Markus Zusak
As appealing in person as the "voices" with which he writes, Markus Zusak easily captured the attention of the crowd gathered to hear his presentation. While he is extremely humble and self-deprecating, he is quite capable of wooing the audience and pleasing them with more than they could have expected. As he first began to speak, it was obvious that he was uncomfortable "hawking" his writing; but he went on to give us great insight into his character and background by telling us "little stories." First he spoke of his earliest experience in the US-being interviewed on "Good Morning America." He was back stage with a big poodle, a Labrador, and a group of Irish Dancing Girls-all of this hoopla put him at ease thinking "only in America."
He has retained his connection to teenage boys even as his wisdom seems to put him far out of their realm of existence. In I Am the Messenger he proved that he knows how to "talk to boys" with out betraying his intent to create "the best that I could." He is unwilling to compromise his goal of creating each piece that he writes with "all that I can put into it and then revise it and put in some more of myself."
The little stories that he opened with served to demonstrate his prowess in observing the smallest details of life and utilizing them to give "believable accuracy" to his work. "People will believe you if you include the tiny details of everyday life. They can grab onto those things that ring true to them-it paints a clearer picture of the story." Small intricate details and "one big unexpected moment" combined by this master word-smith create memorable books that will grab and hold the attention of young teens--straight through to the most sophisticated of adults.
The unexpected moment or plot twist is a major part of his creative drive. He wants to answer the "what if" questions, of which, he has a lot. He is a deep thinker and dredges up questions that resonate with all of humanity. In his newest book, The Book Thief, he uses Death as an unexpected narrator in a story of a girl who dearly loves books but is living in Germany during the time of book burnings-WWII. This unusual choice came to him from one of his "what if" questions. Death is actually afraid of or in awe of humans but has his duty to do. Zusak's version of Death sees humans as beautiful creatures, but sees them as extremely destructive-especially towards one another.
Another element that propels his writing style is his effort to include "one gem per page"--then he feels that people "will have a good reason to read the book." He constantly thinks in terms of uncovering the "unexpected moment;" but he also realizes that he seems compelled to include: "stealing things-whether material or ideas or symbolic;" and "the smallest details;" and, of course, "the unexpected things."
"Once I start lying, I cannot stop!" was the statement that refocused attention on his methodology for The Book Thief. His parents experienced WWII and told many stories around the kitchen table that were ultimately included in the book-he said "15% truth and the rest made up." He replied to a question that he did do lots of research and read lots of book, but that the flavor of the time came directly from his parents.
Using Death as the narrator gave him the freedom to include "interesting ideas, a sense of danger," and "a playground of words." He does love to play with words and to put "the pieces of the puzzle of words together-like doing a jig-saw puzzle: you have lots of pieces (ideas) and you need to get them all in the right places to make a picture (book)." The intricacies of his writing would lead one to believe that he is an extraordinarily gifted puzzle "worker." His persistence in "getting it right" drives him to re-draft and rewrite many times in his search for "the best I can do." This dedication was reinforced in him by his father's wisdom "it's not the victories that give the strength...each failure brings you one step closer to success." His willingness to attempt to capture an idea is astonishing and he will rewrite a scene over and over-much to the good of the finished product. He said he is "always practicing for the next book." In his case, one could say that practice does, indeed, make perfect. Markus Zusak is going to become a well known name in the children's literature world. Keep you eyes peeled for his next inventive work "something I may call Bridge of Clay." He said that he did not want to reveal the plot structure and then said "what the heck" and told us that "every page will be a jigsaw puzzle. It may start out shortish but The Book Thief started as a 100 page novella and turned into a full 550 pages--so this one will probably be 500 pages or 501!"
Already an award winner, he is charming in every way but deceptively wise for one still so young-look for great things from this already up and coming on strong author.
Markus Zuzak: Winner of the 2003 Australian Children's Book Council award for Older Readers
Contributor: Sheilah Egan
For further information about this author, click here.
Reviews
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
This extraordinary book defies summary or categorization. Usually when we review YA fiction, we know the perimeters that define the genre. The Book Thief doesn't fit within any of those perimeters, yet I'm quite sure there are YA readers who will consider it one of the most amazing books they have ever read. For starters, the narrator is a Being who is with humans at the moment of death, who carries their souls away. This narrator has a detached view of human nature, but he is captivated by a young girl, Liesel, who is trying to wend her way in the madness that is Nazi Germany. It's a busy time for the narrator, of course, in the middle of a world war, with bombing, the concentration camps, and all the death and destruction. But he sees Liesel steal a book from the gravesite of her younger brother at the beginning of this story, and from then on, he watches her with interest. Why would she steal a book when she can't even read? She continues to steal books, and eventually does learn to read, even reading aloud to keep her neighbors in the bomb shelter sane during bombing raids. There is irony throughout, with larger than life, frequently outrageous characters, from Liesel's foster parents to her best friend Rudy, who wants to be like Jesse Owens. The way Liesel and her family and neighbors try to survive, to outwit the authorities, to help one another (Liesel and her parents hide a young Jew in the cellar for months, for instance), is the stuff of a good story. Zusak has made a name for himself with the highly successful I Am the Messenger, another work of literature that can't be easily categorized. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JSA*--Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2006, Random House, Knopf, 552p., $16.95. Ages 12 to adult. Claire Rosser (KLIATT REVIEW, MARCH 2006 (VOL. 40, NO. 2)).
Best Books:
Kirkus Book Review Stars, January 15, 2006; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, January 30, 2006; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, March 2006; Cahners; United States
ISBN: 0-375-83100-2
Fighting Ruben Wolfe
Markus Zusak.
How far does brotherhood extend? This question lies at the heart of Markus Zusak's novel. Cameron's older brother, Ruben, in search of himself, is determined not to end up like his unemployed father. Cameron and Ruben seek dignity and respect as they encounter many hard situations that have no easy way out. Zusak's novel is about family love and the justification of actions. Cameron's father, Mr. Wolfe, currently out of work because of a plumbing accident, relies on Mrs. Wolfe, who works to earn enough to support the family. Ruben gets into a fight at school when a classmate says something humiliating about his sister, Sarah. Perry Cole, a man who operates a boxing group, hears about the fight and wants to employ the boys. Ruben accepts, hoping to make something more of himself. Cameron agrees to join primarily because his brother does; however, Ruben has the skill, and Cameron has the heart. The last fight of Cameron's career is against his brother. Cameron realizes that for him to win against his talented brother, he must believe in himself. The boys eventually tell their parents about the large amount of money they have won, and the parents are ashamed. However, the parents attend the fight between the boys and feel proud of how the brothers have proven their love for each other. This novel is a great example of brotherly love and respect between family members. Ruben's search for himself is commendable, but it is Cameron's constant support that makes Ruben's search and success possible. 2000, Scholastic, $16.99. Ages 8 to 12. Laura Challenger (Children's Literature).
Boxing has always been an underdog's game, and this story of two struggling Australian brothers in an anonymous city keeps well within that tradition. Fighting Ruben Wolfe is the ring moniker given to the older brother when he and younger brother/ narrator, Cameron, are pulled into the underground fight world. The story floats around the theme of boxing, and Cameron's ring fright is well-expressed, but the action is more psychological than physical. It is really about two young men trying to find the initiative to rise above their blue collar family of unemployed father, overworked mother, and big sister on the verge of slutdom. Zusak's prose is tight, tough and idiomatic, and occasionally borders on the poetic. 2001, Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, $15.95. Ages 9 to 12. Kathleen Karr (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Best Books for Young Adults, 2002; American Library Association-YALSA; United States
The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition, 2005; H.W. Wilson; United States
Senior High School Library Catalog, Sixteenth Edition, 2002; H.W. Wilson; United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2003-2004; Nominee; High School; Maryland
Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 2003; Nominee; Kentucky
Maine Student Book Award, 2002-2003; Nominee; Maine
ISBN: 0-439-24188-X
I Am the Messenger
Markus Zusak
Ed Kennedy has a very uneventful life. Although very well read, by the age of nineteen he drives a cab illegally, spends his free time playing cards with friends, and lives with a dog known as Doorman. Then one day Ed receives a playing card in the mail with three addresses written on it. Ed has been called to be a Messenger and help the people listed on the card in whatever way he can. His help ranges from tasks as simple as spending time with an old woman, to acts of violence against people who threaten his charges (and in one case, against the charge himself), to the hilarious (such as filling up a priest's church by offering free beer). As Ed helps more and more people, he finds what he lacked before: a purpose. Seeing the affects that he has on other people's lives, Ed begins to take steps forward within his own life. However, the question of who could possibly be sending these cards still haunts Ed. Zusak has created a completely unique story that explores how the littlest action can affect people's lives in astounding ways. Ed Kennedy is one of the most engaging un-achievers of literature since Tom Sawyer. His tale will keep you reading and guessing until the very end. 2002, Alfred A Knopf, $16.95. Ages 12 up. Amie Rose Rotruck (Children's Literature).
Ed Kennedy drives a taxi and is in love with his best friend, whom he is afraid to approach. He mourns his father's death and realizes he is a fairly useless human being with no ambition. That is before he unintentionally proves himself a hero at a bank robbery. After that, strange mysterious playing cards arrive periodically, urging and guiding him to help strangers and, later, those closest to him. Suddenly Ed is willing to be hurt and to risk everything to help people find what is important in their lives. He is not really sure why. This book is a mystery in itself. The organization is curious, the writing suspenseful, and the idea intriguing. These make it a close-to-perfect book--if it weren't for the flawed ending. Still, it is an engrossing read. 2005, Knopf, $16.95. Ages 12 up. Susie Wilde (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Best Books for Young Adults, 2006; American Library Association-YALSA-Adult Books for Young Adults Task Force; United States
Best Children's Books, 2005; Publishers Weekly; United States
Bulletin Blue Ribbons, 2005; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; United States
Choices, 2006; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States
Outstanding International Books, 2006; United States Board on Books for Young People/Children's Book Council; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, January 17, 2005; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, February 2005; Cahners; United States
Senior High School Library Catalog, Sixteenth Edition, 2005 Supplement, 2005; H.W. Wilson; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book 2006 United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 2006; Nominee; Grades 9-12; Kentucky
Tayshas Reading List, 2006-2007; United States
ISBN: 0-375-83667-5
Getting the Girl
Markus Zusak
This sequel to Fighting Ruben Wolfe book begins by leading the reader into the changing life of Cameron Wolfe. The youngest of four children, Cameron is suddenly faced with discovering the new feelings of being a teenager. All of a sudden he does not like who he is. He is not a person with a lot of friends, especially girl friends. Cameron begins to notice his older brother Ruben's attitude toward girls. Even though Ruben never dates a girl for more than a few weeks, he has no trouble finding girls who take an interest in him. Cameron's ambition is to find a girl whom he can treat with respect. Cameron has never had a girlfriend, but desperately wants one. He dreams of finding just the right girl, and then he meets Octavia when she begins dating Ruben. After they break up, Octavia shows her true feelings towards Cameron. Cameron thinks that his dream has come true until he gets into a fight with Ruben because of Octavia. Not wanting to break up a family, Octavia disappears, leaving Cameron at odds with his brother and without the girl of his dreams. At first this book appears to be a typical teenage novel, but it adds more depth by incorporating an idealistic sense of family. Unlike most teenagers in most books, Cameron respects and values his family. He actually grows closer to Ruben in the end by confessing his feelings for Octavia. Cameron additionally grows closer to his sister and other brother Steve. The novel does not merely focus on the story of Cameron and Octavia, but delves into Cameron's relationship with several people. This allows the reader to see several perspectives, instead of the viewpoint of only the main character. 2003, Arthur A Levine Books/Scholastic Press, $16.95 and $6.99. Ages 12 up. Jordan Long (Children's Literature).
Cameron Wolfe has always believed he was of little consequence to the world, and feels himself to be the least important member of his family. He begins to write, only brief snippets of what he sees and feels as he wanders the streets alone, and his words become a solace and help him define himself. He begins to see himself as more than he had thought he could become, and as he gains a deeper understanding and respect for himself, he realizes that his family has also begun to see him as more than what he appeared to be. This coming-of-age book delves deep into the mind of a boy only beginning to realize what he wants, which is not so much a job or physical possessions, but more a desire to fill himself with sensation. An underlying concept throughout the novel is the idea that Cam is hungry for life. He wants more than anything to experience life. Through his own words he begins to do this, and it is through his words that he sees the world and understands his place in it. Zusak has presented a story rich in imagery; the words flow effortlessly and pool within the reader, allowing one to see the story, not just read it. 2003, Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, $16.95. Ages 13 to 18. Danielle Williams (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Choices, 2004; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to the Eighth Edition, 2004, 2004; H.W. Wilson; United States
Senior High School Library Catalog, Sixteenth Edition, 2003 Supplement, 2003; H.W. Wilson; United States
ISBN: 0-439-38949-6
ISBN: 0-439-38950-X
Added 05/23/06
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