Over winter break, I read this book.  It is really good, especially if you like WWII historical fiction.  The story is of an orphan girl who gets adopted into a poor family.  Hans, her adopted father, teaches her how to read when he finds out she can’t.  In their home, there are no books, and they cannot afford any, nor any paper and pencils.  But Liesel, the main character, loves books very much and steals some, mainly from Nazi book burnings.

Her family shelters a Jew, who she becomes good friends with.  Liesel, in turn helps him to learn to read, and they bond over their shared love of words.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and long, complicated stories, because this one is both.