#27: The Book Thief
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Genre: Historical Fiction
Subgenre: Young Adult
Author: Markus Zusak
Illustrator: Trudy White
Publisher, Place, Date of Publication: Picador, Australia, 2005
No. of Pages: 584
Awards: Michael L. Printz Honor Book, School Library Journal Book of the Year, Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year, National Jewish Book Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Recommended for Ages: 12-18
This is one of the best stories I know about the Nazi regime. Liesel, a young girl plagued by the horrors of her country, finds refuge in the written word and embarks on the journey of saving as much books as she can. It is as if the soul of Anne Frank lives in her, and I love that idea. It’s not my favorite Zusak novel (sorry, but I am the Messenger is just closer to my heart) but The Book Thief is very special as well. It tells its readers that death is everywhere but that doesn’t make us weaker or make our lives less important, and that love holds agency for redemption and freedom.
