Nazi Germany was a harsh, unforgiving place to be in WWII, especially for the Jews. But Markus Zusak's The Book Thief gives us a new take on those horrible times. Unlike most novels written about this time period, The Book Thief allows us to see through a different point of view. While many books are centered around the Jews and the concentration camps, The Book Thief tells the most intriguing story about a young, German girl growing up in Nazi Germany, powering above Hitler with the littlest acts of friendship. The Book Thief truly shows that friendship can help all of us get through the hardest of times.
This friendship begins with the story of Liesel Meminger, the young German girl, living during the Nazi reign. She moves to Himmel Street to be fostered by the Hubermanns, a poor family with an abundance of heart. Liesel grows very close with Hans, her new father, who teaches her how to read. Ironically, however, this begins with the stealing of books. Not long after Liesel begins to steal books, Max, a German-Jew, arrives on her doorstep, looking for refuge. Liesel soon becomes close to Max, who also shares her love of words, and they work through their hardships together. It is a grim time, though--things soon begin to fall apart. Hiding a Jew in a basement isn't undemanding and effortless, after all.
However, Before Max is introduced to the reader, we see Liesel and the Hubermanns grow close due to their passion for reading and Hans and Rosa's fierce love. (Rosa may swear colorfully, but she loves Liesel with all of her heart.) While living with the Hubermanns, Liesel meets a young boy named Rudy. Rudy and Liesel form a strong bond of love and friendship. The two go on many adventures including theft, breaking and entering, and many more felonies that end up getting Liesel and Rudy into a lot of trouble. We won't go into that. About a year after moving in with the Hubermanns, Liesel finds an unexpected visitor in the kitchen. The visitor is none other than Max Vandenberg, a young Jew on the run from Hitler and the Nazis. Max and Liesel form a friendship stronger than one would expect. Liesel and her companion's bond of friendship confirms the belief that friendship can help get you through hard times. Yet will friendship, a major theme of The Book Thief, be enough to keep the family safe during WWII?
There are a lot of themes introduced in The Book Thief, but friendship is one of the most important aspects of the book. Liesel was devastated after her brother died, yet with the help of Papa, Rudy, and Max, Liesel bounced back from the tragedy of her old life and she was able to get through her new one. This book shows that every single little act of friendship counts. Rudy became Liesel's friend right off the bat. He had always had a major crush on Liesel, but that didn't stop him from being an amazing friend. When Liesel stole her books, Rudy was nearly always by her side, making sure she got out safely. Once, he jumped into an ice-cold river to retrieve Liesel's favorite book. Another important friend of Liesel's was Max, the Jew that hid in the Hubermann's basement. Liesel and Max connected through their hard times, but there were also many little acts of friendship that brings them closer. For instance, when Max gets sick, Liesel collects little things every day for him. A rock, a ribbon--just little things that she could find in the streets. During the Nazi reign, friendship was very often the only thing that one had.
  Through these little acts of kindness and Death's insightful comments, we can see that The Book Thief has a unique writing style that we don't think has ever been seen before. Many of the other books we read in school have a first or second person narrator. The Book Thief is simply narrated by death. Yes, Death, the being who takes us away to the afterlife. Death gives us a unique perspective on the life of Liesel Meminger. Not only does Death tell the story of Liesel, but this insightful narrator also tells the story of the lives of the people struggling to survive during WW II.
  If I could leave you with one ending thought, one simple idea through this book, it would be this: The Book Thief is a must read. It truly gives you a new perspective on WWII and the price ordinary people paid in order to help one another. The story of Liesel Meminger grabs it's reader and won't let go until the very last word makes its crescendo. It leaves you with a feeling that many other books aren't able to manage. The Book Thief is truly an amazing book!