel?
You should spend the majority of your time answering the WHY portion.

3. Practice
The following is an example quote; it is NOT on the actual exam.
“Liesel would usually sit on some drop sheets. She would read while Max completed those crosswords. They sat a few meters apart, speaking very rarely, and there was really only the noise of turning pages. Often, she also left her books for Max to read while she was at school. Where Hans Hubermann and Erik Vandenburg were ultimately united by music, Max and Liesel were held together by the quiet gathering of words” (248).
Take a few minutes to write out your response as though this were the actual exam. Remember that you need at least 5 sentences in your paragraph.
Now turn and share with a partner. Be prepared to share your response with the class.

4. Example Answer
While Max is in hiding with the Hubermanns, Death, our narrator, describes the relationship that Max and Liesel share. Both understand the special power of language. Max enjoys completing crossword puzzles to help him connect with the outside world, and Liesel loves reading because of the sense of power and control it gives her. Nazi Germany banned and burned many books with the goal of controlling people’s thoughts to keep them obedient. Since Max and Liesel share a common hatred for Hitler and his destruction, they both recognize their love of language as a quiet rebellion.

5. Practice
The following is an example quote; it is NOT on the actual exam.
“I wish I could tell you that everything worked out for the younger Hans Hubermann, but it didn’t. When he vanished from Himmel Street that day in the name of the Fuhrer, he would hurtle through the events of another story, each step leading tragically to Russia. To Stalingrad” (106).
Take a few minutes to write out your response as though this were the actual exam. Remember that you need at least 5 sentences in your paragraph.
Now turn and share with a partner. Be prepared to share your response with the class.