The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak-566 pages

I previously read this during a teen librarianship class while studying for my MLS. I thought it was a good book then and I have an even greater appreciation for it after reading it a second time. It's the story of a young girl named Liesel who arrives, starving and lonely, at 33 Himmel Street, Molching, Germany during World War II. It's a story of love and loss. It's about Liesel's love for her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann and their love for her. Also, it's about the love between Liesel and Max Vandenburg, Liesel and Rudy, and all of Liesel's friendships. It's a coming-of-age story for Liesel. She goes from illiterate to writing a book of her own. Along the way, Liesel "steals" books and steals words away from Hitler and Nazi Germany. A quote from Liesel that stays with me is "I have hated the words and I have loved them and I hope that I've made them right." Words can be a very powerful tool for both destruction and building up. Hitler gained power through his rhetoric. He was a demagogue who said what the German people wanted to hear at the time. Albus Dumbledore says to Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” This is another great quote about the power of words. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.