Review Detail

From Nazi Germany, Death narrates the story of young Liesel who loses her family, landing in a foster home with the tyrannical Mama and warm Papa. Papa helps Liesel learn to read, as she steals books starting with a grave-digger's handbook.

One day as she is delivering laundry for Mama, Liesel discovers something astounding: the most unlikely treasure watched over by an unthinkable guard . . .a person who has witnessed Liesel's thievery. Meanwhile, Liesel's new family must honor a long-ago promise. In doing so, they teeter on the edge of a terrifying precipice.

A big, meaty read, THE BOOK THIEF has won many awards, including a Printz Honor Award. The story celebrates the triumph of the human spirit through books and reading during the worst of all possible times while giving us a view of the everyday lives of Germans living in Nazi Germany. Although it deals with often painful subjects, it's also a compelling read full of humor, warmth, and irresistible/quirky phrasing.

THE BOOK THIEF will twist your heart and stretch your soul. The story had such an emotional impact on me, that I can't stop talking about it to everyone I know . . .and I will never forget it.