The Book Thief Should Be Required For High School Students

Should The Book Thief by Markus Zusak be required for high school students to read? In my opinion, The Book Thief should be required for high school students to read. The novel informs the readers about the lives of people living in Germany in the time Hitler had power. The Book Thief is told in third person omniscient point of view with the Grim Reaper as the narrator, telling the life of the main character Liesel Meminger, but also including stories of Liesel’s family and friends. The Book Thief should be required to be read by high school students because of the history involved in the plot, information on what it is like being Jewish, and shows the different roles that a child and an adult have in the time Hitler was a leader.

The history the novel The Book Thief is based off of is very important to the plot. One of the most important scenes in the novel is the book burning ceremony. This scene is historically accurate and shows the importance of history in the plot. “Carts were used to wheel it all in. it was dumped in the middle of the town square and dowsed with something sweet. Books and paper and other materials would slide or tumble down only to be thrown back onto a pile,”(109). This quote explains what happened at book burnings in Nazi, Germany in 1939. The book burnings would happen

every year on Hitler’s birthday until he wasn’t in power.
Max Vandenburg’s life is the Jewish point of view in The Book Thief Max’s life describes what he had to do to survive and stay out of a concentration camp. “In November
1940, when Max Vandenburg arrived in the kitchen of 33 Himmel Street, he was twenty-four years old. His clothes seemed to weigh him down, his tiredness was such that an itch could break him in two,” (185). This quote explains that when you are Jewish you can only trust the people in your life that will keep you safe. For Max Vandenburg, the Huberman's were the only people that he could trust. Max’s father, Erik, and Hans were friends in World War. Erik was found in several pieces on a mountain during the war. When Hans found out that Erik had died, Hans said that he would do anything to help Erik’s family, even if it means keeping someone who is Jewish away from Hitler and out of a concentration camp. This shows the readers in High School the struggles, the people who are Jewish had to go through to survive.
The roles of a child and the roles of an adult in the time Hitler was in power are very different.

“On Himmel Street, friendships were made outside, no matter the weather… Also, they conducted their favorite pastime, professionals, on the street. Soccer,” (47). This quote explains that children had very little responsibility, so they spent most of their time outside making friends and playing soccer. Adults have more responsibilities like a job, taking care of their children, and paying pills. “‘So have they let you in yet?’ Hans Junior was picking up where he left off at Christmas. ‘In What?’ ‘Take a guess- the party.’ ‘No I think they’ve forgotten

about
me,’ (104). This quote explains that adults have to join Nazi parties and work specific jobs in
order to have money to pay for food and the house they own.
The Book Thief has the plot revolve around history. Most of the big events that happen in the book happened in real life, for example, the book burnings. The Book Thief also informs the reader what it is like being Jewish in Nazi, Germany. The novel informs the reader how people who are Jewish stayed in hiding and out of a concentration camp. The roles of a child versus the roles of an adult are also explained in The Book Thief. A child’s roles are helping around the house, going to school, and playing outside with other children. Adult’s roles are taking care of their children, going to work, and paying pills to keep their house. The Book Thief should be required for high school students to read because of the history involved in the plot, information on what it is like being Jewish, and the roles of a child versus and an adult in the time Hitler had power.