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Markus Zusak
More by Markus Zusak
If you had told me that a 552-page book about a little girl who steals books in Nazi Germany was to be one of my favorite books of the year, I wouldn't have believed you. And what an extraordinary book I would have missed. The Book Thief is about 10-year-old Liesel Meminger, who is sent to stay with foster parents outside of Munich right before World War II. The narrator of the story is Death himself (appropriate, no?) who, after visiting Liesel's little brother, takes an unusual interest in her when he sees her stealing a book that she can't possibly read. Liesel steals books for another reason -- to remember. Her strange habit will aid in her struggle to know her foster parents and in her special friendship with a Jewish man, whose very living cheats death. As each delicate chapter unfolds, our little book thief's joys and heartbreaks provide a much needed spark of life and hope in a time often equated only with darkness.
This is not a light read, and will challenge young readers, who will need a certain level of maturity and ability to integrate the material (I would have devoured it at this age). Nevertheless, or actually because of this, I can't say enough about this life-changing book except to implore you to read it. It is just as compelling, maybe even more so, for adults as it is for our teenagers.
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(Ages: 12 and up)
#11312 - HARDCOVER BOOK - 552 PGS
Our price $16.95
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