The book thief club discussion

The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. Is the death of the mayors son his wifes only reason for silence. During the years that liesel lives with the hubermanns, hitler becomes more powerful, life on himmel street becomes more fearful, and liesel becomes a fullfledged book thief. How does her life represent beauty in the wake of brutality. She rescues books from nazi book burnings and steals from the library of the mayor. The henna artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel. This is a story of courage, friendship, love, survival, death and grief.

How might the story look if it was told from maxs point of view. The book thief by markus zusak describes young liesel memingers battle with political regimes and their. The book thief markus zusak, 2006 random house childrens 576 pp. Welcome to the wednesday book club melbourne northern suburbs calendar. Prereading the character development in the book thief is truly remarkableliesel and max jump off the page. The book thief summary from litcharts the creators of. A sweeping, epic story of love and betrayal from fiona mcintosh. Novel synopsis author information historical background character analysis focus points and themes writing style and structure symbols important quotes from the novel book club discussion questions. No reading group should be without this book club companion to markus zusaks bestselling novel, the book thief. The pearl thief will leave a lasting impression on your book club.

You can discuss plot, characters, theme, authorial intent, setting, and more. The book thief questions and answers the question and answer sections of our study guides are a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss literature. Liesel is illiterate when she steals her first book, but hans hubermann uses her prized books to teach her to read. If not, you can visit the publisher or authors website and find online reading guides. Death says that he would like to tell the book thief about beauty and brutality, but those are things that she had lived. Sep 05, 2016 when you choose a popular book club book, you can often find a wealth of book discussion questions already written for you. While some readers might have trouble with the structure of the library book, orlean noted that its design is actually very intentional. Too many of them thought some members of my book club. Additional film and book suggestions are at the end of this guide in the find out more section on page 11. Lots that my book club has read and a couple that were my pick okay for now, the book thief. Questions for book clubs about the lightning thief.

Keep to a schedule, stick to your proposed theme, and prepare questions to help stimulate conversation. The pearl thief book club notes penguin books australia. From hans to liesel to the mayors wife, discuss how some of the characters in the book thief deal with their past. Childrens book council of australia book of the year award, 2003 currentlylives in sydney, australia australian author markus zusak grew up hearing stories about nazi germany, about the bombing of munich and about jews being marched through his. Book club questions for the beantown girls by jane healey.

The story begins with liesel, her mother, and her brother werner riding on a train. When the girls arrived, they were seated at the table with a bucket of hazelnuts read the book and a chocolate covered hazelnut because who doesnt love chocolate. Book club discussion guide revisit the classic discuss the much anticipated new novel. Use these 15 discussion questions and suggested answers to help students get more out of reading rick riordans tale of a modernday greek hero. This lesson offers discussion questions for the book thief by markus zusak. No matter the genre, age, notoriety, or length of the book of the moment, book club questions can kickstart or enhance your group discussion. In the past, weve done family reunion book clubs and if we did another one, this would be in my top three book club suggestions for sure.

Many books have reading guides at the end of the book that are perfect to use for your book club. Book thief discussion questions galesburg public library. Markus zusak, age 32, currently lives in sydney, australia. Every book page contains useful information for your book group including book club questions. Death introduces himself as the narrator and describes the three times he saw the book thief. I now fly back every other month to attend my sister also lives in sacramento.

How does stealing books from the mayors house lead to a friendship with the. Discuss the symbolism of death as the omniscient narrator of the novel. May 06, 2008 please feel free to enter into this discussion by leaving comments below which is after all the main purpose of a book club. Discussion questions for the book thief by mark zusak galesburg. The thirteenth tale by diane setterfield is a rich story about secrets, ghosts, winter, books and family. Reading guide for the book thief by markus zusak bookbrowse. Explain rudys reaction when he discovers that liesel is a book thief. In a time when literature came under suspicion if it was not supportive of the nazi. What role do books play for liesel, hans, max, and in the novel as a whole. In the prologue, samuel kassowicz puts his son petr on the kindertransport against his wifes strong wishes.

Discuss how zusaks poetic writing style enhances the beauty of liesels story. Author bio birth1975 wheresydney, australia awardsmichael l. Learn how you can use charlotte masons theories of home education in your moder. The pajiba book club discussion the book thief by markus zusak. The next book club title, which we will look at in two months time, is the interpretation of murder by american author, jed rubenfeld. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points, if you have not read the book. Reviews brilliant and hugely ambitioussome will argue that a book so difficult and sad may not be appropriate for teenage readersadults will probably like it this one did, but its a great youngadult novelits the kind of book that can be lifechanging, because without ever denying the essential amorality and randomness of the natural order, the book.

Rather than a chronological and subjectleading discussion of the fire, she instead sets up the book as a sort of library in which each chapter is a volume of its own. How does max change liesels view of the nazi party. Name some acts of resistance in the book, from large to small. This comprehensive guide includes thoughtprovoking discussion questions. Arrrgh booked book club the book thief discussion take. Hi, just found your website recently and just today saw your book club section. The book thief study guide buy study guide markus zusak began his career as a successful writer of young adult fiction, but for his fifth novel, zusak set out to relate the experiences of his parents growing up during world war ii for an adult audience.

I served tea with cream and sugar, but i wasnt brave enough to try horseradish tea. Discussing a deeply confrontational book can be difficult. The excerpt that you can read at bookbrowse doesnt do this exceptionally readable, highly memorable book. As a member or leader of a book club, you are likely to be reading books on a wide variety of topics, both fiction and nonfiction. These book club discussion questions on the thirteenth tale will help you explore setterfields masterfully created story. Sep 01, 2005 this is a book to treasure, a new classic.

Book club discussion questions this page gives you a full list of all the books featured on this site, split between fiction and non fiction. The book thief by markus zusak book club discussion. General book club questions for study and discussion. What is the purpose of the pictures in the middle of the book. The book thief by markus zusak book club ideas october book club. How does stealing books from the mayors house lead to a friendship with the mayors wife. There were so many points at which i wished there was someone i could share with in the moment. The novel is the story of liesel meminger, a young foster girl. The book thief discussion questions chicago public library. Explain how liesels own attempt to write a book saves her life.

The book thief by markus zusak discussion questions. Ask and answer questions about the novel or view study guides, literature essays and more. Book thief discussion questions wednesday book club. At the funeral liesel finds a book called the grave diggers handbook in the snow, but she doesnt know how to read. The book thief discussion questions nebraska library commission. She arrives with few possessions, but among them is the grave diggers handbook, a book. Discussion questions for the book thief by mark zusak. Like the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime, which was initially targeted at young adults in britain but to adults in the usa, the book thief is one of those rare books that really does speak to both young and old alike. Oct 14, 2011 the book thief by markus zusak book club ideas. What does the act of book thievery teach liesel about life and death. I wanted to do something that would honor this life changing book and create a keepsake for myself and my book club. Throughout history, books have been banned for various reasons. What choices do characters make about groups they will belong to.

The questions are organized by on sensitivity level. The book thief takes place in a small town in germany during wwii. While searching the net for some interesting discussion question, i stumbled across your wonderful site. The book thief by markus zusak book club discussion questions. First, the rules of your standard book club still apply. Whether you are discussing characters and their actions, setting, theme, or images, having a guide to questions that will. This bookclubinabox pdf discussion guide 89 pages for markus zusaks novel the book thief includes. About this book liesel meminger is only nine years old when she is taken to live with the hubermanns, a foster family, on himmel street in molching, germany, in the late 1930s.

Welcome to the book club the book thief, one of the most enduring stories of our time, was published more than a decade ago and has been treasured by readers of all ages ever since. Do you like markus zusaks writing style in this novel. At the bottom of the page you will also find useful links, all in one place. Some of my favorite book club books that arent on your list. If you like what you see, please subscribe for more content. I couldnt help reading the book thief with our discussion group in mind. The library book is intentionally set up as a library. When breath becomes air by paul kalanithi this memoir published after the authors early death from lung cancer will basically rip your heart out, but also make you so glad to be alive.

How to do book club virtually during covid distancing. The discussion guide was an excellent way to jog our memories to important points in the book that might have been forgotten. Get ready for bridge of clay now that you have read or reread the book thief, round out your discussion by talking about markus zusaks new novel, bridge of clay. Beauty, obsession, and the natural history heist of the century by kirk wallace johnson june 2019. Because this novel is written from the point of view of the germans, readers may find themselves sympathizing with characters that were historically on the other side.

The hobbit is a complex book, with many layers to be analyzed and discussed. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot infidel by ayaan hirsi ali. Reading guide for the book thief by markus zusak discussion guide for book clubs. The book thief is an extraordinary, heartbreaking book. The book thief by markus zusak reading guidebook club. Explain how liesels own attempt to write a book saves. The book thief will be the first ya book my club will read and i think they will be pleasantly surprised. Set in germany in the years 19391943, the book thief tells the story of liesel, narrated by death who has in his possession the book she wrote about these years. About the author alicia leblanc is the administrative and editorial a ssistant for the unitarian universalist. Mar 14, 2006 during the years that liesel lives with the hubermanns, hitler becomes more powerful, life on himmel street becomes more fearful, and liesel becomes a fullfledged book thief. Readers of the book thief may be familiar with fictionalized and nonfiction accounts of world war ii from the viewpoint of the allies or of european jews who were forced into hiding during the conflict.