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The Book Thief

Published
Mar 2006
Main Genre
Historical Historical
Rating
Pages
552

About This Book

It is 1939 Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath.
Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

Awards

Cybils

2006 · Young Adult Fiction · Finalist

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Sep 2007 Knopf ISBN13 9780375842207 ISBN10 0375842209
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Jan 2008 Red Fox (UK) ISBN13 9781862302914 ISBN10 186230291X
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Jan 2008 Pan Books (UK) ISBN13 9780330423304 ISBN10 0330423304
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Oct 2013 Knopf ISBN13 9780385754729 ISBN10 0385754728
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Feb 2014 Transworld (UK) ISBN13 9780552779739 ISBN10 0552779733
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Sep 2016 Transworld (UK) ISBN13 9781784162122 ISBN10 1784162124
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Sep 2016 Random House Children's Publishers UK ISBN13 9781909531611 ISBN10 1909531618
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First Edition Mar 2006 Knopf ISBN13 9780375831003 ISBN10 0375831002
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Jan 2005 Pan Books (UK) ISBN13 9780330364263 ISBN10 033036426X
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Mar 2006 Random House ISBN13 9780375931000 ISBN10 0375931007
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Jan 2007 Random House Audio ISBN13 9781846570902 ISBN10 1846570905
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Jan 2007 Delacorte ISBN13 9780385611466 ISBN10 0385611463
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Jan 2007 The Bodley Head ISBN13 9780370329215 ISBN10 037032921X
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Sep 2007 Perfection Learning ISBN13 9780756984403 ISBN10 0756984408
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Sep 2007 Turtleback Books ISBN13 9781417797387 ISBN10 141779738X
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Jan 2009 Oxford University Press (UK) ISBN13 9781439589052 ISBN10 1439589054
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Oct 2013 Turtleback Books ISBN13 9780606346566 ISBN10 0606346562
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Oct 2013 Random House ISBN13 9780385755566 ISBN10 0385755562
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Mar 2016 Knopf ISBN13 9780399556524 ISBN10 0399556524
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Mar 2016 Knopf ISBN13 9781101934180 ISBN10 1101934182
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Nov 2018 Random House ISBN13 9780375978326 ISBN10 0375978321
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Jan 2026 Thorndike Press, A Cengage Group ISBN13 9781420531152 ISBN10 1420531158
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Mar 2006 Random House ISBN13 9780307433848 ISBN10 0307433846
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Nov 2007 Picador Australia ISBN13 9781742624068 ISBN10 1742624065
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Dec 2007 Random House ISBN13 9781448195473 ISBN10 1448195470
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Dec 2007 Transworld (UK) ISBN13 9781473541870 ISBN10 1473541875
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Dec 2007 Knopf ISBN10 B000XUBFE2
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Nov 2013 Random House Childrens Books ISBN13 9780385391351 ISBN10 0385391358
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Audio

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Sep 2006 Listening Library ISBN13 9780739338001 ISBN10 0739338005
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Sep 2006 Listening Library ISBN10 B000J20TZA
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Oct 2006 Listening Library ISBN13 9780739337271 ISBN10 0739337270
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Dec 2006 Random House AudioBooks ISBN10 B000MZHSYO
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Apr 2012 Random House ISBN13 9781615875825 ISBN10 1615875824
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Jun 2012 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd ISBN10 B008BRDAOW
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Jan 2014 William Heinemann (UK) ISBN13 9781846573958 ISBN10 1846573955
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Mar 2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd ISBN10 B01CXT7TS6
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Large Print

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Oct 2006 Thorndike Press ISBN13 9780786290215 ISBN10 0786290218
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Oct 2006 Thorndike Press ISBN13 9781410468062 ISBN10 1410468062
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