When I was asked to run a book club for The Book Thief (similar to what I did with The Program) I jumped at the chance. I’d started but never finished the book more than once. Honestly, the movie trailer is what made me really want to pick the book back up and read it. I’m so glad I did! Thanks to Twentieth Century Fox for sponsoring our book club. The movie comes out this month and I cannot wait! Check out the website here.
On to the book club!
Who: I knew a number of the teachers I work with had been wanting to read the book so I decided to invite them. Here’s a break down of everyone who came:
- One teacher had already read the book
- Three teachers read it for book club and LOVED it
- Two teachers started it but had a hard time getting into it
- Two teachers started it and liked it but time constraints made it so they hadn’t finished it yet
- Our principal started the audio but had to stop. Our assistant principal was curious about it and dropped in to hear what we thought.
- Of the above mentioned book clubbers (so much more fun to say than attendees!) three of us did at least part of the book on audio.
When/Where: It was kind of a “drop in” book club meeting. We met in our school’s book room (a room full of titles we use for literature circles… not the library!) after school. A number of teachers had commitments so we had a rotating staff for the discussion. Myself and the other two teachers who had read it for the first time stayed through the whole thing.
What: I was asked to provide snacks inspired by the story. In The Book Thief they eat a lot of pea soup and stale bread. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen. Instead I went with a few different ideas.
These are cookies that I remember making with my great grandmother who came over from Germany. If you google “honigkuchen” you’ll see that they’re really more of a cake. However, I used the recipe that my family has always used so they’re more cookie like.
I also had a bowl with apples for Rudy and Liesel’s stint as fruit stealers and black and silver Hersey’s kisses to continue with the chocolate theme.
Dominoes and the idea of the domino effect play a role in The Book Thief. I ordered some black and white dominoes online (since I went to six stores and nobody carried them!) and then used mod podge to attache a quotation from the book to each one. I chose the words Liesel ended her notebook with, “I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I made them right.”
Book Thoughts:
- Markus Zusak owes us kleenex and chocolate!!! Those of us who had finished the books could hardly even talk about it without bawling!
- Rosa and Hans reminded us of Marilla and Matthew from Anne of Green Gables. Except, you know, not siblings.
- The beginning of the book was slow for a number of people. It’s heavy and has little joy. They also had a hard time with Death.
- On the other end of the spectrum you have the group (including me!) that LOVED Death as the narrator. The way he sees things like war and humanity… genius to have death narrate. He often seemed the most humane of the characters.
- We had so much love for so many of the characters. Papa, Rudy, Max and even Mama. They all felt so real to use.
- Max! When he paints over Mein Kampf and tells his own story… so powerful.
- It’s amazing what people can endure. What must Liesel’s mother have went through giving up her children? How could Rudy’s father go on? So heartbreaking.
- And Liesel! She opens her heart again and again. So, so brave.
- Basically this book sneaks up on you. Many of us said that we thought we were prepared for certain events. I mean, Death tells you what is going to happen! Still, Zusak writes in such a way that you are so invested in the characters.
Movie Thoughts:
We watched the movie trailer and talked about our hopes and expectations.
- There isn’t enough kleenex in the world to get us through this! Are we even going to be able to hear the movie over our sobs?!?
- In the trailer Mama says, “lazy pig.” I need her to say “saumensch” and “saukerl.” I blame the audiobook for this.
- Everyone who didn’t finish the book said the trailer made them want to read it more.
- How is Death going to play a role? And the colors. Will they be there?
- The book jumps around a bit with Death taking the readers to the past and future. How will this play out?
- We love the Rudy in the book. He looks a little too “put together” in the trailer. We’re hoping he’s still going to have that flare we love so much!
- We hope Max’s backstory is included as well as his books and how he made them.
- Will Ilsa Hermann still be there? We really loved the role she played.
- Markus Zusak’s writing is so poetic. Can’t wait to see it brought to life.
- There are some scenes I don’t know that I want to see simply because they broke me reading them! It’s going to be tough. And probably embarrassing.
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