Entry Four – August 14

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

When looking at the list of books this stood out to me because the movie just came out recently. Also a lot of my friends have talked about it. It has gotten a lot of good reviews from people and I thought I might give it a try.

I thought it was very interesting since it was placed during the time period of Nazi Germany. We learned a lot about it in the past couple years in history class.  I found an interest in learning about Nazi Germany and things related to it. This book didn’t relate directly to me in anyway but I just really had been wanting to read it before.

I really enjoyed The Book Thief by Markus Zusak it really helped me see the perspective of a german who doesn’t want to follow Hitler. That there were people who didn’t agree with Hitler’s decisions. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes personal narratives or stories written in the perspective of someone from a different time period.

If you have seen the movie the book might be a little slow for you since you know what happens in the end. I have not seen the movie but I plan on watching it very soon.

Entry Three - August 14

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

"Certainly something of great magnitude was coming toward 33 Himmel Street, to which Liesel was certainly oblivious. To distort an overused human expression, the girl had more immediate fish to fry..." (Markus Zusak, 129). This quote from The Book Thief stood out to me because I did not want to stop reading when I read this paragraph. The author did a good job of "hooking" the reader in. this sentence was at the beginning of a chapter and draws the readers attention even more.


The quote above gives a good amount of detail but not so much that the reader gets bored. Zusak uses words like distort and magnitude to emphasize what he is saying and what might be important or interesting. What stood out to me was when Zusak says 'something of great magnitude was coming toward 33 Himmel Street' because I wanted to know what happened later so I kept reading. it is foreshadowing what is going to happen later on in  the chapter. Zusak started the chapter with these sentences because it is introducing us to the most important event in the chapter. Because he doesn't tell you what it is right away he leaves the reader "hanging." 

Entry Two - July 7th (Summer Reading)

The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak

First is the main character Liesel Meminger. At the beginning of the book she wanted to know how to read. Now she wants more and more. Stealing books was Liesel's main focus until a group of boys introduced her to another kind of stealing involving food this time. Rudy and Liesel now only seek to steal.
For Mama, Rosa Hubermann, she just wants Liesel to be mature when she is only twelve and is still a child. She doesn't allow any fooling around, no reading, no games, no extra long errands and especially NO STEALING!
While I have been reading The Book Thief  I thought what theme might best fit this novel. It appears that a theme most likely to fit is "no matter how much you have always appreciate it no matter if it is not a big thing."
The book is set up very different from any other book I have read. Every couple of pages there is a little fact or meaning of a German word said in the part before. Also as the book goes along Zusak talks as a narrator (telling what is going on around them or in the town), and Zusak speaks in third person about what Liesel herself is doing. I think the way Marcus Zusak set it up was very creative (in a very good way). It is helpful to the reader and allows the reader to become closer to the book and author. Without the little notes every once in a while we would have to guess what the German word mean and why they are used.

Entry One - July 7th (Summer Reading)

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

She lived in Munich, Germany. Around 1933. Most of us know what was happening during that time. Adolf Hitler, Nazism and of course World War 11. The Book Thief focuses on the Germans' point of view particularly the Hubermann family and their foster child, Liesel Meminger. The book is written in Liesel's perspective. She came from a very poor family. Her father died when she was very little and her brother died a short while before she arrived in Munich. Her mother gave her up and Hans and Rosa Hubermann took her in.
One of Liesels' main goals throughout the book is to be able to read. When her brother died a couple months before arrived she had found a book called, The Grave Digger's Handbook, that someone had accidentally dropped. She is so passionate the entire book about books and words and learning. That was her last memory of her brother and Liesel was determined to one day read it. This was her first act of book thievery. She is now looked at by the author as The Book Thief.
With help from her foster father, Hans Hubermann (which she calls papa), she reaches that hard to reach goal.  Her papa was a very significant person in her life in Munich, Germany. Hans is there with her every step of the way. She can always rely on him.
One of the most important characters that shows up later in the book (more toward the middle) is Max Vandenberg. The Hubermann household is Max's "safe haven". Hans was in the military with Max's father. Max is a twenty four year old who has been in hiding for the past year. Finally a friend gave him an offer. It was to find Hans Hubermann lived. He had already agreed to hide and protect him as much as he possibly can. Do you think Max Vandenberg will be safe at the Hubermann house? If so, what do you think the family will do to help keep him protected and hidden?
Throughout this novel I realized that this book is very different in which case it is from the perspective of a German family who does not particularly agree with the government at the time of World War 11. So many novels based in this time are from the Jewish perspective or the German's that agree with Hitler and his ways. The Book Thief is different and very unique in that way. We as Americans stereo-type the Germans saying they were all on Hitler's side. When it was not like that. A lot of Germans felt like the Hubermann family they just did not have a choice and had to do what Hitler told them to do.
While reading I was inspired by Liesel's passion about learning and just reading in general. I had to ask myself "What is the one thing that I am that passionate about?" What are you passionate about?

Final Blog Assessment

For my post with the best voice I chose Symbols for the Characters. I think I am a very casual writer and don’t use a lot of complicated words. I also would say that a lot of people can relate to my posts. A phrase that represents my writing voice is “I think a rocking horse fits Abby very well because she is so worried about her husband’s health she doesn't even sleep or do anything for herself,” (Paragraph 1). When I say ‘she doesn’t even sleep’ it adds my voice because it has a little sarcastic tone in it. This simile, “Donna, Janie's husband's ex-wife, is like a little girl trying on her mommy's high heels. They are way out of place on a little girl,” (Paragraph 4) lets the reader know my personality and how I see things and compare things in the book.

            An example of low/informal diction that I used is, “Her mother has Alzheimer’s and need to be cared for 24/7,” (Paragraph 2).  This is informal diction because 24/7 is something I would use every day like talking to my friend in the halls at school or something. An example of punctuation would be “I wonder what in her life will make her realize how important friends are. Do you have any guesses,” (Paragraph 5). This is because I ask a rhetorical question and it isn’t just something the reader just reads and forgets about. I add the question to allow the reader to remember and think about what I said and ask.

I have completed seven blog posts. I completed twelve comments.

My next book

The next book I am going to read is The Fault in our Stars. The reason I am going to read it is because all of my friends have been talking about how much they like it and how good it is. I have also seen multiple blog posts on this book. just recently I read an article on the little girl who the entire book is based off of. I found it very intriguing and very emotional. It was about like when she was diagnosed and this letter she wrote to her future self. She found a website where you can write a letter to your future self and she knew she probably wouldn't be alive then so she sent it to her parents email so at least someone could read it. I am pretty sure that is where the author got the idea of writing the book based on the little girl. it sounded interesting to me because I tend to like and enjoy sad books. My goal is to read this book before the movie comes out.

Dynamic Character

The dynamic character in, All for One is Caroline. Caroline for over two thirds of the book she is very detailed and focused on taking care of her mom who has Alzheimers and cant fend for herself. everyday she is focused so much on her mom she doesn't take time for herself. She never thinks about herself and never goes to do stuff on her own. Once her  mom passes away from a fire in her house she had so much time on her hands. She sort of forgot what it was like not to be responsible for someone else. Caroline changed a lot by the end of the book she didn't know what to do with her self anymore. Now finally she has really found the time for herself and visit with her other friends.

What Does this Work tell us about how people behave?

In the book I found that all the characters were very relatable and very realistic personalities. I thought the four main characters have problems that many people in this world today can relate to. I know that even just reading the back cover it really drew me in to read it because I could immediately relate to Caroline. From what I have read so far I can tell that Marley has a personality where she is kinda confused on exactly why she is here and what she should really be doing. Many of us especially freshman can relate to this because we all aren't exactly sure what we are going to do after high school and school is throwing at you so much future "speeches" from all teacher and guidance counselors. Soon, just like Marley we will figure out our plans and future careers. This character portrays the behaviors of many students who are freshman. In the book she also lost her three friends for a while and I thin k that is sort of why she was lost because her best friends and her had grown farther apart. We can all relate to that, Can't we? Just think about if your best friend or friends weren't there wouldn't you feel lost?

Symbols For the Characters

For the character Abby I would choose a rocking horse. I think a rocking horse fits Abby very well because she is so worried about her husbands health she doesn't even sleep or do anything for her self. A rocking horse and worrying give you something to do but don't get you anywhere. Abby worrying about his health isn't helping her get anything done or letting her do anything because she always wants to be paying close attention to her husband.

The symbol I chose for Caroline is a present because all Caroline ever does is give. Her mother has Alzheimers and need to be cared for 24/7. Caroline doesn't want to put her mother in a care facility so she does it all on her own. She always "gives gifts" and never want anything for her self.

For Janie is like a sign that has too diferent ways to go but you can only choose one. In her life her husbands ex-wife came back to him and definitely wants to get back together and restart their old lives. Janie can't figure out how her husband feels about it. Sh has to decide if she is ok with this or not and what she is going to do and how she is going to deal with it. She is leaning on her friends to help her make these desicions.

Donna, Janie's husband's ex-wife, is like a little girl trying on her mommy's high heels. They are way out of place on a little girl. Donna does not fit in with the rest of the people in this very small town where Caroline, Abby, Janie and Marley live. She is not from a small own and is just looking for money. She doesnt belong in some little town where no one cares about money only family.

Marley is like a lost puppy because she is the one in the group who doesn't really do much with the rest of them and i think she doesn't realized how important it is to have friends to lean on through the rough times. The book also has barely mentioned her at all so far in the book and I am more than half way through. I wonder what in her life will make her realize how important friends are. Do you have any guesses?

Main Conflict

In my book four friends reunite after many years and help eachother through the rough times. This book has many conflicts. The one thing that stood out to me is how the character Janie is dealing with her situation. Throughout the entire first half of the book Janie is struggling with her relationship with her husband. just about a week ago Janie's husband's ex wife wants to come and reunite with him. once she arrives JAnie is for sure Donna, his ex-wife, is not going to leave if he doesnt leave with her. It is Janie who is in charge of getting Donna to leave. She realizes with the help of her friends that her husband isnt so in love with Janie anymore. Donna has gotten very personal and close to her ex-husband while she was there. Janie isnt quite sure what to do. Should she ignore it? Should she kick Donna out of the house? Should she talk to her husband and how she feels? She decides to sort of ignore it for now. This stood out to me because this shows Janie is a very strong person because most people if they were in that situation would feel pressured because they are jealous.