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Question #4 and Final Project: Book Review (also on google docs)  Nikki Albrecht E/LA-7 3/23/12  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak  If what you want in a book is drama, action, and the full circle of life, Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief ( New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.)  will satisfy your need to read. The book explains the struggles and frightening scenes reminding the reader it might be the end of the line for Liesel, her family, and friends. The journeys between Liesel’s real friend, Rudy, and the recurring fantasy at night, lead the reader to suspense and surprise. You never know what is around the corner in this historical fiction novel, life or death.

 The main theme of life and death encouraged me to keep reading. “The Book Thief” is filled with extreme suspense stories of life vs. death. In this story, there is a fascinating feature that most other books usually don’t acquire. Death is a character (narrator) in the book. He shows his side of what it feels like to be totally devastated when people see his face. He explains that he could already have millions of souls on his shoulders, but there were still millions left to go, hiding under the rubble, or in concentration camps. Although the novel is fiction, you can see as bright as day, that living a life of fear and tragedy, such as Liesel did, is true. Liesel shows life within her story through the joy she has from her Papa, Max, and especially words. Her Papa teaches Liesel the bases of her book-loving education. Once a Jewish fist-fighter breaks his way into Liesel’s life they find that words cannot separate them. He shows Liesel his old life by sharing his dreams with her. Max shows his new secure life with the Hubermanns by writing like Liesel reads. Together they overcome powerful word barriers and put up words of hope. In the beginning of Liesel’s quest for words, it was her Papa that showed her the path. Now it was the bath-robed lady living on Grande Strauss: Ilsa Hermann. She inspires the imagination in Liesel, and shows her that words alone can conquer anything. As she delves deeper into more and more books, the comfort and joy of life springs out of young Liesel Meminger.

 Liesel Meminger has inspired the words within me. Without reading “The Book Thief” I would have never believed that the words I spoke can make me who I am. I see that even through the rough times of World War II, a light can shine upon the moments of joy and happiness. I learned that Liesel’s joy and happiness never came to her. She had to get it herself. The words of Liesel Meminger let her reach her happiness, and her story will help me reach mine. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read, and anyone who has not yet experienced the power of words. Once you see that one word can change an action, you will want to see how two, three, four... words ,together, can change your world. Question #3: Fakebook


 * 1) Name the major character(s). Name the minor character(s). **In what ways do the minor character(s) affect the main character(s)?**
 * 2) What decision(s) has a character made that you totally disagree with. **Tell why you disagree with it.**
 * 3) **How does this story change your thinking of the Holocaust?**

Question #1 The Book Thief March 6, 2012

Main Characters:
 * Liesel Meminger (the book thief)
 * The Narrator (the angel of death)
 * Hans Hubermann
 * Rosa Hubermann
 * Rudy Steiner

Minor Characters:
 * Leisel's brother (the boy) - gives Leisel nightmares because he is dead. She is uncomfortable every night.
 * Leisel's mother- she doesn't understand why she left Leisel alone. Is the reason that Leisel is at a foster-home
 * Frau Heinrich - affects Leisel's mama's temper. She makes Leisel clean Frau's spit off the door
 * Leisel's soccer friends (except Rudy)
 * Mrs. Huberman bosses - get on Mama's nerves and pouring out her 'tude to Leisel
 * Grave Diggers - drops her first stolen book reminder her of her brother's last moments
 * Sister Maria (teacher) - doesn't believe in her academic abilities creating a depressed mien on Leisel

Good insights regarding self-respect and self-esteem. Words definitely can be destructive, but I also think that Liesel became stronger because of all the adversity that she had to put up with. I don't think I agree with your interpretation of the relationship between Rudy and Liesel. They depend on each other, and neither wants to admit to like the other. In the end, almost when it's too late, they realize what they mean to each other...
 * WHAT I DISAGREE WITH:**
 * **Leisel's Mother**
 * The decision of Leisel's mother I disagree with is her decision to forget about the needs of her son and daughter. Her son died a horrible death on the train only a few hours away from his future destination. I believe that he never met his foster home because of the carelessness of his mother. If she would have cared for him, he would be alive. She would have been devastate when the burial came. If she really cared for him, she would've tried to gather food for him or give him nurturing or help, or comfort. This is the decision of hers that I disagree with.
 * **Hans Hubermann**
 * I love the compassion that he shows toward his daughter by balancing out the negatives of Rosa. The part that I disagree with about him, is his decision to let Rosa treat Leisel with disrespect. She is constantly swearing at her, and she swears at her whenever she calls her name. I don't think that it is a good environment for her to be living in. I think that Hans should try talking to Mama to take a different approach for teaching Leisel things. She works better with her Papa because she knows that he is there to care for her. Her mother doesn't show that side of herself to Liesel.
 * **Rosa Hubermann**
 * I don't like how she expresses so much swearing to a girl of Leisel's age. Mama needs to show the more compassionate and nurturing side to get Leisel's attention. When she stops calling Leisel a pig, maybe Leisel will appreciate her more. I think that because of the bad language Leisel is also influenced to say such words too. She also feels disrespect from those words, seeming like she isn't a person with dignity.
 * **Rudy Steiner**
 * The point that I disagree about that Rudy did was how rude he can be with Leisel. Although Leisel is an ambitious girl and one that can take a punch, there is no point in treating her like she's a supermodel. He hits on Leisel way too often, and I don't think that Leisel appreciates it. He could become a better friend if he'd just be open with her and just be a friend to her.
 * **Frau Heinrich**
 * She spits on the Hubermann's door for no reason but that she dislikes Mama. This puts a burden on Leisel because she is the one always cleaning it up
 * **Teacher**
 * I do not agree with how she does not hold Leisel to the same standards as the rest of the class. She doesn't believe in Leisel's academic skills. This lowers Leisel's self-esteem because if no one believes in her than what is the point in trying.
 * **Leisel M.**
 * I disagree with Liesel when she believes that her mother doesn't love her because she left. Her mother wasn't able to take care of Liesel and her brother because they were so poor and she was sick


 * HOW DOES THIS STORY CHANGE YOUR THINKING OF THE HOLOCAUST:**
 * **This changes my view of the Holocaust because I have always experienced reading the war side of the story. When I started reading this book it surprised me to fin out the narrator: Death. I look at the Holocaust differently now because I see that tensions were rising outside the battle lines as well as on the front line. I can look at why Mama was squeezing for money, why she was exhausted, and why she let out her anger with words. I am excited to delve deeper into the story to hopefully find that things were not all that easy on the home-front.**
 * **This perspective does change looking at everything from a war side...we often forget that these are real people living through this, and not everyone agrees with what Hitler is doing. The devastation is enormous for many countries and nationalities.**