The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief is a novel by Australian author Markus Zusak. Set in Nazi Germany, the book The Book Thief describes a young girl's (named Liesel Meminger) relationship with her foster parents, Hans and Rosa, and the other residents of their neighborhood, and a Jewish fist-fighter who hides in her home during the escalation of World War II. Published in 2005, it has won numerous awards and has been listed on the New York Times Children's Bestseller List for over 190 weeks.
The Book Thief takes place in Germany before and during World War II. The story is told from the point of view of Death who finds the story of the Book Thief, Liesel Meminger, to be very interesting, as she brushes Death three times in her life. The novel begins when Liesel's mother takes Liesel and her brother Werner to live with foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann in Molching, as she can not provide for them. Werner dies during the journey, and at his graveside funeral, Liesel steals The Grave Digger's Handbook, fallen in the snow after a gravedigger drops it. Though illiterate, Liesel knows that books are precious. Liesel's foster parents, the Hubermanns, treat her well. The stern Rosa often insults Liesel by calling her a "dirty pig" (saumensch in German), but we learn that this is Rosa's prickly way of showing affection. The gentler Hans teaches Liesel how to read The Gravedigger's Handbook. This begins her love for reading and words, as well as keeping the memory of her brother close to her... (Summary by Wikipedia)