The Book Thief by Markus Zusak This thoughtful book designed for Young Adult and Adult readers is narrated by Death, Death with a ironic view on life. A young girl and her struggle to learn to read is blended with the horror of Nazi Germany and her family's efforts to hide a jew in their basement. Characters are well developed. They develop naturally throughout the narrative. Darkly humorous, it casts death as vulnerable and as frightened of the living as they are of him. As she steals her books she opens up possibilities for understanding the world that swirls around her and those who come in her orbit. Her first book is appropriated from the bottom of a Nazi book burning event. Covered with flamable liquid, it burns her skin as she hides it beneath her shirt and brings it home. From this book, "The Grave Digger's Handbook", her foster father teaches her to read. Zusak created a mesmerizing and original story written with poetic syntax It forces the readers to ponder his words and spurs them to action in the business of correcting wrongs in our modern world.