I haven't done any book reviews on my blog before, but I just finished this book, and it is FABULOUS!
This Summer I promised myself that I would read a lot. I always encourage my kids to read a lot during the Summer, so I figured I should too. I took the Summer off of school and checked out a ton of books! This is one of the first one's I read:
The Book Thief (a summary from The Gradesaver.com)
Narrated by Death, The Book Thief is the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old German girl who given up by her mother to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the small town of Molching in 1939, shortly before World War II. On their way to Molching, Liesel's younger brother Werner dies, and she is traumatized, experiencing nightmares about him for months. Hans is a gentle man who brings her comfort and helps her learn to read, starting with a book Liesel took from the cemetery where her brother was buried. Liesel befriends a neighborhood boy, Rudy Steiner, who falls in love with her. At a book burning, Liesel realizes that her father was persecuted for being a Communist, and that her mother was likely killed by the Nazis for the same crime. She is seen stealing a book from the burning by the mayor's wife Ilsa Hermann, who later invites Liesel to read in her library.
Keeping a promise he made to the man who saved his life, Hans agrees to hide a Jew named Max Vandenberg in his basement. Liesel and Max become close friends, and Max writes Liesel two stories about their friendship, both of which are reproduced in the novel. When Hans publicly gives bread to an old Jew being sent to a concentration camp, Max must leave, and Hans is drafted into the military at a time when air raids over major German cities were escalating in terms of frequency and fatality. Liesel next sees Max being marched towards the concentration camp at Dachau. Liesel loses hope and begins to disdain the written word, having learnt that Hitler's propaganda is to blame for the war and the Holocaust and the death of her biological family, but Ilsa encourages her to write. Liesel writes the story of her life in the Hubermanns' basement, where she miraculously survives an air raid that kills Hans, Rosa, Rudy, and everyone else on her block. Liesel survives the war, as does Max. She goes on to live a long life and dies at an old age.
I highly recommend this book to older teens and adults. Go here to find out more about the book and if it would be appropriate for your child. I have a 17 year old daughter and I think she would enjoy the book.
I would love to hear if you have read this book and what you thought of it! Leave me a comment. I read every one of them!!
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I rarely buy books, usually just go check them out from the library. But this is one that after reading it knew I had to buy it! I loved this book. I didn't think I would enjoy the perspective that it was told in and the fact that it told what was going to happen right at the beginning. But it drew me in and I know that it will be read again and again!
ReplyDeleteI HAVE read this book. I loved it...I loved how the woman opened her library up to the girl...oh yes...loved this book!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this but I reeeeally want to. I love YA lit. It's another one that's on my summer list; I'm a teacher, so I have way more time to read in the summers. Love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping bye my blog! I havent read this but I am going to get it and read it Thanks it sounds good! New follower!
ReplyDeleteOh... I loved this book. I loved the how the humor was sprinkled through out the story. I loved how touching some of details about death were like carrying the children in his arms.
ReplyDeleteHands-down my favorite novel of all time. I can not recommend it enough. Read it. Read it now. After reading The Book Thief I closed the back cover, wiped the tears from my cheeks and promptly started again on page one. I would give it 15 stars out of 5 if I could, and now feel I need to re-evaluate my scale. This is, indeed, a tightrope to the sun – but do not look too closely; the glare stings.
ReplyDeleteYes! It was my choice for our book club and everyone loved it! The girls still talk about it as one of their favorites. It's one of those books that stays with you for a long time after you've read it. I would also suggest "The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton. Another unforgettable read.
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