Major themes of The Book Thief include: literacy and power, as Liesel learns to read, explores words with Max, and even paints over sections of Mein Kampf; love and hate in human nature, as we see acts of genuine kindness toward the Jews, particularly in hiding Max, and also acts of horror and torment from the Nazis; “The Book Thief” is also centered around themes of friendship, love and loyalty. Liesel's foster family risks their lives in sheltering a young Jewish man named Max Vandenburg, with whom Liesel develops a strong and loyal bond.
