The Book Thief Continued....

More on The Book Thief
As MEA has just passed, I’ve had some extra time and therefore I have gotten quite a bit farther in The Book Thief. So, far I REALLY recommend this book!
From the last post, we are aware of Max, Liesel, Papa and Mama (the foster mother). Also, you have been introduced to Liesel’s light fingers and desire for books.
Another very important character in this story is Rudy. Rudy is Liesel’s best friend and the boy obsesses over Jessie Owens. The two make for quite a strange pair, but nonetheless they really have a “story book” relationship. Rudy follows Liesel on her trips to the mayor’s house. He lifts her through the open window on the side of the large house; she sneaks in and picks a book that she thinks wouldn’t be missed too badly. After she picks her piece and hops back out the window they take off down the dusty road.
Rudy’s father was sent to fight in the war, along side Papa. Both children and their families suffer from the war and loss of a father figure. Eventually, the children get so hungry that they start stealing from local farms. To them, a handful of apples looks just as appealing as a birthday cake.
Another developing character is Max Vandenburg. Liesel starts spending quite a bit of time with the man in hiding. She realizes that he needs some outside stimulation. She gives him weather reports, which he enjoys quite a bit. We learn that Max was quite a fighter when he wasn’t in hiding and we also see that he is quite educated. He starts painting with Papa’s paint. The walls get covered with his inner frustrations.