The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Project by: Jenna Magno

MAIN CHARACTERS

• Liesel- orphan adopted into the Huberman family. Loves to read and nicknamed the "book-thief.
• Hans Hubermam- the adopted father of Liesel. He plays the accordion and is a poor painter.
• Rosa Hubermam- the adopted mother of Liesel. She is strict and can come across mean but has good intentions.
• Rudy Steiner- Liesel's best friend. They grow up together, playing soccer and stealing food.
• Max Vandenburg- An exiled Jew who has no where to go. He ends up at the Huberman house and is hiding in their basement. This is extremely dangerous and they could all be killed.

BRIEF PLOT SYNOPSIS

• The book begins with Liesel being on a train with her brother and mother. In this ride, her brother dies and her mother gives her up for adoption.
• She then goes to live with the Hubermans. Rosa is very strict but Hans is comforting and kind to Liesel.
• Liesel asks Hans to teach her to read, and she learns. Along with this, Liesel steals a few books.
• One night, a scared and exiled Jew, Max, comes to the Huberman house and asks to stay.
• Because this book takes place during WWII, if Max is found they will all be killed.

Theme Statement
Despite what authority and others think, you should always do what you feel is right.

Quotes to Support Theme Statement
1.) When there are bombs being thrown down on their town, the Hubermans and their neighbors take shelter in a basement, but they can't take Max. The text says, "I know that Liesel Meminger was thinking that if the bombs ever landed on Himmel St, not only did Max have less chance of survival than everyone else, but he would have to die alone" (384). Liesel's worry about Max being alone demonstrates that she knows he is a human being with feelings just like her. She knows he deserves more, despite the German government saying Jews are bad.

Quotes to Support Theme Statement
2.) When Max falls ill, Liesel, Hans, and Rosa are all very worried, especially Liesel. The text says, "he looked at everything she'd brought him. 'Look at this. These gifts.' He held the button in his hand" (334). Liesel's constant worry and gifts she brought to Max demonstrate her compassion for him. She has grown very close to him despite him being exiled. It doesn't phase her that it is illegal to house a Jew but she doesn't care. She judges him for who he is, not what religion he follows.

Quotes to Support Theme Statement
3.) When everyone was joining the nazi party, Hans didn't join right away for moral reasons. The text says, "Hans didn't join the NSDAP like the majority of the people did. He put a lot of thought into his decision. The thought process of Hans Huberman: He was not well educated or political, but if nothing else, he was a man who appreciated fairness. A Jew once saved his life am do he couldn't forget they. He couldn't join a party that antagonized people in such a way" (180). Hans' reluctance to join the party proves he cares more about fairness and morality than doing what the crowd is doing, despite the fact that he lost costumes because they didn't approve of him.

Review of the Book
Overall, this was a good book. The beginning was a little slow but once it got started, it was really interesting. Something unique about this book that I liked was the narrator. The narrator of this book was "death" I didn't find this out until the middle, but there were subtle hints leading up to the speaker addressing himself as "death". My only complaint is how long it took me to read it, as it was long and dense reading.