GRAVE DIGGER’S HANDBOOK
The significance of the Grave Diggers Handbook to Liesel is that it is a memento that she takes to keep a connection with her Brother’s death. As a little girl Liesel knows that she may never visit that grave spot to visit her brother again, so the book takes her back. To the place and time she stood and watched Werner settle into the after life. Grave digger’s bury the dead. Maybe the handbook that Liesel stole was to show that this past with her mother and brother, the hardship was going to be put to rest. That time of her life is dead. The grave digger must lay it to its rest. Its irony that she steals this book as she wants to leave all of this behind however it only

STAND OVER MAN
The significance of the Stand-over Man occurs for both Liesel and Max. The book is written by Max, and shares his thoughts about a man or a shadow as such that is negatively influencing by standing over him maybe even on him. Max’s stand-over man is Hitler. Hitler is a stand-over man for many of the Jews in World War II. He was cruel and stopped them from running away at all costs. Max felt that Hitler was always there, always watching, awaiting him across the other side of the dark basement. Max needed to be ready to finally look at this Stand-over man in the eyes. He wanted to see the whites of his eyes and he wanted them to turn away. The parallelism of this is that Liesel’s stand-over man is Death. Death observes her. He is always there, just behind her.Death could be seen as having a negative effect however I believe he is neutral. It is Max’s stand-over man, Hitler whom causes death around Liesel (hence the bombs getting dropped upon Germany) and Death is just there to clean the souls off the Eatrh and take them to heaven. Death wants to know the truth why humans are living and to him Liesel shows why humans are worth living so he’s a guardian until she passes away and tidies the messes that are caused around her.

THE SHOULDER SHRUG
The Shoulder  is the book stolen by Liesel on Hitlers Birthday. She finds it in the ashes of the other books. These books were burned as it was agreed they either contained relation to the jewish community or had the disliked German past. For some reason it must have been too lucky to not burn up in flames however when it reaches Liesel’s hands it is smouldering hot. Hot like Liesel’s little head, she is engulfed in guilt as she knows someone could have seen her steal it. She knows someone is always watching. After Liesel steals the book, Hans practically confirms that it is most likely Hitlers doing that her parents have disappeared and what lead her little brother Werner to die due to their poverty. As Liesel learns this, stealing the book becomes a great way to dishonour Germany’s horrid leader.

THE DREAM CARRIER
The Dream Carrier is stolen from Isla Hermanns Library. A playground for Liesel which once belonged to Isla’s son. Liesel reads the book to Max as she awaits patiently for him to wake up. The book is about an abandoned child who wants to become a priest. The Dream Carrier is symbolic to Liesel as it is a representation of new beginnings and loss. Max is like her new brother. Diesel doesn’t want him to die and she feels guilty that she has also lost her biological brother. Liesel ends up carrying max’s dreams. Max is Liesel’s dream, the dreams are the future. The book foreshadows a survival, this stage in Liesel’s life is all about Max. If Max wakes up he is surviving, however he will want to wake up in a new world where Hitler is not present and where Max can be accepted.  

MEIN KAMPF
At first Mein Kampf is ironic to the story of Max Vandenberg. A jewish man on the run to find hope, to find the thing he once had, safety. The irony that the book is from the words of the man forcing Max into hiding, yet it is fuelling his escape.