It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery... Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich during World War II. She scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist — books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement — before he is marched to Dachau.
Markus Zusak's groundbreaking novel is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
For more stories of girls and women living through the WWII period, including numerous stories related to the Holocaust, visit our WWII / Holocaust section.
"Zusak has created a work that deserves the attention of sophisticated teen and adult readers. Death himself narrates the World War II-era story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken, at age nine, to live in Molching, Germany, with a foster family in a working-class neighborhood of tough kids, acid-tongued mothers, and loving fathers who earn their living by the work of their hands.... Zusak not only creates a mesmerizing and original story but also writes with poetic syntax, causing readers to deliberate over phrases and lines, even as the action impels them forward." -— School Library Journal
Recommended Age | 12 and up |
---|---|
Special Features | Mighty Girl Top Picks |
Author | Markus Zusak |
ISBN | 9780375842207 |
Publication Date | Sep 11, 2007 |
Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Language | English |