Element of Fiction
Plot
Joana’s notes pages 19 to 45
Liesel, her mother and her brother are on a train to Munich
when suddenly her brother dies.
They’re taken to the next township where they conduct a
funeral for Werner.
Liesel steals her first book: a black book that fell from the grave
digger’s pocket.
Liesel is taken to Himmel Street where her foster parents,
Rose and Hans Hubermann, live.
Reluctant at first, she learns how to act around her parents,
especially Rosa’s strictness.
Liesel nightmares every night about the death of her brother;
Hans cares for her during the night which results in a close
relationship between the two.
Liesel and Hans begin bonding over reading, writing and
Hans’s ability to play the accordion.
Liesel occasionally helps Rosa with her laundry service and
begins attending the BDM (Band of German Girls).
Theme
Loss of innocence:
“...Liesel Meminger- could now see without question that her
younger brother Werner, was now sideways and dead.” P.20
“She was being dragged away. A warm scream filled her
throat.” P.24
Every night, Liesel would nightmare. Her brother’s face.
Staring at the floor. She would wake up swimming in her bed,
screaming and drowning in the flood of sheets.” P.36
Ignorance:
“It was a label she did not understand. A strange word
Kommunist. She’s heard it several times in the past few
years.” P.31
Hope:
“Unofficially, it was called the midnight class...” P.39
Symbolism
(Literary Device)
Repetition:
“Es stimmt nicht. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening.”
P.21
“He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t-” P.23
Imagery Motif
(Stylistic Device)
Death/blood/suffering motif: “...Werner, was now sideways and
dead. His blue eyes stared at the floor. Seeing nothing.” P.20
“Still in disbelief, she started to dig. He couldn’t be dead.” P.23
“Within seconds, snow was carved into her skin. Frozen blood
was cracked across her hands.” P.23
“[Liesel’s mother] dropped [Werner]. She saw his feet and legs
and body slap the platform. How could that women walk? How
could she move?” P.25
Profanity motif: “[The profanity] was so vehement and prolific.
Every second word was either Saumensch or Saukerl or
Arschloch....Saumensch, it serves to castigate, berate, or plain
humiliate a female. Saukerl...is for a male, Arschloch can be
translated directly to ‘asshole’.” P.32 (found throughout text as
well)
Love/family motif:
“[Rosa] did love Liesel Meminger.” P.35
“Now listen , Liesel-from now on you call me Mama.” P.35
“[Liesel] would have no trouble calling [Hans] Papa.” P.35
Character
Hans Hubermann
Loves to smoke
He’s a painter by trade
Plays the accordion and piano
Fought in the first world war (P.33)
He’s caring and sensitive, “Hans Hubberman would appear
midscream, and he would not leave.” (P.37)
Rosa Hubermann
5"1 with brown-gray hair
She ironed and washed five wealthy families’ clothes for extra
money
She cannot cook and she could annoy anyone she met
She loves Liesel, but she’s harsh and shows her love by ,
“bashing her with wooden spoons and words at various
intervals.” (P.34-35)
Liesel Meminger
At first, she’s reluctant, “Liesel would not get out of the car....It
took nearly fifteen minutes to coax her out of the car.” (P.28)
“Her hair was close enough brand to German blonde, but she
had dangerous eyes. Dark brown.” (P.31)
She is mourning the loss of her brother. “Every night, Liesel
would nightmare.” (P.36)
She was hard working, “A few times a week, Liesel would come
home from school and walk the streets of Molching with her
mama, picking up and delivering washing and ironing...” (P.41)
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 46 to 61
Name: Rebecca Jolly
The Kiss (A Childhood Decision Maker) & The Jesse Owens Incident
-Rudy Steiner is introduced
-Liesel is invited to play soccer with the other children
-a new lifelong friendship is formed between the two characters, Rudy and
Liesel
-Rudy introduces Liesel to his father
- the two come to a “road of yellow stars” and then both fall in the mud, which
Liesel receives punishment for
-Liesel learns about the “Jesse Owens Indident”
-it occurred in 1936 during Hitler’s Olympic Games
-a crowd formed, and Rudy paints himself with charcoal and runs to imitate his
childhood “hero”; Jesse Owens
-Rudy gets in trouble from his father, and is told that he is “lucky to have blue
eyes and blonde hair”
Theme
Hope pg.53 “But Rudy had an idea. It was the lover boy coming out of him. ‘If I
beat you, I get to kiss you’. He crouched down and began rolling up his
trousers” At this point in the book, the reader learns that throughout the book,
Rudy will continually be hopeful that one day, Liesel will feel the same way as
he does towards her. This is also a form of foreshadowing their lifelong
friendship.
Loss of Innocence pg.51 “I know, son – but you’ve got beautiful blonde hair and
big, safe blue eyes. You should be happy with that; is that clear?” At this point,
Rudy starts to have an understanding of what may be coming of Germany, as
well as the reasons behind it. As a child, most children are not exposed to
things such as war and politics at such a young age.
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
Pg.59 “He was a member of the Nazi Party…” The Nazi Party, as well as Adolf
Hitler both symbolize power and leadership throughout the novel, as well as a
symbol of horror and terror for his targets (such as the Jewish people…Liesel’s
parents, etc.)
Imagery/Motif War Imagery pg.51 “Shaped like a long, broken arm, the road contained several
(Stylistic
houses with lacerated windows and bruised walls…Those houses were almost
Device)
like lepers. At the very least, they were infected sores on the injured German
terrain.”
Character(s)
Liesel
-adult-like
“But Liesel knew. She vowed. As long as both she and Rudy Steiner lived, she
would never kiss that miserable, filthy Saukeral, especially not this day. There
were more important matters to attend to.” With Liesel’s use of such vulgar
language, she is showing that she is acting like an adult. As well as this, she
knows which matters are more important, which proves that she is also fairly
good at decision-making.
Rudy
-crazy
“For the first third of the race, it was pretty even, but it was only a matter of
time before the charcoaled Owens drew clear and streaked away” pg.58
During the “Jesse Owens Incident”, Rudy paints himself black with charcoal,
and imitates his idol, Jesse Owens. In most cases, this would be considered
“crazy” for a child to do something like this.
-persistent
“pg.53 “But Rudy had an idea. It was the lover boy coming out of him. ‘If I beat
you, I get to kiss you’. He crouched down and began rolling up his trousers”
Rudy is persistent, and he never gives up on wanting and trying to get Liesel to
kiss him.
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 62 to 80
Name: Nick Gambarotto
 Death says that in 1933 the year Hitler took power, ninety
percent of Germans voted for Hitler.
Ten percent of Germans did not support Hitler and Hans
Hubermann is part of this ten percent.
 Liesel dreams of the brown-shirted Nazis. They take her
to a train and show her Werner, and she screams and
wets the bed. When Hans is helping her get cleaned up,








he finds the book The Grave Digger's Handbook. And
then reads her the book.
After Hans would then use the smooth side of the sand
paper to teach Leisel how to read/write and death the
foreshadows that Liesel will be writing her own book and
she will write about how Hans teaches her to read.
The routine of nightmare, then reading lesson, continued
on into the summer.
Since they are running low on sandpaper, Hans begins
using the wall instead. When the wall gets too full of
words, he paints over them, and they start again.
When Rosa tells Hans he smells bad (like kerosene and
cigarettes) Leisel says it’s like the smell of friendship
Beginning of September 1939 WWII starts and Hitlers
voice is all over the radio and in the paper.
She gets moved up to a class with her peers because she
was too disruptive in the younger one.
In an oral exam she reads an excerpt from the grave
diggers handbook but the teacher doesn’t like it and she
gets a beating.
Leisel then proceeds after to beat up Ludwig Schmeikl
and Tommy Mueller. Then on the walk home with Rudy
she breaks down and cries about her brother Werner
asking why did he have to die.
Theme
 Hope p. 68 “She was watching the words.”
 Hope is shown in Leisels desire to be able to read
 Morality p. 78 “You Arschloch. Can you spell Arschloch for
me?”
 Morality is the difference because right and wrong and
good and bad, it is shown by Leisel in her poor decision
making of beating up Ludwig.
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
 The Sandpaper is a prominent symbol because it shows
hope. It is rough on one side but on the other side it is
nice and smooth and that is like leisels reading. It is rough
but her goal and desire is to get it to be smooth. p. 67
 Freedom Motif – 90% of Germans voted for Hitler, 10%
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
did not, and Hans Hubermann was part of that group. p.
63
 Shows the freedom of voting.
Character(s)
Leisel – This character is starting to develop more trust and a
closer bond with Rudy and her foster father Hans. She also
shows that she is becoming more intelligent with her reading
skills. She shows this when she says the smell of cigarettes and
kerosene on Hans is the “smell of friendship” p. 72
Hans Hubermann – this character becomes a very thoughtful,
trustworthy father and also a very good friend and role model.
He becomes closer with Leisel by reading to her, teaching her,
and taking her to deliver laundry and such with Leisel. “Hans
Hubermann merely repeated his cleanup heroics and got down
to the task of reading, sketching, and reciting.” p.59
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 83 to 96
Name: Christian
The narrator, Death, explains that Liesel will steal her second book, The
Shoulder Shrug, from a book burning on Hitler's birthday and hints at many
of the events that follow. Towards the end of 1939, Liesel, is still having
nightmares of her dead brother, but she has settled into life on Himmel
Street. She loves her foster parents Hans and even Rosa. Hans earns
enough of Liesel’s trust, so she tells him her brother’s name; Hans helps her
with her reading and writing. In December Hans finishes reading The Grave
Digger's Handbook to Liesel. Liesel doesn't expect anything for Christmas,
but receives two books: Faust the Dog and The Lighthouse. Rosa starts
losing laundry customers because of the difficult times. She sends Liesel to
pick up the wash in her place because she believes her customers will feel
sorry for the girl and won't fire her. In school, Liesel receives an assignment
to write a letter to a classmate and decides instead to write to her birth
mother. Hans suggests sending the letter through the foster office. Later,
Liesel eavesdrop on Hans and Rosa discussing her mother, with Rosa
asking, "Who knows where she is? Who knows what they've done to her?”
(96) Liesel wonders who “they” is.
Theme
 Thievery: “You’d say that was all Liesel Meminger needed to
apprehend her second stolen book, even if it smoked her
hands.” (83)
 Love: “She loved her papa, Hans Hubermann, and even her




Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
Character(s)
foster mother, despite the abusages and verbal assaults” (85)
Friendship: “She loved and hated her best friend, Rudy Steiner,
which was perfectly normal” (85)
Happiness: “all of this resulted in at least some form of
contentment and would soo be built upon to approach the
concept of Being Happy” (85)
Family: “’His name was Werner,’ she mentioned. The words
trotted out, involuntarily. Papa said, ‘Yes’. (87)
Curiosity: “And once and for all, who, in actual fact, were they?”
(96)
 Foreshadowing: “…because when the book thief stole her
second book, not only were there many foctors involved in her
hunger to do so, but the act of stealing triggered the crux of what
was to come. It provided her with a venue for continued book
thievery.” --- Foreshadows Liesel stealing her second book and
spending time in the Mayor’s Wife’s library.
 Metaphor: “…Nazi Germany was built on anti-Semitism, a
somewhat overzealous leader, and a nation of hate-filled bigots”
(84)
 Metaphor: “…walking the streets without Mama was heaven in
itself” (93)
 Symbolism: The letter that Liesel writes to her mother is
representative of her lack of knowledge she has of the world
around her. She doesn’t know the truth behind the Nazi party
and the disappearance of her mother.
 Death: Braggart: “Like most misery, it started with apparent
happiness” (85)
 Liesel Meminger: Lonely: “On one of the rooftops, she could see a
small boy, sitting, looking at the sky” (87) Curious: “Where was
she? What had they done to her?” (96)
 Hans Hubermann: Persistent: “A few times, Papa nearly slept,
succumbing to the itchy fatigue in his eyes and the wilting of his
head.” (86)
 Rosa Hubermann: Cunning: “’From now on you’re going to pick
up and deliver the washing for me. Those rich people are less likely
to fire us if you’re the one standing in front of them. If they ask
where I am, tell them I’m sick. And look sad when you tell them.
You’re skinny and pale enough to get their pity” (92)
 Rudy Steiner: Spirited: “’ You’ve heard about Frau Diller, haven’t
you? They say she’s got candy hidden somewhere, and for the
right price…’” (94)
The Book Thief
Pages 97-122
Plot
-
Rosa has lost a good customer
There was no gift for Liesel on her birthday because they could not afford it
Liesel steals money from Rosa to mail a letter to her mother
Hitler’s birthday ceremony occurs
Hans Junior ran away because of an argument with Hans
Liesel was part of Hitler’s march with the other children
Liesel learns that the Führer might have taken her mother away
Liesel shares she hates Führer and is punished
Liesel steals a book from the burning fire from Hitler’s celebration
Theme
-
Freedom p.115, p.116 “I hate him.”…”Don’t ever say that again!”
Suffering p.116 “It was quite a sight- an eleven-year-old girl, trying not to cry on the church steps,
saluting the Führer”
The reader discovers how Liesel feels about Hitler, and the force that she has upon her to love the
person that took her mother away from her.
Literary Device
-
Simile p.113 “To their left, flames and burning books were cheered like heroes.”
Foreshadow p.97 “Flash forward to the basement, September 1943”
Stylistic Device
-
Onomatopoeia p.122 “As they walked past the precarious town hall shadows, the book thief
winced.”
Simile p.114 “Orange and red embers looked like rejected candy”
Characters
-
Liesel
Bravery p.117 “The gates open now”
Scared p.116 “Papa”
Sneaky p.120 “The threesome of books pointed their noses out, Liesel moved in”
-
Hans
Strict p.116 “But you never say it on the street, at school, at the BDM, never!”
Voilent p.116 “He slapped Liesel Meminger squarely in the face”
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 125 to 147
Name: Gregory Hogue
Theme
Loss of innocence - "Lisel…did not speak. Perhaps it was her
first realization that criminality spoke best for itself. Irrefutable."
(126)
Freedom - "Occasionally voices wandered past and sometimes
he longed for them to knuckle the door, to open it, to drag him
out, into unbearable light." (139)
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
Mein Kampf ("My Struggle") - represents the horrors of Nazi
Germany as well as Max's struggles. (128)
Character(s)
Lisel:
 Promises to always keep Hans' secrets.
 Feels guilt and fear after being seen stealing a book.
Ilsa Hermann
Lisel shows Hans the book she stole from the book burning, The
Shoulder Shrug. Hans is worried about the content of the book
and possible repercussions of Lisel's act.
Lisel made a promise to keep secrets if Hans asks.
Hans purchased Mein Kampf from the Nazi Party office.
Lisel becomes anxious and paranoid because Ilsa Hermann, the
mayor's wife saw her steal the book, but is relieved when Ilsa
took her laundry and said nothing.
Weeks later, Lisel returns to pick up laundry at the mayor's
house and is invited by Ilsa to see her home library.
Setting changes to Stuttgart where a starving Jew named Max
Vandenburg hides alone in a storage room.
A friend gives Max some food and a book containing a card,
map, key, and directions. He is to travel to the home of a
stranger, Hans.
Lisel and Hans begin to read The Shoulder Shrug. It is banned
because the protagonist is a Jew.
Ilsa allows Lisel to read in the library during deliveries.
Johann, Ilsa's son, froze to death in 1918, the last year of WWI.
Blood imagery - "Lisel's blood had dried inside of her. It
crumbled. She almost broke into pieces on the steps." (133)
Auditory imagery - "…the shuffle of her fingernails gliding across
the spinal cord of each book. It sounded like an instrument, or
the notes of running feet." (135)
 .A silent and mysterious woman who lives in sorrow over
the death of her son.
 She likes Lisel and does not report her crime.
 She likely objects to the Nazis' war due to the her loss.
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 148__ to 170
Name: Alex Johnson___
 Liesel and Rudy decide they want to steal
 Liesel and Rudy’s activities in the summer and autumn of
1940
 Max Vandenburg travels to Molching
 Max Vandenburg has flashbacks to leaving his family and
friend
 Liesel and Rudy stealing from Otto Sturm
 Eating the stolen goods with the rest of the thieves
 Thieves almost getting caught
 Max and Liesel are about to meet
Theme
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
 Loss of innocence- “He [Rudy] pushed her toward the
fence” pg 169. This shows that Rudy is willing to break
rules to get what he wants.
 Morality- when Arthur Berg saves Rudy from the farmer.
Pg 165-166. This shows that Arthur Berg couldn’t leave
Rudy behind without it effecting him morally
 Freedom- the whole summer represents the children’s
freedom from school and other tasks
 Pg.167 -The mixed candy Liesel and Rudy receive from
Frau Diller represents their triumph. This shows how the
smallest victories mean a lot
 Pg 166- cologne sky represents death and suffering
 “The metal was hard and flat, with a healthy set of teeth,
and he squeezed it till it pierced him”pg.170-this creates
imagery of when Max arrived at 33 Himmel Street
 Fear motif- “His mouth ripped open. The word flew out,
and the word was ax” Makes the reader feel the fear the
group had by using sharp words.
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
Character(s)
Element of
Fiction
Plot
 Liesel- “As for Liesel’s other activities, she was still
causing havoc with Rudy Steiner. I would even suggest
that they were polishing their wicked ways” pg 161-This
part shows her talent for thievery and gives a possible
foreshadowing to a future of stealing things with Rudy.
This entire section also shows how much easier her life
was in comparison to that of a Jew
 Max- “How could he do this? How could he show up and
ask people to risk their lives for him?” pg 169- This section
reveals that Max has arrived at the Hubermann’s house,
but shows he feels bad for making them take care of him.
It shows he has a strong conscience over things he
cannot change
Notes pages 173 to 196
Liz Johnson
o Max is now in the Huberman’s kitchen and asks Hans if he still plays
the accordion
o The story of Han’s accordion goes back to WWI, he meets Erik
Vandenburg who teaches him how to play the accordion, but dies
later in the war
o Hans goes to find Erik’s family and realizes that Erik had a son named
Max
o When Hitler becomes Chancellor or Germany Hans decides to not join
the Nazi party. He later joins out of fear but is not accepted.
o Walter Kugler (Max’s friend) meets Hans and discusses Max’s future
plans
o When Max is in the Huberman’s kitchen, Liesel sees him and calls for
Hans
o Liesel is sent to bed but she listens to their conversation and notices
an outline of a book on the table
o Flashback to Max’s earlier life, he used to fistfight and meets his
friend Walter through fighting
o The “Night of Broken Glass” occurs and Walter saves Max but has to
leave behind his entire family. Later he is notified that they are gone
o After a year in hiding Max goes to the address o the piece of paper
that his mother gave him
Theme
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
o
HOPE :
pg 193 “’If ever...’ She held him one last time, by the elbows. ‘This could be
your last hope.’”
Pg 186 “One wild card was yet to be played.” – Referring to Liesel
o
WAR:
pg 174 “Full of blood and violence – but also full of stories that are equally
difficult to fathom.”
Pg 177 “...replace bandages on the infected limbs of injured soldiers,”
o
DEATH :
Pg 189 “...he stood around the bed and watched the man die,”
Pg 178 “None of them come back,” – Referring to soldiers
The accordion represents Hans Huberman’s and Max’s struggles throughout
the book since they came together because of the accordion
Pg 173 “’Do you still play the accordion?’”
o
o
Imagery/
Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
Character(s)
o
The Nazi symbol represents hatred since whenever it is mentioned the
character speaks of it in disgust
Pg 182 “’I can no longer join [the Nazi party],’”
WAR IMAGERY:
Pg 175 “They preferred rolling cigarettes to rolling in snow and mud. They
preferred shooting craps to shooting bullets.”
There is a strong contrast between war and reality
o
DARK IMAGERY:
Pg 185 “The darkness stroked him,”
o
DEATH IMAGERY:
Pg 175 “Poured out among the bodies”
“...Erik Vandenburg would later be found in several pieces on the
grassy hill.”
o
HANS HUBERMAN:
 He keeps his promises
Pg 184 “’Are you a man who likes to keep a promise?’”
Hans keeps his promise to help the Vandenburg’s and takes in Max
 He feels neutral about the war, not interested in fighting.
Pg 174 “In the army, he didn’t stick out at either end. He ran in the middle,”
o
MAX VANDENBURG:
 Very aggressive, likes to fight
Pg 187 “A trickle of blood was dripping from Max’s mouth. He tasted it and
it tasted good.”
Max likes the taste of the fight, and even better; the taste of winning
 Max is very determined when it comes to talking about death
Pg 189 “’When death captures me,’ the boy vowed, ‘he will feel my fist on
his face.’”
This shows how fearless Max is of death
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 197to 238
Name: Shannon Curran
-Max Vandenberg arrives at the Hubermanns asking Hans “if [he] still played the
accordion”.
 Max is a Jewish fist fighter who seeks refuge at the Hubermanns
 This is because of his father’s, Eric Vandenberg, friendship with Hans
Hubermann
o In WWI, Eric saved Hans’s life.
o Eric was killed
o To thank Eric, Hans promised his wife that if she needed anything
he would be there
- Hans explains to Liesel who Max is and makes her promise to keep him a
secret.
- Max sleeps in Liesel’s room for 3 days
- Max & Liesel’s friendship begins to develop
 First, by Max telling her his life story
 Then by Hans expressing both Max’s and Liesel’s shared love of
books
 Hans tells Max of Liesel’s fighting capability
 Max and Liesel are both awoken by their nightmares and they both
exchanged what their nightmares are about
- The year progresses through Christmas- the new year. Liesel and the
Hubermanns adjust their life to keep Max hidden.
-On Liesel’s birthday, she receives another used book called “The Mud Men”
 Max is upset that he couldn’t give Liesel a present
 She forgives him and gives him a hug
 Max has an epiphany moment and decides to write/illustrate and book for
Liesel
o He rips out pages of Mein Kampf, paints them over with white paint,
and uses them to write his story for Liesel
o The story is called “The Standover Man”
 Upon receiving the book Liesel realizing that Max and she have become
friends.
Theme
Fear pg. 199 – “When a Jew shows up at your place of residence in
the early hours of morning, in the very birthplace of Nazism, you’re
likely to experience extreme levels of discomfort… The fear was
shiny.”
Pg. 203-“Liesel, if you tell anyone about the man up there, we will all
be in big trouble”
The reader is informed of the present tension and fear of Max being
found or seen by someone, who will report him to the Nazi police. This
will result in Max being sent to a concentration camp, as well as Hans
and Rosa been taken away from Liesel to be punished. As much as
the Hubemanns know that keeping Max in their home is morally right,
but are unable to control their inner anxiety of their own safety. Liesel
at this point is also fearful because he is unaware of who Max really is.
Morality Pg. 197—“Liesel made her way to the corridor, and what she
saw truly amazed her, because Rosa Hubermann was at Max
Vandenberg’s shoulder, watching him gulp down her infamous pea
soup.”
Pg. 215—“’If we gamble on a Jew, ”Papa said soon after, “I would
prefer to gamble on a live one,” and from that moment, a new routine
was born.”
Rosa was not angry about Hans letting a Jew into their house,
knowing that it was endangering their entire family. She knew that it
was morally wrong to shun away another person, regardless of their
religious beliefs, who was starving and who would die without her help.
Regardless of German Government’s intolerance toward Jews, in
which hiding one was completely illegal, they posses strong morals
and respect the fact he is another human being regardless of Hitler’s
discriminative beliefs of Jews. They know their decision of keeping
Max is the right thing to do.
The second quote establishes the risk that the Hubermanns would risk
in order for Max not to freeze to death in the cold basement. They
were willing to bring him upstairs at night in order for him to sleep next
to the fire, but always with the risk of someone potentially seeing
him—again with their lives being put at risk.
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
Mein Kampf represents loss of innocence. Pg. 221
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
Pgs. 216 & 224
The Standover Man represents friendship. Pg.238
Motif—“His hair was like feathers”
Feathers provide an image of birds, therefore the capability of flying
away. Liesel describes Max’s hair as “feathers” ironically because Max
is unable to “fly away” or be freed because it will result in his death.
Pg.212
“His lemon soaked hair”
This provides image what was, in Hitler’s belief, considered a “perfect
German”. A tall, blonde, blue-eyed male, at the time was believed to
be a superior race of Germans, and Hitler wanted all Germans do be
bred with these features.
Pg. 215
“The Jewish rat, back in his hole”
During WWI, Hitler and the Nazi Party’s view if Jews was that they
were the cause of all Germany’s social and government issues. Also
that they were scum, and need to be annihilated. As a result, in order
for Jewish peoples to survive they hide away in basements, closets, or
attics, which were considered holes. They were referred to as rats due
to their larger noses.
Character(s)
Liesel- Liesel develops into a more excepting and trust-worthy
personal. She learns the power of keeping a secret and trust. Liesel
learns to develop friendship even if she does not want to, “’He’ll talk to
you and you have to listen. Is that clear?’… The girl nodded.”
Rosa- Rosa demonstrates her kinder side. Rosa is a “good woman for
a crisis” because instead of her conducting her daily heated, shorttempered traits she is able to remain calm when a situation becomes
tight. Even when Helena Schmidt canceled her washing service, “she
sat at the table and brought the bowl toward her. ‘Good soup tonight.”
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 239 to 255
Name: Ryan Korol
Events prior to Rudy’s death:
The Haircut: Mid-April 1941



Max was contained in the basement for a while now and he requested
Rosa to give him a haircut
Since Rosa and Hans were in a fight, Leisel cut his hair
This was the first time Leisel and Max had any interaction
The Newspaper: Early May


Leisel is reading The Whistler in the major’s library when she reveals
to the secretary, “There’s a Jew in my basement,” she whispered
(246).
Leisel brought home a newspaper so Max could finish the crossword
to pass time.
The Weatherman: Mid May


Leisel explains to Max what wonderful plays she made in soccer with
Rudy
Max wants to know more, he wants her to explain the feeling of the
day so he can enjoy it too since he cannot leave the basement.
The Boxer: End of May


Max begins having imaginations of fighting Hitler
He imagines getting beaten up, but he never quits
The New Dream: A Few Nights Later

Max continues to have dreams about fighting the fuhrer which gives
him motivation to exercise harder during the day.
Theme
Mystery (243)
Suffering (254)
Ambition (255)
Motivation (256)
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
Symbols


Irony
The book in the River (The Whistler) (241)
Scissors (244)


“There’s a Jew, in my basement.” This is ironic because Leisel really
does have a Jew hiding in her basement. (Dramatic Irony) (245)
When Hitler entered the ring against Max, death describes “he smiled
the loudest.” This is ironic because a smile doesn’t make a sound; it
demonstrates how noticeable it was. (Situational Irony) (251)
Pathetic Fallacy

“The sky is blue today, Max, and there is a big long cloud, and it’s
stretched out, like a rope. At the end of it, the sun is like a yellow
hole.” (Simile) (249)
Imagery
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
Character(s)




“In the darkness, my dark heart beating” (Dark Imagery) (242)
“Even death has a heart” (Bright and love imagery) (242)
“Bathed in sunshine.” (light imagery) (247)
Imaginative imagery (249-255)
Death:

He wanted Rudy to live because he believes Rudy had potential
(death is showing remorse). Death reveals “does not like Mystery.”
(241)
Rosa Hubermann:

enraged, panicked, angry, derogatory to Leisel (244)
Hans Hubermann:

calm and nice to Leisel (244)
Leisel:

very quiet and shy (245)
Max:



very quiet and shy (245)
he feels captive because he cannot go outside “What sort of day is it
up there”
he asks a fighter who won’t quit and stands up for what he believes in.
(254)
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 282 to 303







Theme
Name: Julia MacPherson
Rudy feels he deserves some sort of victory or triumph after the
problems he has been having with Franz Deutscher at the Hitler
Youth
 Liesel decides they should steal from the mayor’s wife (marking
her revenge for firing her mama)
 The window to their library is finally open on their fifth visit to
Grande Strasse and Liesel steals The Whistler
Rudy forgets Liesel’s shoes back at the mayor’s house
 He goes back to retrieve them and once he returns to the girl
asks her for a kiss
The night comes to an end and Liesel is given her nickname of ‘the
book thief’ for the first time by Rudy
Rudy steals the biggest potato from Mamer’s, the local grocer
Rudy fights Franz Deutscher, one of the Hitler Youth leaders
Rudy refuses to attend the Hitler Youth meetings
 He is then moved to a different division that specializes in the
teaching of aircraft and flying
Viktor Chemmel throws Liesel’s book The Whistler into the Amper
River
 Rudy retrieves it and stands waist-deep in the water asking
Liesel once again for a kiss
Ignorance p. 288 “She watched her gathered friendship with Ilsa Hermann
and made sure to see it kicked in the shins and left by the wayside. It
worked. She detested them.”
 The reader is exposed to the ignorance Liesel displays when
she is about to steal back the book The Whistler from the
mayor’s wife. It is very immature and naïve of her to think that
this is the only solution to solve her anger towards the woman
for firing her mother. The lesson to be conveyed is that
revenge is not the answer when dealing with an issue with
someone.
Lack of Morality p. 293 “Inconspicuous as he was, however, he managed to
take hold of the biggest potato of the lot”
 The reader learns that while Rudy Steiner may be starving, he
does not have a very good conscience. He cannot tell the
difference between right and wrong; especially when it comes
to stealing. The lesson being conveyed is that no matter the
circumstances, a healthy moral attitude will bring out the better
things in life.
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
Character(s)
 The book Liesel steals from Ilsa Hermann, The Whistler
symbolizes the unique and special friendship between the young
girl and Rudy. When they stole it together as well as the day
Viktor Chemmel threw it into the Amper River and Rudy
retrieved it for Liesel p.288 and p.303

Greed Imagery – “They all looked on as a thirteen-year-old fist rose
up and grabbed it. A choir of heavyset Helgas pointed him out, and
Tommy Mamer came storming toward the dirty fruit” p.293-294

Love Imagery – “Rudy Steiner was scared of the book thief’s kiss. He
must have longed for it so much. He must have loved her so
incredibly hard” p.303
Liesel Meminger
Liesel reveals her ignorance and immaturity when she decides to steal
The Whistler from the mayor’s wife. Also, Rudy thought she was going
into the home to steal food when she really just wanted the book. This
revealed her selfishness and greedy desires.
 p. 288 “Both items, however, were the last things on her
mind….She knew the one thing she wanted.”
 p.287 “She didn’t care about the food. Rudy, no matter
how hard she tried to resist the idea, was secondary to her
plan. It was the book she wanted. The Whistler.”
While she may have wanted to seek revenge on Ilsa Hermann, Liesel
also felt a sense of guilt for the crime she was about to commit. This
displays her moral development as a person.
 p.286 “Internally, she shrugged away from a kind of
gladness that the window was closed. She berated
herself.”
Rudy Steiner
Rudy’s love for Liesel grows when he retrieves her book from the
Amper River as well as her shoes from the mayor’s house.
 p.290 “Rudy’s triumphant face was held nicely up as he
trotted steadily toward her. His teeth were gnashed into a
grin, and the shoes dangled from his hand.”
 p.303 “In truth, I think he was afraid. Rudy Steiner was
scared of the book thief’s kiss. He must have longed for it
so much. He must have loved her so incredibly hard. So
hard that he would never ask for her lips again and would
go to his grave without them.”
Rudy finally experiences the sense of victory he longed for.
 p.303 “Another note of interest is that Rudy did not attempt to
leave the devastatingly cold water as soon as he held the book
in his hand. For a good minute or so, he stayed.”
Element of fiction
Notes Pages 307 to 324
Joel Maves
Plot
-Death talks about events he was involved in during 1942 (Ex: Stalin, In Russia; “The
Second Revolution”
-Christmas Eve
-Max, Liesel and Hans have a snowball fight
-Hans Liesel, Rosa and Max contributed to making a snowman in the Hubermann
basement
-Max becomes very ill
-Liesel thinks Max is ill because she brought snow in the basement to make a snowman
Max is asleep for just over a week when Liesel begins reading “The Whistler” him every
day
-Liesel starts finding presents to give to max including: a ribbon, pinecones, buttons,
newspapers, a toy soldier, etc.
Theme
P. 313 The reader learns about the theme, hope as it is expressed through Max after
participating in making the snowman. “‘Often I wish this would all be over Liesel, but then
somehow you do something like walk down the basement steps with a snowman in your
hands’ “. Max is hiding for his life and all seems like hell for him but after having fun with
Liesel and the snow, he doesn’t feel the bitterness of his life anymore; he finds hope in
making the snowman.
P. 316 The reader learns about the theme of regret when Liesel feels that it’s her fault that
Max is now very ill. “‘Why did I have to bring all of that snow down?’” Liesel regrets
bringing the snow down to play with because Max is now ill possibly because of it, so she
says to her papa, why did I do this? Implying that she shouldn’t have.
Symbolism
(literary device)
313. The Fire where Max said his last words to Liesel before getting sick is a symbol of
warmth and comfort; this symbol goes well with the setting which is on Christmas eve.
Imagery/Motif
322. Simile: Liesel describes a cloud she sees with her Papa. “It’s like a white beast”
322. Hyperbole: “You should give that cloud to Max” said Hans to Liesel. He did not mean
it literally. Hans was suggesting she wrote down what the cloud looked like.
322. Metaphor: “the sun was eclipsed , and in its place, a white beast with a gray heart
watched the town.” A white beast with a grey heart wasn’t actually watching the city.
316. Repitition: “Don’t die,” she whispered.”Please, Max just don’t die.”
Character(s)
Liesel- Development of her relationship with Max
Liesel has warmed up significantly towards Max since they first met.This section has great
examples of how Liesel and Max have strengthened their relationship since they were first
introduced.
-Page 311 she shows her desire to help Max see the outside world he cannot experience right now
by bringing in snow from outside. This shows her intentions of bringing Max joy.
-Page 315, when Max becomes very ill, Liesel shows great concern for him.
-Throughout pages 317 to 324, Liesel has been bringing Max presents while he’s sick, hoping he
would wake up and feel good about the things she brought for him. This shows how much she
cherishes her friendship with Max.
Rosa- was known to always swear and act out on her family members in a negative way but she
has a change of heart in this section.
-Page 313: Hans throws a snowball at Rosa and “Once she recovers, she came down and helped
them. She even brought the buttonsfor the eyes and nose”
This is clearly a different Rosa compared to what the readers have experienced prior to this. She is
showing a light hearted side to her that had never been seen before.
Element of
Fiction
Notes pages 325 to 350 Name: Steven McGoey
Plot
 Liesel and Rudy plan to steal another book from the
mayor’s library
 Liesel successfully steals the book
 1000 bombers drop bombs on Cologne, Germany
 500 dead, Death picks up their souls
 Liesel is playing soccer when she learns the Nazis are
measuring basements for bomb shelters
 Max successfully hides and avoids the Nazis who search
the Hubermann’s basement
Theme
Love: “You’re alive, we all are” (346)
War: “More than a thousand bomber planes flew toward a place
known as Koln“ (336)
Fear: ``Im afraid of falling asleep again``(334)
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
Books represent hope and love – Page 328
War motif - “The bombs were coming – and so was i“ (335) “It’s
another bomb! “(337)
Love motif – She began reading the minute she returned home
(328)
Death motif – The bombs were coming, and so was I (335)
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
Character(s)
Death – Emotional, appears to have humanlike features and
emotions: “How I’d love to pull it all down, to screw up the
newspaper sky and toss it away“ (336)
Liesel – Caring, Kind, Clever: “She began reading the minute
she returned home” (328)
Rosa – Strict, Clever: ``The tirade went on for another minute``
(332) ``Rosa prayed in the corner`` (344)
Hans – Clever, Loving: ``How is everything down there? want
some tea?” (345)
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 353 to 378




Theme
Name: Anisa Moroso
As Molching prepares for bomb raidings, Leisel goes with Hans
Hubermann as he finds work painting people’s windows and
blinds black, and she is impressed by Hans’ painting skills. She
gets to try champagne, and vows to never drink it again as it
would never taste as good as it did that day.
Rudy partakes in the upcoming Hilter Youth Carnival,
competing in four track competitions which he trained himself
to run, and although he won the first three competitions, he
was disqualified from the fourth for two false starts. He insists
he got himself disqualified on purpose and he leaves his gold
medals with Leisel.
Leisel steals “A Song in the Dark” from the mayor’s house
without Rudy, and later, they both steal “The Complete Duden
Dictionary and Thesaurus”. Inside is a letter revealing Ilsa
Hermann knows about their book thieving and invites Leisel to
knock on the door next time but Leisel can’t bring herself to do
it.
Rosa and Hans Hubermann and Leisel leave for a bomb
shelter in the basement of the Feilders down the road one
night during an air raid. Among the people in the basement
are: the Steiners, Pfiffikus and Frau Holtzapfel. The raid
finishes and everyone leaves. Max tells the Hubermanns that
he went upstairs to go look out the window during the raid for
the first time in two years, and the stars burned his eyes.
Loss of innocence, love p. 357 “‘I didn’t want you to think that
champagne bottles are only used for rolling paint.’ He warned
her, ‘Just don’t tell Mama. Agreed?’” Hans Hubermann allowing
Leisel to drink champagne, an adult activity, suggests their
relationship is growing deeper as Leisel matures.
Morality p. 370 “She tried four times to knock on the daunting
flesh of the door, but she could not bring herself to do it.”
Leisel’s inability to knock on the door of the mayor’s house so
she can take another book reveals that her instinct to do what is
morally right stopped her from wanting to steal another book
which does not belong to her.
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
The letter from Ilsa Hermann- symbolizes Leisel’s maturation
and her moral compass. Receiving the letter made Leisel realize
that her book thieving made her a criminal, and her conscience
made her feel guilty. As a result, she wasn’t able to return to the
house. p. 369
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
war motif- “Although creating considerable apprehension about
the quality of the shelter , at least they could hear the three
sirens that would signal the end of the raid and safety.” p. 373
death imagery- “Many of them looked up and thanked God for
their lives.” p. 377
“Some of them closed their eyes, waiting for their final
demise…” p. 375
The combination of death imagery and war imagery in the
chapter “The Sound of Sirens” creates suspense during the air
raid.
Character(s)
Leisel:
 Observant, attentive, perceptive
“Leisel looked around, gauging the faces. She started
compiling a list of who was most afraid.” p. 373 Leisel is
able to read the fear of the people in the basement.
 Mature, ethical
“The most she could accomplish was to place her
knuckles gently on the warmness of the wood.” p. 370
Leisel’s conscience causes her to feel too guilty to knock
on the door, and deciding taking another book wouldn’t be
morally right reveals how she is maturing.
Rudy Steiner
 Content, mature
“There was nothing but a knowing smile and a slow walk
that lolled him home.” p. 364
The purpose of Rudy Steiner intentionally disqualifying
himself from his final race suggests he is content and
satisfied with only three medals. He knows he isn’t Jesse
Owens (“Because he isn’t Jesse Owens” p.364) and this
realization reveals how he is also maturing which allows
him to be less competitive than he used to be.
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 379 to 403
-
-
-
-
Theme
Name: David Symington
The first real air raid takes place as the German citizens gather in
their designated bunkers.
When the people gathered in the Fiedler’s basement and realized
that the bombing was occurring, they went into a state of panic.
Liesel decides to read her book, The Whistler, to the people within
the bunker to help calm them down.
After the bombing concluded, Frau Holzapfel made an offer to
Liesel that she would give up both her coffee ration and habit of
spitting at Liesel’s household if Liesel would read the rest of The
Whistler to her.
Three trucks filled with Jewish prisoners were on their way to the
internment camp, Dachau, when the drivers stopped and decided
to march the Jews throughout the streets of Molching.
During the parade of Jews, a Jewish man struggled to make it
through the march and Hans Hubermann offered bread to the Jew
and tried to provide aid. Both the Jew and Hans were quickly
wiped for their actions and Hans was now looked upon poorly as a
“Jew Lover” (401).
With Hans now being under suspicion, Max is forced to leave the
Hubermann’s basement and move on, for fear of being
discovered. Hans plans to meet up with Max a few days later but
all he discovers at the meeting point is a note, which says, “You’ve
done enough” (398).
Ignorance
When Hans decides to give the piece of bread to the elder Jew, he
does not think about the consequences to follow his actions. The
reader learns that Hans is a man of passion and is true to his
conscience. Hans allows the reader to see how deep his passion is
and teaches them to think about the consequences that can come
from your actions.
“Oh my God, Liesel, what have I done?” (396)
Morality
The Jews were treated with so much cruelty at the time; it was
remarkable how some people believed the treatment to be right. The reader
learns how different peoples views can be on certain topics, such as slavery.
The torment the Jews face is brought to life in this chapter and people learn
that everyone looks at these issues in their own way. “They called him a Jew
lover. Others were silent, helping him back to safety.” (395)
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
-
-
-
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
-
-
A prominent symbol in the book is the piece of bread offered to the
older Jew. The bread symbolizes hope for the Jews and gives
them reason to believe that they are still cared about by some.
“The Jew stood before him, expecting another handful of derision,
but he watched with everyone else as Hans Hubermann held his
hand out and presented a piece of bread, like magic.” (394)
Another symbol in the book is the nameless piece of paper that
Max leaves behind. With no name on the paper, it symbolizes how
the Jews’ identities are taken away. “It was addressed to nobody
and contained only one sentence.” (398)
Dark Imagery is shown when talking about or referencing most
things towards the Jews. “…a German Jew was making his way
through the darkness.” (398)
Death Imagery is seen when the Jews are marching down the
streets. One particular Jew cannot make it to his feet for long
before collapsing. “He was dead. The man was dead.” (393)
Violent Imagery is shown when talking about the internment
camps. The Jews knew that they were close to death, as well as
the German citizens who watched. “…for many of them would
die.” (391)
Character(s)
Liesel
In this section, Liesel experiences how cruel the Nazi Party is to the
Jewish people and how willing her father is to change it. Liesel also
learns the desire she has to help others but the great restraint upon
her to do so. The lesson that Liesel is taught from watching her father
is to think about the consequences that could possibly come from her
actions.
“She could only hope they could read the depth of sorrow in her face,
to recognize that it was true, and not fleeting.” (392)
Max Vandenburg
Max quickly learns that it is nearly impossible for him to live in peace
within Germany at the time, simply because of his ethnicity. Even
when Max seems to be safe the risk of him being caught is too great
for him to be sure and he must leave the Hubermann’s home. Max
does experience a new sense of hope with all this danger though,
simply because of the care Liesel possesses towards him.
“She could smell his breath of goodbye.” (397)
Notes pages 407 to 430 D. Warren
Plot:
-men came to Himmel Street looking for Rudy to take him and train him to be in the army
-the men wanted Rudy because of his blue eyes, blond hair, athletic ability and intelligence
-Rudy was examined at school to see if he was the perfect German
-Hans Hubermanns got accepted into the Nazi Party
-Later, Hans got a letter saying he would be drafted into the German army. This was his punishment for giving bread to a
Jew.
-Rudy wants to kill Hitler but Liesel brings him back to reality
Theme:
-hope: Liesel hopes that Hans makes it home alive from the army and Hans hopes that he will be able to see Liesel and
Rosa again. Also, Rosa, Liesel and Hans have hope that Max is still alive. On pages 422 and 423, Hans asks Liesel if she
thinks Max is still alive and Liesel says that she hopes he is. This shows that they are thinking about Max and care about
him. The reader learns how much Liesel cares for Hans and how much she loves him. Also, you learn that Hans is scared
and worried but he doesn’t show it very much
-morality: Rudy sets off to attempt to kill Hitler because he doesn’t think that what Hitler id doing is right. The reader
learns that Rudy doesn’t want to support Hitler. But, when Liesel tells Rudy he cannot kill Hitler and Rudy turns around,
the reader learns that Rudy knows he has to support Hitler, he is forced to. On page 426, Liesel tells Rudy she is turning
around and going home and at first Rudy keeps going but eventually turns around and catches up with Liesel. This shows
that he knows what Hitler is doing isn’t right, but he cannot do anything about it or to stop it.
Symbolism:
-when the men are in Rudy’s house talking to his mom, Rudy and some of his siblings are setting up dominoes and then
knocking them over. The dominoes that are falling represent dead bodies falling over, like in war and the Jews that are
being killed. Page 408.
Imagery:
-dark imagery: the dominoes are falling like dead bodies, Rudy turns out the lights and they are sitting in complete
darkness, and Rudy`s siblings called the men monsters.
Character:
Liesel: she learns that Hans is worried and scared and that he really loves Rosa and Liesel. She also learns that Rosa really
loves Hans and is worried about him. Liesel shows her love for Hans and Max. When Liesel stops Rudy from killing Hitler
it shows that she knows she has to support Hitler.
Hans: is very sad that he has to leave Liesel and Rosa, but he stays strong and tries not to show that he is scared by being
sarcastic and confident that he will return home. Hans experiences how hard it is to leave his loved ones at home while
he goes to war.
Note pages 431-455 T. Sharpe
Plot
-Alex Steiner and Hans Huberman were enlisted into the German army.
-Hans Huberman was sent to Stuttgart and later to Essen. His position was with the LSE, which is Air raid
special unit {also called dead body collectors}.
- In the late months of 1942 Liesel often worried about Alex Steiner, Max Vandenberg and her papa, Hans
Huberman.
-Liesel and Rudy fed bread to the parades of Jews walking to Dachau.
-Liesel read her book The Whistler during bomb raids in the Fielders’’ shelter.
-Liesel was given Max Vandenberg’s sketchbook, The Word shaker for Christmas.
-Max’s sketchbook tells the transformation of Adolf Hitler.
- Liesel gave Rudy Steiner a brand new suit for Christmas as a sign of their friendship.
Theme
Loss of innocence pg 436
Hans Huberman working with the LSE: “Only when he returned to his haunches and saw the others looking in
distress at the obstacle did he realize, the corpse was facedown... it was a boy.” This quote is relevant to the
theme of loss of innocence because Hans has learned a valuable lesson that war impacts everyone regardless
of age. Hans has realized when he saw the dead boy on the ground that he truly is scared of war and death. He
misses his family and friends more than ever and wishes more than anything that they are safe from harm.
Hope pg 438
Liesel hoping that Max is safe: “It was with great optimism that she envisioned him walking alone on a
deserted road. Once in a while she imagined him falling into a doorway of safety somewhere, his identity card
enough to fool the right person.” This quote is relevant to the theme of hope because Liesel wants to believe
that Max is somewhere safe from the Nazis Germans and out of harm’s way altogether. Liesel has noticed that
she misses Max so much and actually cares for the man that has been hiding in her basement.
Symbolism
The tree in Max’s sketchbook represents love and friendship between Liesel and Max and it can never be
broken or chopped down. The significance of the tree shows her great compassion towards Max and her
defiance of the Nazis are symbolized by the massive tree that Hitler cannot cut down. {Page 447} The navy
blue suit Liesel gives Rudy from Alex Steiner’s shop shows Rudy is growing up and is getting more mature.
Imagery\Motif
Realization motif- “One of the other men wiped their face and said, just once I want to be there when they hit
a pub, for Christ’s sake. I’m dying for a beer. Each man leaned back. They could all taste it, putting out the fires
in there and softening the smoke.” {Page 434}
Blood motif- “A bloodstain was signed across his face. It trailed off down his throat and neck.” {Page 435}
Characters
Liesel Meminger
Hopeful, tough, determined.
“In the tree shadows, Liesel watched the boy. How things had changed from fruit stealer to bread giver.... She
heard his stomach growl- and he was giving people bread. Was this Germany? Was this Nazis Germany? {Page
440} Liesel is recalling the past and how Rudy has grown so much from back when he was stealing food and
now he is giving back food. Liesel has learned that it is better to give back then to take.
Hans Huberman
Nervous, scared, excited.
“When he’d washed, eaten and thrown up, he attempted to write a detailed letter home. His hands were
uncontrollable forcing him to make it short. If he could bring himself, the remainder would be totally verbally,
when and if he made it home. “ {Page 437} Hans has regressed in the way that he is not the confident and
happy man he once was and is scared for his life and the lives of his loved ones. Hans has learned that life is
precious and that you should live every day like it is your last.
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Theme
Notes pages 459 to 478
Name: Edlyn Shih

Liesel and Rudy steals a plate of cookies and another book, The Last Human
Stranger, from the mayor's house. She encounters Ilsa and realizes that the
library is hers.

Meanwhile, Hans and the rest of his team are playing cards for cigarettes. A
man named Reinhold Zucker, who gloats when he wins, accuses Hans of
cheating; in contrast, whenever Hans wins a hand he graciously gives his
colleagues a cigarette back. Reinhold despises Hans.

When Liesel goes to Frau Holtzapfel's to read she encounters an old-looking
man with a bloody, bandaged hand. He visits Liesel's home. He is one of
Holtzapfel's sons, Michael, and he has just returned from the Battle of
Stalingrad. Michael informs Rosa that his brother died in a makeshift hospital;
he also tells her that he heard Hans Junior is alive there. At Frau Holtzapfel's
home, Liesel reads to Michael and his crying mother.

Death explains how Michael's brother Robert died: on a freezing cold January
day in Russia, Robert's legs were blown off. He was brought to the temporary
hospital and died three days later, his brother at his side.

Liesel returns the empty plate to Ilsa Hermann's front door. Rosa still sits with
Hans' accordion and prays for the safe return of her husband and son.

On the truck carrying Hans' unit, Reinhold Zucker demands to switch seats
with Hans; Hans complies. A tire blows out and the driver loses control of the
truck. Zucker is the only one who dies in the accident, and Hans says that it
should have been him. Instead, Hans' leg is injured, and his Sergeant says he
will recommend Hans be given rest then sent to Munich for office work, a
much safer assignment.
Theme of hope and comfort: “The brother shivers. The woman weeps. And the girl
goes on reading, for that’s why she’s here, and it feels good to be good for
something in the aftermath of the snows of Stalingrad” (471). When Liesel reads to
Frau Holtzapfel to comfort her for her lost, and also reads to the residents of Himmel
Street during the air raids, she feels like she's giving them what Hans gives her when
he plays the accordion – distraction, comfort, and hope.
Theme of love and family: “Rosa was sitting with the accordion, praying. ‘Make
them come back alive,’ she repeated. ‘Please, Lord, please. All of them’” (474).
Rosa expresses her deep-love and worry towards her family when all of them are
drafted to war.
Theme of morality: Reinhold Zucker demands to switch seats with Hans on the
truck and Hans complies because he is unwilling to argue. This act has saved his life
since Zucker has died due to the car accident. His sergeant describes Hans: “You’re
lucky you’re a good man, and generous with the cigaretees” (478). Hans morality
has saved him in many occasions.
Symbolism
(Literary
Device)
The accordion is a symbol of hope and comfort. For Hans, the accordion is a symbol
of Erik Vandenburg, Max's father, the man who gave it to him, the man who saved
his life. When Hans leaves for Essen, he leaves the accordion behind for Rosa and
Liesel. The accordion becomes a symbol of hope: “Rosa was sitting with the
accordion, praying. ‘Make them come back alive,’ she repeated. ‘Please, Lord,
please. All of them’” (474). For Rosa, it becomes a symbol of hope and Hans
himself. When Liesel sees her wearing it every night, she realizes how much Hans
means to her foster mother.
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
Death Imagery: “His legs were blown off at the shins and he died with with brother
watching in a cold, stench-filled hospital” (469).
Violence and war motif: “Six men burned by cigarettes. Two broken hands. Several
broken fingers. A broken leg for Hans Hubermann. A broken neck for Reinhold
Zucker, snapped almost in line with his earlobes” (476).
The combination of death, violence and war imagery creates suspense and tension in
these chapters.
Character(s)
The reader receives a deeper insight into Rosa Hubermann’s character. One night,
after her husband left, Liesel witnesses Rosa “sitting with the accordion, [quietly]
praying” (474). The reader gets to see the softer side of Rosa as opposed to the
fierce, cruel exterior she usually appear to be. After being with Hans for most of her
life, Rosa learns the hardships and sorrows of being without a loved one.
Liesel’s character grows significantly. After her foster father, Hans, leaves for the
war she goes through a phase where she is deeply upset and feels as if something is
missing from her life. With the loss of her mother, bother and Max this only adds on
to the pain. She has matured in a way that she has a deeper understanding of the
meaning of pain. She used this lesson and comforted the devastated Frau Holtzapfel by
reading to her, who learned that she had lost a son due to war.
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 479 to 493
Name: Jessica Shih
-In February, Liesel and Rosa receive a letter that Hans is coming home. Rudy
wonders why Hans and not his father will be returning.
-Rudy, who has been growing angrier since his father's recruitment, plans on
stealing as he takes a metal toolbox that contains burglary tools and a teddy bear.
-Liesel runs out to meet him. Rudy tells her that stealing is "what the army does.
Taking your father, and mine” (482). He tells Liesel that the teddy bear is to calm
down a kid should he encounter one. Ultimately, Rudy is unable to bring himself to
steal.
-In March, another air raid occurred. Frau Holtzapfel refuses to leave her home,
and Michael and Rosa are uanble to get her out. They leave her for the Fiedlers'
basement. Michael regrets leaving his mother, but Frau Holtzapfel arrives later.
-After the raid, a downed plane is on fire. Rudy takes the teddy bear from his
toolbox and places it on the English pilot. The pilot thanks him and dies. Death
arrives to carry the man's soul away and is convinced that Liesel recognized its
presence.
-Hans is given a week home before being sent to Munich to do paperwork. He tells
Liesel and Rosa about everything, including the death of Reinhold Zucker. All that
night, he sits by Liesel's bed as she sleeps with contentment.
Theme
Ignorance and loss of innocence: Rudy is ignorant in the beginning as he foolishly
planned a burglary as a result of his anger over his father’s draft. “Since his father’s
recruitment to the army the previous October, Rudy’s anger had been growing
nicely….He carried a metal case up Himmel Street at the typical thieving time of
darkening afternoon” (481). However, instead of committing crime, Rudy ends up
giving a teddy bear to a dying enemy later on: “He placed the smiling teddy bear
cautiously onto the pilot’s shoulder” (490). Rudy doesn’t want the pilot to die
alone. His act of compassion to the man bombing his homeland demonstrates his
maturation as he recognizes the absurdity of hatred, and of the fact that the war
has killed many unwilling participants from both sides of the conflict.
Morality: Rudy and Liesel have not only the courage but the morals to give the
dying pilot one last comfort before death takes him away. They don’t care that he
is from the opposing side of the war, but feel sympathy for him.
Love and Family: Michael expresses loyalty and deep-love for his mother as he
ineffectively tries to convince her mother to hide for safety. He also feels guilty for
abandoning her out in the raid: “I should have stayed, I should have stayed….”
(487). Fortunately, Frau Holtzapfel enters the shelter later on.
Symbolism
(Literary Device)
The Teddy bear that was placed on the pilot by Rudy and Liesel is a symbol of
comfort. To a child, a Teddy bear is a sign of comfort and security. Thus, Rudy this
act would make him feel less lonely. The bear was also a sign of friendship between
two enemy nations. “[The bear] was friendly looking nonetheless….He placed the
smiling teddy bear cautiously onto the pilot’s shoulder”(p.483, 490).
War motif- “On May 9, Rudy exited the house with it when the sirens made their
presence felt again in Molching” p. 484.
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic Device)
Death and War motif- “Far away, fires were burning and I had picked up just over
two hundred murdered souls” p. 488.
Light vs. Dark imagery- “As the sky began to charcoal toward light, we both moved
on” p. 490.
Death and blood imagery- “The dying man[’s]…straight-line cuts opened as he
spoke, and a small drop of blood rolled crookedly down his throat” p. 491.
Character(s)
Leisel is clever, considerate, and mature. She learns that she can use her passion
for reading to help and calm those around her during the hidings in the bomb
shelter: “The night was long with bombs and reading, her mouth was dry, but the
book thief worked through fifty-four pages” (488). Leisel is also observant and
ethical. When Leisel sees Rudy’s “purposeful steps and committed face,” she
immediately recognizes his motives (482). Her morals are clearly evident when
Rudy isn’t going to steal anything: “Liesel’s relief was pure and sad inside her”
(483).
Rudy grows angrier over his father's conscription. Liesel knows Rudy has "the bitter
taste of questions in his mouth" (480). He sees Hitler and the army as stealing his
parents. As a result, he plans on stealing from the wealthier members of his town.
Yet, Rudy is unable to commit anything more than minor theft. This reflects Rudy's
inability to fight German power with violence. Instead of committing crime, Rudy
ends up giving a teddy bear to a dying pilot later on. Rudy's act of empathy to his
country’s enemy demonstrates a critical recognition of the irrationality of hatred
and of the fact that the war has killed many innocent people from both sides.
Element of
Fiction
Plot
Notes pages 497 to 539
Name: Ben Sibbing
Himmel street has been bombed by the allies. Rosa and Hans perish while Liesel survives because she was in the
basement at the time writing her book. Liesel then hits a paint can with a pencil and is saved by a rescue squad.
The story then goes back in time and foreshadows Max walking down Munich street to Dachau. Frau Holtzapfel’s
son Michael hung himself due to the guilt he felt associated to his brother’s death in the war (6am July 27th 1943).
Michael felt guilty for being alive while his brother was dead. Frau Holtzapfel is extremely upset that she has lost
both of her sons in 6 months. Michael’s son is buried. Liesel sees Max being walked to Dachau so she runs into
the crowd of Jews and she talks to Max. The guards see what is taking place and they whip Max and Liesel.
Tommy and Rudy help Liesel to her feet. Liesel tells her parents about what has happened; they are all full of
emotions and are all upset. Liesel tells Rudy about how Max was hidden in their basement. Liesel then visits Frau
Hermans library to steal another book, she ends up destroying a book out of anger. She writes a letter to Ilsa
apologizing for what she has done and telling her that she will not return again. Ilsa comes to Liesels house
wearing a sundress instead of the usual bathrobe and gives Liesel a black book with blank pages so that she can
write her own story in it. Liesel makes her coffee and makes a snack of bread with jam on it. Liesel begins to write
a book about her life with the book that Ilsa gave her. Liesel stays up late many nights and writes her book in the
basement. Himmel street is bombed and everyone is killed except for Liesel. She is safe in the basement even
though it wasn’t cleared as a proper air raid shelter. Liesel sees Rudys dead body and kisses him exclaiming that
she truly loves him. Liesel then sees her foster mother and father’s dead bodies and is completely devastated. She
asks one of the people who rescued her to get her father’s accordion for her; he gets it and she places it on her
father. Deaths gender is revealed as male.
Theme
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



Symbolism
(Literary
Device)

Death and suffering are essential to life
Friendship is a powerful bond between two people
Writing and literature is a powerful and essential tool
Humanity and dehumanization- treatment of the Jewish people such as Max is horrible during this time
period
Survivors Guilt- Liesel is upset because she survived the bombing but everyone else on Himmel Street
died.
Hope, Live, War, Mortality, Identity, Criminality, Language and Communication, Suffering, and Courage
are the other main themes in this Part.
The Word Shaker (Book)
-


Shows Hans’ love for his foster daughter Liesel
Symbol of hope and comfort
When Liesel reads to the people in the bomb shelter she comforts them as Hans would have with
his music.
Books
-
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic
Device)
Symbolizes Liesel and her book thieving
The Accordion
-

Symbolizes the bond that Liesel and Max share
The Window
Liesel’s love for literature and a symbol of her thievery.
“The clouds would bake and the cold raindrops would turn to ash.” (498)
“I looked up and saw the tin-can planes. I watched their stomach’s open and the bombs drop casually out” (497) =
war images/motif
‘”Jesus, Mary, and Joseph” = repetition/ biblical illusion
“Papa’s lovely silver eyes starting to rust” (499)
Jew/ Hitler (Fϋher) = repetition / imagery
Suicide Images- “Michael Holtzapfel jumped from the chair as if it were a cliff” (502) “Human Pendulum” (502)
Repetition of personification throughout the story
Ampher River Images- “Water was glorious and emerald and rich” (520)
Grass Images- “Fresh and sweet… green and yellow tipped.” (520)
Money Images- “Like a rolling coin starved of momentum.” (520)
Stew Image- relates the world to an ugly stew
Library Image- “airy hallways… steeped in wooden emptiness” (521)
Book Image- Liesel’s black book
Death Images
The image of a book being written inside a book
Peacefull/ Calm Uprising of souls motif (531)
Rudy Makes death cry (531)
“Papa… silver through his eyelids”- repetition of Hans’ eye colour (531)
Rosa Snoring- Repetition (532)
Rosa has a heart and loves Liesel deep down
Images of Hans’ Accordion after the bombing (534)
Fire/’ Destruction Motif- “burning snowflakes” (533) “ruined canal that was once HImmel Street.” (535)
Rubble Images- “Concrete hills with caps of red” (535)
Liesel kisses Rudy ( 536)
“Irretrievable mess” (537) when Liesel sees her dead parents.
Images of when Liesel first arrived on Himmel Street.
“Papa was an Accordion; but his bellows were all empty.” (537)
Liesels recollections of her time with Hans (538)
Death clai,s he was everywhere in 1943 (539)
Color Motif throughout part 10
Character(s)













Liesel Meminger (book thief) – main character in story
Frau Diller- owner of shop on Himmel Street that gets destroyed during air raid
Rudy Steiner- Leisel’s best friend and partner in crime
Rosa Hubermann- Liesel’s foster mother
Hans Hubermann- Liesel’s foster father
Frau Holtzapfel- Liesel”s neighbor lost two sons in six months. Liesel reads to her for coffee
Michael Holtzapfel- Committed suicide due to the guilt of living
Tommy Mϋller
Max Vandenburg- marched through Molching to Dachau
Ilsa Hermann- mayor’s wife
Pfiffikus Fiedler- air raid shelter
Barbra Steiner- mother of Rudy, Kurt, and the younger siblings- killing in bombing
Alex Steiner- survived because he was at war: Barbra’s Wife
Death Takes
Element of
Fiction
Plot






Tommy Mϋller and his family in air raid (while sleeping)
Frau Holtzapfel in air raid (while sleeping)
Frau Diller in air raid (while sleeping)
Rudy/ Steiner family in air raid (while sleeping)
Hans/ Rosa Hubermann in air raid (while sleeping)
Michael Holtzapfel (Suicide)

Possibly Max as we don’t know his fate after being marched toDachau
Pages 543-550
Sandra G.
- Reader is informed Liesel dies from old age far from Himmel Street
- Liesel was the only one who survived Himmel Street
- Rudy’s dad felt responsible for his son’s death
Theme
- Liesel finally kisses Rudy
- Max and Liesel reunite
- Death kept the book Liesel wrote
- One theme is loss of innocence
→ Liesel loses her innocence because she comes to realize the world
is much more awful and corrupt then it may appear because of all the
death and war occurring around her.
→ ”People who were at the service of Hans and Rosa Hubermann
always talked about the girl who stood there wearing a pretty dress and a
layer of Himmel Street dirt.” (546)
- Another theme is hope
→ ”He was hopeful…. They hugged and cried and fell to the floor.” (548)
→ Once Max and Liesel meet once again there is a new sense of hope
within Max and Liesel during all the chaos and grief.
Symbolism
(Literary Device)
-The accordion symbolized her past and Liesel holding onto it so firmly
represents Liesel not wanting to forget all that had happened in her past.
Imagery/Motif
(Stylistic Device)
-“Ilsa Hermann offered to carry the case, but Liesel held it firmly in her
hand as they walked down the police station steps.” (545)
-Affectionate imagery: “The fingers of her soul touched the story that was
written so long ago in her Himmel Street basement” (550)
Character
-Mournful imagery: “She saw a list of lives that merged with her….The
boy whose hair remained the colour of lemons forever”
-Liesel
→mournful: “Something about a Saumensch. How many times did she
have ti say goodbye?”
-Max
→Brave and Free: “A man …walked into the shop. He approached the
counter.”