Citation: Zusak, M. (2007). The book thief. Alfred A. Knopf.
Dear Reader, this book contains material related to genocide, antisemitism, and war that some readers may find distressing. The content of this work may be emotionally challenging, so self-care is advised.
The Book Thief is an historical fiction novel telling the tale of Liesel Meminger, a girl living in Nazi Germany, narrated by an anthropomorphized version of Death. The daughter of a communist who is taken in by the Hubermann family, Liesel’s life is transformed in numerous ways by her engagement with the written word, through books that she steals as well as those given to her by the young Jewish man her foster parents hide from the authorities.
A coming-of-age novel driven by its engaging characters, readers may also enjoy The Light in Hidden Places (Cameron, 2020), The diary of Anne Frank (1947) and other titles relating the hard reality of that time period, although its focus on the suffering of non-persecuted Germans may come off as insensitive to some readers. The book covers difficult topics such as war, oppression, grief, and trauma, yet is an appropriate tone and level for readers aged 12-16.