The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

Paperback – Illustrated, September 11, 2007

Markus Zusak

Random House Children's Books · Paperback · September 11, 2007

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME • A NEW YORK TIMES READER TOP 100 PICK FOR BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE CENTURY The extraordinary, beloved novel about the ability of books to feed the soul even in the darkest of times.

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Who it’s for
An immersive, sharply voiced read with a dark edge.
Themes
Holocaust, Resilience, Power of Books
Pacing
Reflective

About this book

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME • A NEW YORK TIMES READER TOP 100 PICK FOR BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE CENTURY The extraordinary, beloved novel about the ability of books to feed the soul even in the darkest of times. When Death has a story to tell, you listen. It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath.

Continue reading

Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who 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. In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time. “The kind of book that can be life-changing.” —The New York Times “Deserves a place on the same shelf with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.” —USA Today DON’T MISS BRIDGE OF CLAY, MARKUS ZUSAK’S FIRST NOVEL SINCE THE BOOK THIEF.

Darkly Immersive

An immersive, sharply voiced read with a dark edge.

Come here for

  • immersive storytelling
  • edgy emotional register

Expect

  • historical fiction atmosphere
  • teen-centered orphan-story frame

Where it sits

Holocaust Stories for Teens97%
War & Military YA46%
Death & Grief for Teens29%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • YA Orphan & Foster Stories
  • Holocaust Stories for Teens
  • Death & Grief for Teens
Authors
Markus Zusak
Publisher
Random House Children's Books
Published
September 11, 2007
Format
Paperback
Theme
Holocaust · Resilience · Power of Books
Reading lane
YA Orphan & Foster Stories