Name: ________________________________________________________ Date: ______________
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Exploring Theme
Words play an important role in The Book Thief, from the books Liesel steals to the Nazis’ speeches and book burnings. In this activity, you will
analyze the role that words play in the story and determine what big idea about words the play conveys.
Directions: Fill in the chart below. Explain what each item in the far left column represents or means to Liesel Meminger, to Max Vandenburg, and to
the Nazis. We filled in some answers for you.
Liesel Meminger
Mein
Kampf
banned
books
Max Vandenburg
Nazis
Hitler, whom she and her family hated; a threat
to her friend Max; when Max painted its pages,
it became a journal for her to express herself
and represented the bond between her and Max
extermination of his people, because Nazis
were burning books written by Jewish authors;
also hope and life, because Liesel read banned
books to him while he was sick
Herr
Hermann’s
speech at
the bonfire
power; control; building support for Nazi ideas;
loyalty to the Nazi party
Answer the following on the back or on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Look at what you wrote in the “Nazis” column. How did the Nazis use words to control people?
2. Look at what you wrote in the “Liesel” column. What role did words play in her life?
3. Look at what you wrote in the “Max” column. How did words both threaten and help Max?
4. What theme about words does this story convey?
SCHOLASTIC SCOPE ACTIVITY • APRIL 2014
USES: COPY MACHINE, OPAQUE PROJECTOR, OR TRANSPARENCY MASTER FOR OVERHEAD PROJECTOR. SCHOLASTIC INC. GRANTS SUBSCRIBERS OF SCHOLASTIC SCOPE PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS PAGE FOR USE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS.
©2014 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
DRAMA: The Book Thief • SKILL: Theme