1. Markus Zusak was born to an Austrian mother and a German father, both experts in the Second World War, The Book Thief was written inspired by these stories. The bombing of Munich, the Jews marching through his mother's city on their way to concentration camps, these events prompted Zusak to write his novel. He began writing fiction at the age of 16; then he went to college to teach. She wanted to write a story about what happened during World War II and a story about a little girl who steals books because she was never taught to read at school.2. Zusak chose his title in honor of the little girl, Liesel Miminger, who steals the boss's books. She is the protagonist and was never taught to read in the German school she attended. Liesel was given the name The Book Thief by her friend Rudy Steiner. Death, the narrator of the book, is also a book thief; Death steals a book that Liesel drops. Hitler can also be considered a book thief in this novel because he has a book burned to celebrate his birthday. Hitler burns all books that have any relation to the Jewish people, whether they are written by a Jewish person or anything concerning the Jewish people. The Book Thief is set in Molching, Germany, during World War II, 1939 to 1942, a small town on the road to Dauchau, the Molching concentration camp. Molching is a sad and depressing place where Jews have to wear bright yellow stars to identify that they are Jews or announce that they are Jews. Himmelstrasse is where most of the story takes place; The Hubermins and Steiners live here. Himmelstrasse is a deserted neighborhood where many of the neighborhood's houses have been burned and destroyed. The story also takes place in two different basements, one in the Hubermanns, the other in the Fielders. The basements are used to hide from the Nazis, both basements are cold, crammed and uncomfortable. Although they are intended to protect against Nazis, they are quite dangerous. The basements are where Liesels and Max become friends; it's where Liesel learns to read and where Max writes his books. In the Fielders' basement Liesel writes her life story and Max writes his book, The Word Shaker.6.