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The Book Thief | 
 enlarge | Author: Markus Zusak
Creator: Allan Corduner
Publisher: Listening Library (Audio)
Category: Book
List Price: $51.00
Buy New: $28.80
You Save: $22.20 (44%)
New (23) Used (5) from $28.80
Avg. Customer Rating:  437 reviews
Sales Rank: 24009
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 11
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 5.9 x 5.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 0739337270
EAN: 9780739337271
ASIN: 0739337270
Publication Date: September 26, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 432 more reviews...
 Beautiful, Poignant, Touching November 17, 2008
Allan Corduner is a masterful storyteller in his narration of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief.
Our family (children seventeen down to ten years old) listened with complete attention through eleven CDs! The story is sometimes very sad and somewhat graphic, it is after all World War II in Nazi Germany.
It is a sad beginning as Leisel and her brother are sent to live with a foster family and Leisel's brother dies on the way. Leisel's relationship with her foster parents is beautiful. Her relationship with Max is poignant. And her relationship with Rudy is touching.
Leisel is the book thief and it is a must read. I do however, HIGHLY reccommend Allan Corduner's narration.
For middle school through middle age and then some November 17, 2008
Although I originally purchased this book to challenge some of my middle school students, it took me three months to get a copy into my classroom. After I read it twice, I passed it to a friend. It was taking too long to make the circuit, so I bought another to take to class, but offered it to a fellow teacher on the way in to the building. You can see where this is going, right? After purchasing three copies, I finally landed one in the classroom- for one class period. Then it was gone, making the circuit of the kids. As far as I have been able to determine, the 26 or 27 people I've loaned it to have all read it completely, most have read it completely twice, and all have found it well worth their time. The audience has ranged from 13 year old football stars to retirees, with clergy, and a few teachers, and a lawyer in between. This is for anyone who reads books, deeply or superficially. Get one, or, better yet, two.
Great Book for Any Season! November 17, 2008
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak a beautiful, that story is interesting and will not let go of the readers attention while the writing style is great. Everything in book, though it may not make sense in the beginning, ties together in the end. The Book Thief is about a girl who lives in Germany during the Second World War. Her mother has left her with foster parents to keep her safe because her mother could not support her. The book's main focus is on the girl and how she learns to manage life in a lower middle class foster home. The girl has a love of books, which she cannot afford, so she feels in order to get them she has to steal them. What I found very interesting about this book was how it was narrated by a character named `Death', who remains very mysterious throughout the entire book. Leisel, the main character, never actually meets the narrator or knows anything about him. I found the fact that the writer did not tell the reader who `Death' is spectacular because it left it to my imagination who this `Death' person is and why he is telling me this story about a girl who lives in Germany during the Second World War. Granted, no book is perfect and there are some irregularities in this book such as Leisel never actually steals any books until a good few hundred pages into the book. Also there is a bit of foreshadowing around the middle of the book, but this is never tied up at the end. That's not to say that I didn't love this book. The book has major strength's, such as ensuring the reader never wants to read another book, because no book will come close in comparison. I hated putting this book down. Every time I put this book down, it was as if I had stopped eating something delicious. I just craved more, but I knew I needed to get my rest. For teachers who need a good World War II book for their classes, I would recommend this. This book gives the reader the war from an `at home' experience through the eyes of a teenager. This book is great any time, of the year, I would HIGHLY recommend it.
P.S. I'm using a Family acc. I am actually a guy.
~Shlomo
amazing November 14, 2008
I read this book so long ago and have just realized that I never reviewed it. What can I say that hasn't already been spoken to...
This is a haunting tale that wraps love, family, ethics, politics and history all into one great read. Any age or gender...I highly reccomend.
Haunting November 10, 2008
My book group chose this as our November selection -- even though we are between the ages of 46 - 55 and this is classified as YA. It was wonderful !!
This book follows Leisel Meminger from the age of 10 to 14 or so with an epilogue after her death. She is a young German girl living in a small town outside of Munich during the days of Hitler/Nazi Party/World War II. Her story is narrated by Death who talks about her life as well as those people closest to her such as her foster parents and neighbors. The level of detail in the writing brings her story alive and is told in such a creative fashion that I'm sure I won't forget it for a long, long time and I will probably re-read again in the future.
My father served in WW2 in Europe and was wounded in France by the Germans. I have always viewed that time in history through an American lense. This book really opened my eyes to what it must have been like for the German civilians caught up in the tyranny of the Third Reich and all the horrors of Hitler. I had never really considered the event from their point of view and I am so glad I was given the opportunity.
I would categorize this book as YA (not younger than high school) or adult fiction due to two things:
1) the novel is pretty graphic in places regarding war injuries as well as the horror the Jews suffered.
2) the narration can be jarring as it goes between Death and the "people" in the book. While a 7th or 8th grade student would probably be fine with the vocabulary and the style, there would need to be a real effort put forward on their part. I think it might feel more like a classroom literature assignment for that age group where, by waiting a year or two, they could truly enjoy it.
A truly great book and highly recommended !
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