It’s just a small story really, about among other things: agirl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewishfist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . . Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreakingnew novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl livingoutside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence forherself by stealing when she encounters something she can’tresist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father,she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighborsduring bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in herbasement before he is marched to Dachau.