Book Thief

Reviewed by: Deidre Walsh - Goodall Memorial Library, Sanford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 21, 2016

Review

It is hard to believe that it has been 10 years since this amazing book has been published. But this edition is, in fact, the special 10th anniversary edition. It has a newly designed dust jacket that looks like the faded, water-damaged pages of the books that Liesel steals. It is stark & effective. There is some fascinating bonus material included in this edition. There are page's from Zusak's writing journal & working manuscript. There is also an interview with the author. This bonus materials helps the reader to understand why this book was written and how it was written. You are able to glimpse a tiny bit of the mind of an author at work. The text of the story has not been altered in any way. The writing is still brilliant & lyrical & compels the reader forward. Death is the narrator throughout. The setting is 1930s & 1940s Germany. Foster child Liesel goes to live with a family in Germany. She begins to steal books even before she knows how to read. Once she learns how to read, she steals books to save them from being burned by the Germans. She steals books because she loves them. She steals books to read them and to share them with her foster family and her small group of friends which include the mayor's wife, a Jewish boy & a boy named Rudy. She steals books to survive. To Liesel, books are treasures. They feed the soul and can heal it as well. Things become even more dangerous when Liesel's foster family hide a Jewish boy in Nazi Germany. This is at once a heartbreaking & inspiring story. The only fault I can see with this edition is it's price of $19.99. That is a high price for a title that you can get in soft cover for $7.79. Still, it is sturdy and a well-crafted edition. Libraries in need of extra copies or replacement, should consider this edition. It is beautiful. It would also make a wonderful gift. As with the other editions, this title is best for strong 7th grade & above. It would also work well in a unit on WWII &/or Nazi Germany. This is a must read and all libraries need this title in their collection.

Overall Book Score: very good