January 1939, 9-year-old Liesel Meminger and her 6-year-old brother Werner are on their way to a foster family as their mother can no longer care for them when Werner dies suddenly. After her brother's burial, Liesel picks up a book that one of the grave diggers drop -- "The Gravedigger's Handbook". Shocked by the sudden death of her brother and the separation from her mother, Liesel clings onto "The Gravedigger's Handbook" in her new life with the Hubermanns, staring at the silver writing that she cannot understand. The Hubermanns are not very rich and life is still tough, but Liesel immediately forms a warm relationship with her gentle foster father, Hans, and gradually warms up to Rosa, her strict but caring foster mother. She also befriends Rudy Steiner, her next-door neighbour, who is the same age as her.

At the beginning, Liesel often had nightmares about the death of her brother, and after one such night, Hans discovers "The Gravedigger's Handbook" that she's been hiding. This starts the midnight lessons where Hans slowly teaches Liesel how to read and write in their basement.

Jobs are scarce during the war, especially for Hans Hubermann, who is not part of the Nazi party. The party has been keeping an eye on him for years and he walks a knife's edge as he helps his Jewish neighbours by painting over slurs and rebels against the Nazi ideology. Hans attempts to join the Nazi party to keep his family safe but is rejected, and their situation is compromised even more when they are forced to take in and hide Max Vandenburg, a Jew. Hans gets in the deep after helping an old Jewish man in a public march, and is sent off as punishment to the Luftwaffen Sondereinheit (Air Force Special Unit), whose job is to remain above ground during air raids to put out fires, prop up buildings and rescue anyone trapped during the raid. Also known as the Dead Body Collectors.

Over the course of 4 years, Liesel steals many books, and through these books, Liesel starts to understand and accept the things that are happening around her. She learns more about the world, and from Max Vandenburg, Liesel learns of the power of words.

Liesel begins to write her own book, called The Book Thief, recounting the events of her life – this is the book that Death picks up after the tragic bombing of Himmel Street, in which everyone except Liesel, who was writing in the basement, is killed.

Liesel is depicted as a perpetual survivor as she loses everyone dear to her.

Facts bout WW2:

Aryan referred to Caucasians and west asians

Many houses had basements and other safety measures against bombings and attacks

Communists were also heavily discriminated against in Germany, not just Jews

As the Nazi party gained popularity and became the dominant party, people who were not part of it were heavily criticised and outcast

Many people who joined did not necessarily agree with the party's ideals or actions

Aster

 

The Book Thief is the story about a girl name Liesel, a nine-year-old German girl who’s mother was forced to give her up and she begins to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the small town of Molching in 1939, shortly before World War II. 

For a while, himmel street is a happy place for Liesel, but when hitler begins to rise to power, the Nazi Party’s presence in everyday life becomes present.  In addition to the destruction of Jewish shops and yellow stars that have already been painted on door fronts and windows, Liesel and Rudy are required to join the Band of German Girls and Hitler Youth. People in Germany during this time were not given absolute freedom, although 90% of the country believed and blindly followed Hitler in everything. As a celebration of Hitler’s birthday, a book burning is held in the city centre. It shows how during Hitlers rule enemy propaganda was destroyed without any thought of saving copies as history or for the future.

Max Vandenburg, a Jew, is hiding in a storage closet in Stuttgart and receiving help from his friend Walter Kugler. When it is decided it is no longer safe to keep him there he is moved to 33 Himmel street, Liesel’s house. Some time passes and the air raids begin. Liesel and her family take shelter in another families basement because they've been told their basement is not deep enough to protect them from the bombings. They must leave Max behind. Parades of Jews come through Molching on their way to Dachau. Hans tries to help one of them. Because of Hans's actions, they must send Max away because they are afraid the Gestapo will come to search their house. 

In October 1943, bombs fall on Himmel Street while everyone sleeps. Liesel was lucky though as she was sitting in the basement writing her story in her journal she received from the mayors wife as a gift. She survives. When she emerges from the basement, she finds the bodies of those she loves her Mama and Papa, as well as Rudy, whom she kisses on the lips. This is where Death (the narrator) finds her book and how he knows her story. This ending to the book thief’s story shows how devastating the war was on such a small scale (the effect it could have one persons life).

by Brie.