The Book Thief cover

Reading Metrics

Grade Level Upper Grades (UG 9-12)
Book Level 5.1
Points 18.0
Fiction/Nonfiction Fiction
Word Count 118933
Points per Word 0.000151
Page Count 757
Points per Page 0.023778

Description

Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel, a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding.

Quick Summary

Narrated by Death itself, this WWII story pulls readers into Nazi Germany through the most unlikely guide ever, making every page feel like peeking into a secret history no one else knows. Kids will fall in love with Liesel's rebellious book thefts, her rocky yet heartwarming friendship with the Jewish man hidden in her basement, and the way words become her ultimate act of defiance against tyranny. If your kid likes "The Boy In the Attic Striped Pajamas" but wants a story with darker humor and an even stranger narrator, they'll be obsessed with this. Ideal for teens 14 and up who appreciate stories that make them think, feel, and question everything they thought they knew about history.