The Book Thief

By Markus Zusak

Name______

Period______

THE BOOK THIEF

By Markus Zusak

Markus Zusak, age 32, currently lives in Sydney, Australia. In his free time, he enjoys surfing and playing soccer.

When Marcus was growing up, he wanted to be a house painter like his father. He soon realized he had a talent for knocking things over, painting himself into corners and figured out painting bored him. When he was a teenager, he read a few novels that really brought him into their worlds. He decided he wanted to become a writer. He wrote his first book at age 16, but it took many years before he could get a publisher interested. He was glad he had so many rejections and failures. They made him realize that what he was writing just wasn’t good enough – so he had to improve what he was doing.

When it comes to writing, Mr. Zusak has two routines. He said the first one is the non-lazy routine. He begins working at 7am and aims to finish by 11:30am. That usually sees him though until 12 or 12:30 (with a bit of time-wasting in between). Then he takes a long break and writes for a few more hours in the afternoon. The lazy routine usually starts at 10am and he usually writes longer in the afternoon. The only time these routines change is when he is starting a new book or ending one. He then chooses to work more at night.

Mr. Zusak grew up hearing stories about Nazi Germany, about the bombing of Munich and the Jews being marched through his mother’s small German town. He always knew it was a story he wanted to tell.

He is an award-winning author of five books for young adults: The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, Getting the Girl, I am the Messenger, and The Book Thief.

The Book Thief Chapters and Page Numbers

Chapter / Page numbers / Due Date
Prologue: a mountain of rubble / 1-16
Part One: the gravedigger's handbook / 17-80
Part Two: the shoulder shrug / 81-122
Part Three: meinkampf / 123-170
Part Four: the standover man / 171-238
Part Five: the whistler / 239-303
Part Six: the dream carrier / 305-350
Part Seven: the complete duden dictionary and thesaurus / 351-403
Part Eight: the word shaker / 405-455
Part Nine: the last human stranger / 457-493
Part Ten: the book thief / 495-539
Epilogue: the last color / 541-550

Character List

Character Name / Character Description (Textual Evidence)
Liesel Meminger
Hans Hubermann
Rosa Hubermann
Narrator
Character Name / Character Description (Textual Evidence)
Rudy Steiner
Max Vandenburg
Ilsa Hermann
Tommy Muller
Frau Diller
Frau Holtzapfel
Hans Junior and Trudy Hubermann
Franz Deutscher
Erik Vandenburg
Arthur Berg
Viktor Chemmel
Walter Kugler

Identifying Literary Techniques

Death and Chocolate and Beside the Railway Line

Directions: Identify the following literary elements: similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, alliteration and imagery.

  1. I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable.

______

  1. Personally I like a chocolate covered sky.

______

  1. It felt as if the whole globe was dressed in snow.

______

  1. The world was sagging now, under all that snow.

______

  1. The guard was as small as a squirrel.
    ______
  1. Death was honest Abe.

______

Find 2 of your own literary elements from these sections. Include the citation.

1.

2.

Arrival on Himmel Street (Pages 19 – 29)

  1. What color is the sky? What do you think this symbolizes? Explain why. (Page 19)
  1. How does Death let the reader know how cold it is out? What words does he choose? Find textual evidence, and cite it correctly. (Pages 20-21)
  1. What did Liesel steal? (Page 24)
  1. What does Himmelmean? What does this make you think? (Pages 25-26)
  1. What is the name of the book Liesel took? Why do you think she took it? (Pages 26-29)

Growing Up Saumensch Pages 30 – 33 (Inferring)

  1. “Liesel had a starving smile.” What does this mean? (Page 31)
  1. Liesel’s father is a Kommunist (Communist). How is this presented in the text? What words make the reader know that to be Kommunist is not acceptable?
  1. Why did Liesel’s mother leave her? (Page 32)

(Pages 33-35)

The reader learns a lot about Rosa (Liesel’s mother) and Hans, (Liesel’s father). What words does the author use to tell us the following?

Hans is:We know this because Page

1.creativeHe played the piano and accordion. 33

2. lucky

3. kind

4.valuable

Rosa is : We know this because

1. hardworking She did washing and ironing. 34

2. a terrible cook

3. verbally abusive

4. always angry looking

.

  1. What was Mr. Steiner saying to Rudy? Did he like the Jews? What was confusing about what he said? (Page 59)
  1. Make a connection to Night and “She Shall Not Be Moved.” Analyze the words Mr. Steiner is telling Rudy. Think about how one learns to be intolerant? Is it natural (within) or is it learned?

How do parents and society teach intolerance? (Page 59)

Prologue: A Mountain Range of Rubble and Part One: The Grave Digger’s Handbook

  1. Who places Liesel Meminger in foster care?
  1. Who is the narrator of this novel?
  1. How are Liesel and her brother traveling to the foster care system?
  1. Why and how does Liesel’s brother die?
  1. How many armed guards escort Liesel when she helps to bury her brother?
  1. To which German city is Liesel being relocated by the foster care system?
  1. Using 3 adjectives, describe Rosa Hubermann.
  1. What instrument does Hans Hubermann play?
  1. What does Hans Hubermann convince Liesel to do after she has been in the house for a few weeks?
  1. Why does Liesel Struggle in school?
  1. What is the BDM?
  1. What does Rosa do for a living?
  1. What does Frau Holtzapfel do everyday? What does Liesel have to do as a result of what she does?
  1. What sport does Liesel regularly play with the neighborhood kids?
  1. Who is Rudy? How do Liesel and Rudy meet?
  1. What sport is Rudy most interested in?
  1. What does Rudy use to darken his body in hopes of emulating Jesse Owens? Who is Jesse Owens?
  1. Who teaches Liesel to read?
  1. What does Hans Huberman do for a living?

Part I: Vocabulary

  1. Bluster

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Disposition

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Auspicious

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Vehement

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Prolific

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Protestation

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Trepidation

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Castigate

Definition:

Synonym:

Part Two: The Shoulder Shrug

Hitler’s Birthday, 1940 (pages 101- 107)

  1. Why was Liesel checking the mailbox every afternoon? (Page 101)
  1. What was Molching preparing for? (Page 101)
  1. What were people to bring to the Nazi party office? (Page 102)
  1. What did everyone in the town have to have outside? (Page 102)
  1. Who came to the Hubermann’s house that afternoon? (Page 103)
  1. Describe Hans Junior. (Page 103)
  1. Describe Trudy. (Page 103)
  1. Why is Hans Jr. embarrassed to be seen with his father? (Page 104)

11. What event held Hans back from joining the party? (Page 104)

  1. What book does Hans Jr. think is the most valuable book ever written? (Page 105)
  1. What does Hans Jr. call his father? (Page 105)

Book of Fire (118-122)

  1. What does Liesel discover amongst the pile of ash?
  1. What does she think or wonder about what she has found?
  1. What does Liesel try to do in the pile of ash?
  1. What does Liesel do after she was not discovered by the Nazi soldiers?
  1. What was happening to Liesel at the end of the chapter?
  1. Write a reaction about how Liesel must have felt during this chapter.

Part Two: The Shoulder Shrug

  1. At which holiday does Liesel finish reading “The Gravedigger’s Handbook”?
  1. What does Hans sell in order to buy Liesel two new books?
  1. Why is Rosa fired by various customers while Liesel is learning how to read?
  1. Why does Liesel steal money from Rosa?
  1. How does Rosa react when she realizes Liesel is stealing from her?
  1. What events does the city stage in celebration of the Führer’s (Hitler’s) birthday?
  1. How does Liesel feel about the scheduled book burning?
  1. Why is Hans Jr. embarrassed to be seen with his father?
  1. What political party does Liesel think her mother belonged to?
  1. Which body part does Liesel’s school friend break while attending the book burning? What is the name of her friend?
  1. What part of her body is burned when Liesel steals a copy of The Shoulder Shrug?
  1. Where does Liesel sit and wait for Hans to come and pick her up from the book burning?
  1. How does Liesel describe the sensation of being burned at the book burning?
  1. From where does the shadow witness Liesel stealing a book from the bonfire?
  1. How does Rosa feel about Liesel writing letters to her mother?

Part II: Vocabulary

  1. Synagogue

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Incinerate

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Propaganda

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Trundled

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Transgressor

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Machination

Definition:

Synonym:

  1. Culpability

Definition:

Synonym:

Part Three: Mein Kampf

The Way Home (Pages 125 – 128)

  1. Read to the end of page 125 and find two examples of personification. ______and ______

Read (Pages 126-127)

  1. What did Papa ask Liesel?
  1. What book did Papa buy from the Nazi Party office?
  1. Make an inference. For what reason did the men in the Nazi Office think Hans was buying the book?

The Mayor’s Library (Pages 129 -137)

  1. What happened to Liesel when she saw the Mayor’s wife? Was she recognized?
  1. What does Death tell us that Liesel does not know?
  1. Read up to the end of the chapter (page 137) and answer the following as you read. How did the Mayor’s wife react when Liesel came back the second time?
  1. Where did the woman bring Liesel? How did Liesel react?

Interpret: What does the following quote mean?

  1. Page 129 “……the paranoia itself became the punishment.”

Enter the Struggler Pages 138 – 141

  1. Why was Max in the dark? (Page 139)
  1. How does Zusak let us know Max is starving? What words does he use?
  1. Why did Max have to wait so long for someone to come?
  1. Imagine you are Max. How do you feel?
  1. List 4 things (not the food or drink) that Max brought with him.

______

  1. Read the last paragraph on page 140. What do you think of the way Zusak described Max’s eating experience? Why did he use choose to use these words?
  1. Make a connection with another part of the book. We know the character of Hans Hubermann. Where do you think Max is going and why?

The Aryan Shopkeeper (pages 154- 156)

Read pages 155- 156.

  1. What did Rudy and Liesel do with the pfennig?
  1. What couldn’t they afford to purchase? What did they purchase?
  1. How did Rudy and Liesel feel about the situation and the day itself?

Read pages 157- 160 and answer the following questions as you read.

  1. Interpret the following quote from page 158.

“It could be worse.” He looked his friend in his Jewish eyes. “I could be you.”

  1. Interpret the following quote from page 159.

“In his stomach was the electric combination of nourishment and nausea.”

  1. What words did Max dread to hear and why?
  1. Reread the last page. Analyze the last four lines. What is ironic about what is written?

The Struggler, Concluded (168 – 170)

  1. As Max gets close to his destination, how does he feel? How does Zusak tell the reader? What words does he choose? (169)
  1. Reread the description of the house again. Connect with another part of the text the words, “brown spit-stained door.” (44)
  1. Reread the last two paragraphs on page 170. Picture Max taking out the key. What are you wondering?

Part Three: Mein Kampf

  1. How does Hans react when he finds out Liesel stole a book from the bonfire?
  1. Who sees Liesel steal the book from the bonfire?
  1. Which customer is Liesel so afraid of that she skips over her house whenever possible?
  1. How does Liesel react when she sees Frau Hermann’s library?
  1. Who is the mysterious character described as living in the dark shadows of Stuttgart?
  1. When the mysterious character living in the shadows is brought food and keys, which character is the mystery character urged to locate?
  1. Which book does Liesel spend all of her time reading during her first summer with the Hubermann family?
  1. Which of Frau Hermann’s relatives has died, leaving her deeply depressed?
  1. How does Liesel describe Frau Hermann during the summer she spends reading with her?
  1. What activities do Rudy and Liesel spend the summer doing?
  1. What does Rudy’s father, Herr Steiner, do for a living?
  1. What type of soup does Rosa Hubermann make once a week to feed her family?
  1. What type of fruit do Rudy and Liesel steal from local farmers?
  1. What does Liesel purchase with the coin she finds on the street outside Frau Dillard’s house?
  1. What book does the mysterious young man take on the train with him while traveling cross country?
  1. Who do Rudy and Liesel steal a basket of food from?
  1. How long do Liesel and Rudy work with the gang leader before he moves away?
  1. How does the mysterious young man get into the Hubermann household?

THEMES: Provide at least one example of each of the following themes from pages 123-170. Include the citation.

  • Words, Reading, and Propaganda -
  • Bravery and Cowardice -
  • Thievery -
  • The Use of and Acknowledgement of Colors -
  • Anger and Abandonment -
  • Tolerance and Intolerance in Nazi Germany -

Part Four: The Standover Man

The Accordionist (The Secret Life of Hans Hubermann) (pages 173- 184)

  1. What is the narrator saying about what happened during the wars? (Page 174)
  1. When was the first time that Hans was in the vicinity of death? (Page 174)
  1. Explain A Small but Noteworthy Note on pages 174-175.
  1. Who taught Hans to play the accordion? When did this occur? (Page 175)
  1. What was their friendship built upon?
  1. What happened to Hans’ friend? (Page 176)
  1. How was Hans able to survive? (Page 176)
  1. Why did people not want to volunteer when the Sergeant asked for volunteers? (Page 176)
  1. Where was Philipp from, and what did he have to do when he volunteered? (Page 176)
  1. The Sergeant has difficulty finding a volunteer who has what? (Page 177)
  1. Who did they volunteer to be the writer? What did he have to write? (Page 178)
  1. What happened to the others while Hans wrote? (Page 178)
  1. How many times has Hans escaped death? What were they? (Page 178)
  1. What did Hans carry? (Page 178)
  1. What did he do upon his return to Stuttgart? (Page 178)
  1. What does Hans say to Erik’s wife? (Page 179)
  1. Who else is there with Erik’s wife? (Page 179)
  1. Predict why this person will need help in the future. (Page 179)
  1. What did Hans do for work? (Page 179)
  1. For how many years was Hans able to do his job and live his life normally? (Page 179)
  1. What were some of Hans’ reasons for not joining the NSDAP (later the Nazi party)? (Page 180)
  1. Why is Hans’ business suffering? (Page 180)
  1. What did Hans do in the spring of 1937? (Page 181)
  1. What did he witness at this time? (Page 181)
  1. What were Hans’ two mistakes? (Page 181)

(Pages 182- 183)

  1. What were the three small but important facts and why were they important?
  1. Why was Hans on the waiting list?
  1. What happened toward the end of 1938?
  1. What 2 things that saved Hans?
  1. What happened on June 16, 1939? (Page 184)

The Good Girl (185 – 186)

  1. How old is Max when he arrives at Himmel Street? (Page 185)
  1. How did Max feel after arriving at Himmel Street? (Page 185)

A Short History of the Jewish Fist Fighter (Pages 187 – 196)

  1. What did Max enjoy doing in his spare time? (Page 187)
  1. How does Death tell us Max was a ‘tough’ kid? (Page 187)
  1. How did Max end up living with his cousins? (Page 188)
  1. Based on the clues, what are we able to guess Max’s uncle died from? (Page 188)
  1. What did Max find bothersome about the way his uncle died? This detail will be important later. (Page 188)
  1. What was the important slip of paper Max’s mother gave him? (Page 193)
  1. How did the chaos help Max escape? (Page 193)
  1. How long did Max remain in hiding? (Page 193)

(Pages 194 -195)

  1. What did Walter offer to do for Max once he realized he could no longer safely hide him?
  1. What important news did Walter bring Max about Hans?

Pages from the Basement (pages 223- 238)

  1. What does Max use to write/draw the story on? (Page 223)
  1. Answer the following questions in paragraph form:
  2. How did you feel when you were reading Max’s book?
  3. What did the book reveal about Max, Liesel and the situation they are in?
  4. What is ironic about the paper on which Max writes the book?

Part Four: The Standover Man

  1. Where was Hans Hubermann stationed when he fought in WWI?
  1. Which branch of the armed forces did Hans Hubermann fight in during WWI?
  1. What ethnicity was Erik Vandenberg?
  1. What instrument did Erik Vandenberg play?
  1. Why was young Hans Huberman asked to stay behind during his fight of WWI?
  1. Besides Hans, how many soldiers survived the battle Hans Hubermann sat out during WWI?
  1. Who did Hans credit with saving his life during WWI?
  1. How did Erik Vandenberg’s widow react when Hans brought her husband’s instrument home to her?
  1. What did Hans give to Erik Vandenberg’s widow with the hopes of being able to help her family one day?
  1. Where did Max Vandenberg grow up?
  1. Why was Max Vandenberg bullied as a child?
  1. How many fights did Max Vandenberg get in with his nemesis, Walter Kugler?
  1. Who saved Max from the Gestapo when they were removing Jews from the neighborhood?
  1. How long is Max in hiding before being moved to Hans Hubermann’s house?
  1. In which room of the Hubermann household does Max hide while he is living with them?
  1. Upon arriving safely to the Hubermann household, how long does Max sleep, uninterrupted?
  1. What inanimate object does Max credit with saving his life?
  1. What does Max give to Liesel for her birthday?

Part Five: The Whistler