The Book Thief by Zusak

I can only take so many Holocaust novels. I went through a phase where I read quite a bit of YA Holocaust literature: Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Number the Stars, Tell No One Who You Are, Diary of Anne Frank. Great for teaching---lots of discussion, lots of conflict.

But every story makes my heart hurt again, so I have to psyche myself up to read another one.

But there was this long road trip that we took . . .

And there was a copy of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak at Costco . . . .

And the book was amazing. So obvious that it's not Zusak's first work. So obvious that he knows what he's doing with dialogue and character.

It's art, this book. It's brilliant. It's worthy of all the hype it's received.

If you haven't read it, yet, do.

I would love to teach it. Discuss it. Read essays written about it, even poorly written essays by 8th graders finding their own voice and their own humanity.

Last note:

Death as the narrator. Brilliant!