The Book Thief is historical fiction based in Nazi Germany. The story is narrated by Death and centered around a young German girl named Leisel. Leisel’s parents harbor a Jewish man to protect him from Nazi powers. The relationship between Leisel and Max serves to change them both throughout the story. The success of this book is in the way black humor is employed to lighten up the very dark nature of this book. I find this book to be suitable for all readers and at a middle school reading level. I could easily see this book being used in a classroom for educational purposes while understanding that it is a work of fiction surrounding a real event.

The Messenger is a scavenger hunt of a novel surrounding the main character, Ed, a 19 year old taxi driver. Ed finds a strange message containing times and addresses. When Ed visits these addresses he meets several characters in interesting and hard situations which Ed tries to remedy. The book is a compelling adventure that deals with many very intense situations. Due to the intensity and subject matter of this book I find it to be more appropriate for high school students but not necessarily for education purposes.

When Dogs Cry is the third book in The Underdogs series which takes place in a blue-collar part of town in the outskirts of Sydney, Australia. The book surrounds the character Cameron as he falls in love with his older brother’s girlfriend. The book features conversations around family, violence, love, and could be considered a coming of age novel. This novel, alongside the other two books in the series are great for young adults, especially young men learning their way through the world. I do not find this book particularly educational or see it fitting in a classroom setting.