“When she came to write her story, she would wonder exactly when the books and the words started to mean not just something, but everything.”  -Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak…so good!  Very long, but very worth it.  It’s technically “young adult lit,” but it is so well-written and deep, any adult would love it too!  I love how it gave a unique perspective to WWII/the Holocaust (a young girl living in Germany, whose parents hide a Jew in their basement).  However, I didn’t cry while reading it, which seems to be a popular response from my fellow Tumblr Book Thief lovers. When I first started reading it, I thought it would be a great piece of literature to share as a read-aloud, but as I got farther along, I wasn’t so sure.  It actually might be a little difficult for most 6th graders (the grade I’m hoping to teach), and there’s a lot of swearing in it (although most of it is in German).  Maybe it would work better as a literature circle group for high readers…

Have you read it?  What are your thoughts?