The Book Thief by Zusak

Liesel, the Book Thief, steals her first book from a gravedigger when he drops it on the ground after burying her younger brother. The only one to see her theft is Death, who is the narrator of this book. Liesel and her brother were on their way to Himmel, Germany where her mother leaves Liesel with foster parents and disappears from her life. Life is hard during World War II and becomes a little harder when her foster parents hide a Jewish man in their basement. The basement is also where Liesel learns to read and write with a can of paint and her new papa's help. Max, the Jewish man, writes a book for Liesel on painted pages from Mein Kempf before he leaves to protect the family. Rudy, the boy next door, helps Liesel add to her collection as they steal books from the library of the mayor's wife. It is the books that save Liesel's life on a night when the sirens do not warn of an air raid that flattens her street and kills everyone else. In spite of the sadness and Death's constant presence, there is a happy ending to this book.