The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Zusak does an incredible job of telling the story of a young German girl, Liesel, who has to be given to a foster family during WWII. Liesel struggles with being given up and being accepted into another family. Her foster mother comes across as a harsh German woman, but her foster father is a loving man.
She begins stealing with her best friend, Rudy, the boy who lives next door. At first, she steals a book after her brother has died at the gravesite. Then Rudy and Liesel steal small pieces of food. Liesel is drawn to books and begins stealing them from one of her foster mother's clients. Liesel learns to read and is able to share these stories with her neighbors while they are in bomb shelters.
This is a story of love, relationships, grieving, war, and tenderness. Markus Zusak is a fabulous story teller.
