Why did Rudy Steiner insist that Liesel take her turn and read in front of the class? Were you prepared for her extreme reaction towards her teasing classmates? What set her off?

In September Germany invades Poland, starting World War II. Rationing begins as England and France join the fight against Germany. Liesel is moved up to the same class as Rudy and Tommy, the proper level for her age. All the students but Liesel are made to perform readings; Rudy interjects at the end that Liesel hadn't gone. The teacher, Sister Maria, refuses, but Liesel insists. Liesel cannot read her piece, so she instead begins to recite a chapter from The Grave Digger's Handbook, which she memorized from Hans' readings. Sister Maria takes Liesel into the corridor and gives her a watschen (beating) as the class laughs.

Later, Liesel is taunted by her classmate Ludwig Schmeikl. Rudy urges her to ignore Ludwig, but she instead savagely beats him. Still enraged, she also punches Tommy a few times and announces to the stunned crowd of students, "I'm not stupid."

Liesel's senseless brutalization of Ludwig and Tommy is compared with Hitler's invasion of Poland. In his rise to power, Hitler promised to restore Germany's greatness following a humiliating defeat in World War I. Similarly, Liesel "avenges" her humiliation through violence. Liesel later comes to regret this, and eventually realizes the superior power that words hold to violence.