The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief is a story of a young girl named Liesel and her life in Nazi Germany during World War II. Liesel is adopted by Hans and Rosa as economic conditions deteriorate, political and social tensions heighten and the war approaches. The setting is one ripe with drama and apprehension with all of the secrets that one has to keep, and the appearance one has to present in public in such a setting. The Book Thief not only has to deal with the difficulties of life in a fascist state, but also life in a impoverished neighbourhood – as if the life of a teenager is not hard enough to deal with on its own.

Zusak, Markus (2007) The Book Thief, New York; Knopf.

The Book Thief is not all dark and despairing, for it displays the humanity and dignity that some adults and teenagers can display in such adverse conditions. The Book Thief is a book about life and death, love and friendship, hope and dreams and yes – theft. Markus Zusak weaves these elements together in a masterful way, to create a story and a book that I highly recommend.

The Art of Keeping Cool / Janet Taylor Lisle

The Art of Keeping Cool by Janet Taylor Lisle is an intriguing piece of historical fiction from the point of view of a young teenaged boy. Robert moves with his mother to a small community on the eastern seaboard of the United States during the Second World War. Robert and his cousin Elliot spend their time listening to reports of the war, doing household chores and visiting a mysterious Germany artist who lives nearby. The family the boys live in also has to deal with the personal stresses of worrying about poverty, a father in the war and Germany subs bombing ships off the nearby coast.

Robert experiences concern over his fathers time flying bombing raids over Germany, his mother’s unwillingness to talk about his father, his Grandfathers dominate and often cruel nature and his suspicions about Abel the German artist who is widely thought to be a spy by almost everyone in the community except Elliot an artist himself. The story unveils the ugliness of human nature to be suspicious of what we don’t understand and to prey on the weaker members of our society. The story also deals with issues of family strife, abuse, and the lack of communication that often plagues dysfunctional families.

Lisle, Janet Taylor (2000) The Art Of Keeping Cool. New York: Athenum.