About This Lesson
Download the Educator's Guide for The Book Thief!
About the book:
Liesel Meminger is only nine years old when she is taken to live with the Hubermanns, a foster family, on Himmel Street in Molching, Germany, in the late 1930s. She arrives with few possessions, but among them is The Grave Diggers Handbook, a book that she stole from her brother’s burial place. During the three years that Liesel is with the Hubermanns, Hitler becomes more powerful, life on Himmel Street becomes more fearful, and Liesel becomes a full-fledged book thief. She rescues books from Nazi book burnings and steals from the library of the mayor. Liesel is illiterate when she steals her first book, but Hans Hubermann uses her prized books to teach her to read. This is a story of abandonment, courage, friendship, love, survival, death, and grief. This is Liesel’s life on Himmel Street, told from Death’s point of view.
Educators’ guide features discussion questions, extension activities, and further resources for The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
