83 pages 2 hours read

Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2005

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Paired Texts & Other Resources

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

  • nonfiction; the diary of a young Jewish girl who lives in hiding for two years during World War II
  • connects with the themes of secrecy and first-person narration

Night by Elie Wiesel

  • a memoir of the author’s experiences as a young Jewish boy imprisoned in concentration camps during the Holocaust
  • connects with the themes of secrecy, first-person narration

Refugee Blues

  • poem by W.H. Auden that demonstrates reactions and emotions of German Jews during Nazi occupation
  • connects through themes of resistance and first-person narration

Other Student Resources

The Book Thief, Scene #1

  • scene between Max and Liesel on writing
  • can be used to compare character representations in cinema and in the book

The Book Thief, Scene #2

  • scene where Liesel steals the book from the fire
  • includes themes of thievery, secrecy, and resistance

Teacher Resources

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 83 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,650+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools