The Book Thief by Markus Zsak

"Deserves a place on the same shelf with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank...poised to become a classic." "This is a virtuoso work. Zusak exhibits the kind of mastery and peak power Kurt Vonnegut showed in his wartime tale "Slaughterhouse-Five." "Both gripping and touching, a work that kept me up late into the night feverishly reading the last 300 pages. You can't ask for more than that." Well, I think you can and I wish the first 200 pages had griped me like the last 300...but I am so glad I persevered. This is 1939 Nazi Germany -- 9 year old girl picks up a book (The Gravedigger's Guide") left at her brother's graveside and so begins her life as a "book thief." Her foster father used that and a book she "rescued" from a Nazi book burning and a couple stolen from the mayor's library to teach her to read. Her love of words and the books they build is but one theme, but probably part of what attracts the avid reader. The style and format are completely unique and the story compelling. The book has won numerous awards in Children's Literature--teens, but I agree with one reviewer who said that it was rich enough to satisfy readers of any age. (or something like that) - BT