Markus Zusak’s best-selling novel The Book Thief was Chicago Public Library’s One Book One Chicago selection this Fall. And now it’s been adaptated for the stage by Heidi Stillman and is being performed at Steppenwolf Theater (performances run through November 11). Set in Nazi Germany and narrated by Death, the story follows the fate of a young German girl Liesel (the book thief of the title) whose family hides a Jewish man in its basement. The production has been well received by students and teachers and is being used as a teaching tool against youth violence in Chicago. A film version of the book is also in the works. See this NYT article for the entire story.
Laura