The Book Thief
Reading Guidelines
This reading guide is meant to help you keep on top of your reading for our novel study
unit. It allows for approximately 10 pages of reading each day from now until November
26. You can use your 10 minutes of sustained silent reading time in class to read The
Book Thief, and some reading will need to be done for homework. If you stick to these
deadlines, you will have no problem finishing the novel on time.
There may be comprehension quizzes on some of the dates listed below to ensure that
everyone is reading and understanding the novel.
Please keep in mind that your culminating assignment is based on The Book Thief and
you will need to have a comprehensive understanding of the book to be successful.
Part
1 – The Grave Digger’s
Handbook
Pages 19-80
2 – The Shoulder Shrug
Pages 83-122
This part should be read by:
Sept. 30-Oct. 1
3 – Mein Kampf
Pages 125-170
Oct. 18 – Oct. 22
4 – The Standover Man
Pages 173-238
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29
5 – The Whistler
Pages 241-303
6 – The Dream Carrier
Pages 307-350
Oct. 30 – Nov. 4
7 – The Complete Duden
Dictionary and Thesaurus
Pages 353-403
8 – The Word Shaker
Pages 407-455
9 – The Last Human Stranger
Pages 459-493
10 – The Book Thief
Pages 497-539
Epilogue – The Last Color
Pages 543-550
Nov. 9 – Nov. 13
Oct. 14 – Oct. 17
Nov. 5 – Nov. 8
Make a note of…
- The Jesse Owens incident
- Morality – right and wrong
-
Book burning
Freedom (or lack thereof)
Morality – right and wrong
Hope
Mein Kampf
The mayor’s wife
Morality
The accordion
Mein Kampf
Boxing Hitler
Loss of innocence
-
Death’s diary
Loss of innocence
The gifts
The bread
Humanity
Loss of innocence
Nov. 14 – Nov. 18
- The Word Shaker
- Dominoes
Nov. 19 – Nov. 21
- The enemy pilot
- Survivor’s guilt
Nov. 22 – Nov. 25
- Max and Liesel’s encounter
- Destruction of book
Nov. 26
- Death’s last words