The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a historical novel that tells the story of a girl (Liesel) who is placed with new foster parents following the death of her brother. She is taught to read and develops a love for reading. She reads books forbidden by the ruling Nazi party. Her foster parents are also helping to secretly hide a Jewish fighter named Max Vandenburg.
Some of the awards the book won include the National Jewish Book Award, Daniel Elliott Peace Award and the Book Sense Book of the Year Award for children's literature. The book was also made into a moving 2013 film starring Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson.
Here is a collection of quotes from The Book Thief:
"Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"Together, they would watch everything that was so carefully planned collapse, and they would smile at the beauty of destruction." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"A human doesn't have a heart like mine. The human heart is a line, whereas my own is a circle, and I have the endless ability to be in the right place at the right time." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"It was the beginning of the greatest Christmas ever. Little food. No presents. But there was a snowman in their basement." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
The Book Thief Movie Trailer
"Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like rain." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"His soul sat up. It met me. Those kinds of souls always do - the best ones. The ones who rise up and say 'I know who you are and I am ready. Not that I want to go, of course, but I will come.'" - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"I am haunted by humans." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that's where they begin. Their great skills is their capacity to escalate." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"Books everywhere! Each wall was armed with overcrowded yet immaculate shelving. It was barely possible to see paintwork. There were all different styles and sizes of lettering on the spines of the black, the red, the gray, the every-colored books. It was one of the most beautiful things Liesel Meminger had ever seen." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"The best word shakers were the ones who understood the true power of words. They were the ones who could climb the highest." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"She could smell the pages. She could almost taste the words as they stacked up around her." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
"The orange flames waved at the crowd as paper and print dissolved inside them. Burning words were torn from their sentences." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak