Linda Ashman
Children's Book Author

Liesel Meminger is a young girl, with a dead brother, who is adopted. Her adopted family lives in Germany during World War II. Her mama is a laundry maid, and her papa is an accordionist. As she gets accustomed to living in her new home, she still has nightmares every night. As her papa comes in to comfort her each night they become more and more close. Until one night Liesel reveals her secret.

At her brother's funeral, when she was leaving she found a book, and one night she and Papa begin to read. This book was her first (and not last) act of thievery, and eagerly she awaits more books. And she will go to desperate measures to get them.

This story, told by Death, is very good. You will be turning page after page, caught up in the funny but serious stories about life for a book thief in Germany, with her best friend and a Jewish man her family is hiding. Markus Zusak's book is funny yet sad, revealing enough each page to make you want more, yet not too much to give away the end. An end that you never really saw coming.

RATING: 5 out of 5.

WARNING!!!!!!!!!!! This book contains mild language as well as the horror and prejudice of World War II.