The Book Thief

Death introduces himself, sets out the rules of his narration, and describes collecting Werner Meminger's soul on a train. Liesel arrives at the Hubermanns' house on Himmel Street. She steals 'The Gravedigger's Handbook' from the snow beside her brother's grave.

Liesel adjusts to life on Himmel Street and school. Hans discovers her book and begins teaching her to read in the basement. She steals her second book from a bonfire at a Nazi rally — 'The Shoulder Shrug.'

Max Vandenburg makes his dangerous journey to Himmel Street, carrying a copy of Mein Kampf as camouflage. He arrives at the Hubermanns' door. Hans honors the promise made to Max's father. Max begins living in the basement.

Max, recovering from illness in the basement, writes and illustrates a book for Liesel called 'The Standover Man' — painted over the pages of Mein Kampf. Liesel begins reading to him. They share their dreams.

Liesel begins breaking into Ilsa Hermann's library through the window. She steals 'The Whistler.' Rudy and Liesel join a gang of child thieves. Liesel reads to bomb shelter neighbors for the first time during an air raid.

Max and Liesel share their recurring dreams. Max writes 'The Word Shaker,' his second book for Liesel, about a girl who grows a tree from a single word. Hans is forced to give bread to a Jewish prisoner being marched through Molching and is whipped for it. Max must leave the basement.

Ilsa Hermann fires Rosa as the mayor's laundry customer. To retaliate, Liesel breaks into the library and steals 'The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus.' She and Ilsa reach an understanding. Hans is called up to the front. Alex Steiner is also conscripted. Rudy is recruited for an elite Nazi school and refuses.

Hans survives an injury at the front that saves him from the worst fighting. Rudy steals food increasingly desperately. Max is spotted in a column of Jewish prisoners being marched through Molching. Liesel calls to him. She gives him bread. She is pulled away before she can do more.

The bombing raids intensify. Liesel writes her own book — 'The Book Thief' — in the basement. Hans comes home. Himmel Street is bombed on a night when Liesel is in the basement writing. Hans, Rosa, and Rudy are killed. Liesel is found in the rubble by Death.

Liesel is taken in by Ilsa Hermann. She survives the war. Max finds her in Stuttgart after the war. Death describes watching over Liesel for her entire long life. At her death, he returns her manuscript. He tells her he is haunted by humans.