This book review is published in Teacher’s Weekly, a Western Australian magazine for teachers, to encourage their high school students to read the novel The Book Thief for them to gain an understanding of the importance of words and knowledge. This book review is targeted towards English and History teachers.
Markus Zusak is an Australian award-winning author, having written two international bestselling titles, The Book Thief and The Messenger, and is the recipient of the 2006 Printz Honour. His bestselling novel The Book Thief has also inspired the major motion picture by the twin name. The Book Thief, both a popular novel and film, teaches teenagers and young adults about the importance of words and books as shown through the characters …show more content…
A victim, a fighter and a self-director, Liesel Meminger is illustrated as the hero of the story and is an inspiring role model for having endured through so much.
The Book Thief is targeted at a mature audience who can handle foul language, the use of tobacco and alcohol. If students enjoyed similar books set in the temporal setting of Nazi Germany and World War Two such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne or The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, The Book Thief is something they should definitely give a go at, as the novel is centred around the life of a girl living in Germany, 1939. Students who are familiar with or interested in historical fiction will also be interested as the novel is set during Hitler’s …show more content…
The narrative conventions in the novel evokes an emotional attachment not only to the characters but the book and students will have the opportunity to grow with the characters. An engaging text, your students will have the opportunity to learn about Nazi Germany in 1939. Although Zusak has only lightly trodden on the topic of Nazi's and the events of the era, students will also have the opportunity to learn about the important values and ideas conveyed through the text such as education, equality, friendships, nationalism, power and kindness and at the same time, also learn about the issues that originate from and are associated with the ideas. From this, they will have a deeper understanding of not only the novel and Nazi Germany in 1939, but they will also have a wider understanding and be more aware of the world around them from what they have learnt through the novel about issues, values and the ideas conveyed in The Book Thief. Common Sense Media describes the novel as a “powerful testament to humanity in Nazi
Markus Zusak is an Australian award-winning author, having written two international bestselling titles, The Book Thief and The Messenger, and is the recipient of the 2006 Printz Honour. His bestselling novel The Book Thief has also inspired the major motion picture by the twin name. The Book Thief, both a popular novel and film, teaches teenagers and young adults about the importance of words and books as shown through the characters …show more content…
A victim, a fighter and a self-director, Liesel Meminger is illustrated as the hero of the story and is an inspiring role model for having endured through so much.
The Book Thief is targeted at a mature audience who can handle foul language, the use of tobacco and alcohol. If students enjoyed similar books set in the temporal setting of Nazi Germany and World War Two such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne or The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, The Book Thief is something they should definitely give a go at, as the novel is centred around the life of a girl living in Germany, 1939. Students who are familiar with or interested in historical fiction will also be interested as the novel is set during Hitler’s …show more content…
The narrative conventions in the novel evokes an emotional attachment not only to the characters but the book and students will have the opportunity to grow with the characters. An engaging text, your students will have the opportunity to learn about Nazi Germany in 1939. Although Zusak has only lightly trodden on the topic of Nazi's and the events of the era, students will also have the opportunity to learn about the important values and ideas conveyed through the text such as education, equality, friendships, nationalism, power and kindness and at the same time, also learn about the issues that originate from and are associated with the ideas. From this, they will have a deeper understanding of not only the novel and Nazi Germany in 1939, but they will also have a wider understanding and be more aware of the world around them from what they have learnt through the novel about issues, values and the ideas conveyed in The Book Thief. Common Sense Media describes the novel as a “powerful testament to humanity in Nazi