Dear Mark Zusak,

Why? Why does a little boy have to die in the middle of the night? Why do people so innocent have to hide for their safety? What makes a man so full of hate to lead a group that kills? This inhumanity makes me sick. It makes me want to scream into my pillow at night. How could someone put pen to paper and come up with something so revolting? Then, you realize that it was not just a story written down in order to entertain, it was real.

Although I have never been as ambitious to pick up The Grave Digger’s Handbook, I do love to read. My love of books was what brought me to your book, The Book Thief. Before picking up this book, I was just an average teenager who believed the rumors that our society is safe. These rumors told me that wars didn’t threaten our cities, towns, and states. However, in reality, nowhere is perfectly safe. There is always a little bit of evil lurking in dark alleys and under our beds. Then, when no one is looking, it jumps out seizing power and making things out of control.

Personally, this was the first book I have read that depicts what happened to the Jews during the early 1940s. I was definitely not expecting the story that was made in those 550 pages. As I walked alongside Liesel Meminger and Max Vandenburg into the midst of this tragic time period, I began to compare my life to theirs. I have been through my fair share of tragedies myself, but none as terrible as the experiences they went through. I started to see the little things that I took for granted. Like the beautiful crystals in a snowflake and the detailed pictures in the stars. Everything a hidden Jew would do anything to see.

Not only did I notice the simple things that people don’t thank God for, but I noticed how terrible the world can get as well. I shouldn’t say the world, the world is actually a very beautiful place, but it is the people that run the world that make it pretty messed up. As I said before, I grew up with the rumor that I live somewhere safe. That I shouldn’t be scared to go outside. I had read that Liesel and her family took in a Jew to hide in their basement. It made me think that I could go outside anywhere I wanted and not have to worry about being shot down or beaten up by a “higher power” when the Jews had to be stashed in the deep, dark, musty, and cold areas of a basement. All they wanted to do was see the twinkling stars of night, and the smiling sun in the morning but it would put themselves in danger if they did so. To me this was so unfair. All I have to do to see the sun, moon, grass, and trees, was to look outside my window. “Often I wish this would all be over, Liesel, but then somehow you do something like walk down the basement steps with a snowman in your hands.” This line really moved me. Although Max Vandenburg suffered the wrath of the atrocious Adolf Hitler and often wished the fight him physically, he forgot all of the anger and resentment he had and enjoyed the simplicity of a snowman. Why can’t the people of the world be like this? To put aside their troubles and take notice to the pleasant events that occur. However, no matter what, there will always be an ounce of hate somewhere ready to jump out.

No, I am not going to stay in my room, in my bed, and under my covers to hide from the war that is happening right outside of my front door. That does not work in a civilized society where one must work and go to school everyday. Instead, I will leave the comfort of my home with open eyes and see the beauty of this world instead of the monstrosity.

Mr. Zusak, through your book, you taught me a valuable lesson, to open my eyes and see both parts of the world. For that I will be forever grateful.

Most Sincerely,

Melissa Ihly