The Book Theif by Marcus Zusak

I think this book will always be special to me. You see, I ordered this book for the John Overton High Library Media Center. It came in right before the winter break. Bridget Riley's classes were in the library finishing their research for their papers. A group of girls was sitting at the tables near where I was looking through my new order of books to make sure they were printed correctly (no upside down pages, etc.) and had the correct spine labels. One of the girls stopped her research and asked me if these books were available to check out. I told her that they were not ready yet but that they might be when she returned from the holiday. She sadly told me that she wanted to read The Book Theif but that she was on a waiting list at the public library (a crisis which I have had to endure!). Well, I took that book right then, processed it, and checked it out to her in five minutes. She was so excited! I've helped other students find books before, but this was different. This was my book from start to finish. I found it the School Library Journal. I selected it as worthy of ordering. I checked it in for circulation. I checked it out to a student for the first time. I felt worthy of my job on that day because I had chosen a book that a student was actively looking for!
I finished this book myself over the Christmas break. I got my copy from the public library (our school's copy was checked out!). It was a wonderful book! It is set in Nazi Germany. It puts the average Germans in a new light, not as Nazis but as people trapped in a world where compliance was necessary for life. Read it; it's sad, but so was World War II, so it is to be expected.