Summer Project – The Book Thief, by

Honors English II, Henry County High School/Academy For Advanced Studies

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Assignment: You will read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and complete a series of assignments.

Each week’s assignment will count as four daily grades. The reflection essay will count as two test grades. All items are due at the beginning of the semester, in order, in a three prong folder. USE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR ANSWERS.

Timeline:

Week 1: Prologue and Part I

Week 2: Parts II and III

Week 3: Parts IV and V

Week 4: Parts VI and VII

Week 5: Parts VIII and IX

Week 6: Part X and the Epilogue

Week 7: Reflection essay

Prologue and Part I:

 Write a detailed character analysis of the narrator. Your analysis should include: the identity of the narrator, the likes and dislikes of the narrator, the interests and purpose of the narrator, and any important and/or interesting characteristics of the narrator. It should be a minimum of two well developed paragraphs.  Create a mind map that represents Liesel Meminger’s first weeks on Himmel Street. (You may want to Google “mind map” to get an idea of its composition.)

Parts II and III:

Answer the following questions as you read:

1. Why do you think Liesel finds such comfort and happiness in books? Write a detailed analysis of at least one paragraph. 2. To whom does Liesel write her letters? Explain the contents of each letter. 3. Explain the significance of the German flag (and Rosa’s fear). 4. What is Stalingrad? In addition to the information in the , you may also do some research on your own. 5. What books were burned during German book burnings? Why? 6. What are the dangers involved with Liesel stealing the book? Consider possible forms of punishment. 7. Who is “the struggler?” Be specific and detailed. 8. Explain what happened to Johann Hermann and the effect it had on his mother.  Draw a mind map that represents the identity and struggles of Max Vandenburg.

Parts IV and V:

Analyze the following quotes:

1. “I’ve seen so many young men over the years who think they’re running at other young men. They are not. They are running at me.” 2. “They preferred rolling cigarettes to rolling in snow and mud. They preferred shooting craps to shooting bullets.” 3. “His fingers smelled of suitcase, metal, Mein Kampf, and survival.” 4. “Everything was good. But it was awful, too.” 5. “Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day. That was the business of hiding a Jew.” 6. “…he had nothing to give, except maybe Mein Kampf, and there was no way he’d give such propaganda to a young German girl. That would be like the lamb handing a knife to the butcher.”

Answer the following questions:

1. Explain the relationship between Rudy and Liesel. Give very specific details and include at least two quotes that support your reasoning. 2. How does Rudy Steiner die? 3. What are the seven sides of the die in “The Gamblers” and why do you think the author chose a die to represent the different sections in this chapter? 4. Define the terms of Liesel’s relationship with Ilsa Hermann. You may want to begin by considering how they know one another and how their relationship has changed over time.

Parts VI and VII:

 Create an original illustration of Death, based on the description he gives readers of himself at the beginning of Part Six. It can be digital, pen and ink, paint, charcoal, or any other medium, so long as it is created by you. Please cite textual evidence to support your illustration.

Answer each of the questions below:

1. Give a description (you may need to do some outside research) of each of the items Death lists in his “Abridged Roll Call for 1942.” 2. Explain the symbolism of each of the thirteen gifts Liesel gives to Max in 1942. 3. Analyze the quote: “A Jewish corpse was a major problem. The Hubermanns needed to revive Max Vandenburg not only his sake, but for their own.” 4. Write a detailed interpretation of the dream Liesel has in “Fresh Air, an Old Nightmare, and What to do with a Jewish Corpse.” 5. In Part Six, the NSDAP comes to Himmel Street to inspect basements for the purpose of potentially using them for air raid shelters. What does this tell readers about the war in general, and as it pertains to ? 6. Describe Liesel’s summer as it is described in “Champagne and Accordions.” What literary device is used at the end of the chapter? Is this typical throughout the story? Explain. 7. Rudy spent all summer preparing for Hitler’s Games. Did he perform the way you expected he would once the games finally arrived? Explain. 8. What does Ilsa give to Liesel in Part Seven? Why is this significant? 9. What happens when the Jews are paraded through the street on their way to Dachau? Explain the series of events, paying special attention to what this means for Hans and Max.

Parts VIII and IX:

1. Explain why the “coat men” want Rudy. Do some outside research on German schools for boys like Rudy, explain how they worked, and what their ultimate goal was. Your response should be at least one paragraph (of seven sentences) and include two quotes (one from the novel and one from a secondary source). 2. Explain why and how Hans and Alex are punished. Be specific. How could these punishments have been avoided? Use quotes from the novel to support your claims. 3. What do Rudy and Liesel do in “The Bread Eaters” and how does the narrator show us that Liesel’s feelings for Rudy have changed over time? 4. Describe “The Word Shaker” in great detail. (What’s it look like? What’s it about? What is the plot? Who are the main characters? Etc.) 5. What does Liesel nearly do at the end of “The Anarchist’s Suit Collection?” Why does she hesitate? Do you agree with her decision? Explain. 6. What happened to Frau Holtzapfel’s sons? Does this line up with what you learned about Stalingrad? 7. What do private Rosa’s prayers say about her true nature? Explain in detail, using quotes to support your reasoning. 8. Describe the contents of Rudy’s toolbox and explain the significance of each item. Remember to think like a young boy in .

Part X and Epilogue:

1. Describe what happens to Michael Holtzapfel, why it happens, and how it affects those around him. 2. Liesel realizes something at the end of “Confessions.” o Write the scene as if it were in a movie, or o Write a poem from Liesel to Rudy that confesses her feelings for him and outlines the evolution of their relationship over the years. 3. What saves Liesel’s life? Be specific. 4. Make a chronological list of each of the bodies Liesel finds after she is rescued from the basement. Make sure to not only list the bodies, but also denote her interactions with and her emotions toward finding each one. 5. Do you agree with the quote, “I can promise you that the world is a factory. The sun stirs it, the humans rule it…”? Explain why or why not. 6. What happened to Liesel after the bombing of Himmel street? Describe where she goes, with whom she lives, where she ends up years later, where she works, any specific major events that take place in her life, when and where she dies, etc. 7. Why do you think the narrator is haunted by humans? Give a detailed explanation.  Draw a map of Himmel Street. Include the houses of the main characters (including every place that was bombed), Frau Diller’s store, the church, and anything else mentioned in the description (see “The End of the World (Part II)”). Include textual evidence.

Final Reflection Piece: worth two test grades

Choose one of the following topics and write a well-developed essay of at least two pages. Your essay should be TYPED in 12pt Times New Roman font and double spaced. Use evidence from the text to support your claims. If you incorporate information from secondary sources, these sources need to be properly cited.

Topic 1: How does the narrator’s unique voice (consider tone and characteristics) impact the story?

Topic 2: Rewrite a major event from the plot in an alternate character’s voice (ie from his or her perspective).

Topic 3: Explain how one character changed throughout the story. Give specific details and examples from the text to support your claims.

Topic 4: Do some outside research on the Holocaust/WWII in Germany. Does Zusak accurately depict what Nazi Germany was like for German children?

Topic 5: Throughout the novel, the narrator consistently uses foreshadowing. Write an analysis that focuses on the effect his use of foreshadowing has on the story. You may discuss tone, mood, characterization, plot, etc. Be sure to include plenty of textual evidence to support your claims.