Frau Hermann is remarkably relaxed when she discovers what Liesel has been up to. Instead of chastising her, as one might expect, the mayor's wife gives Liesel the opportunity to enter her library at any time and read whatever she likes. This extraordinarily lenient attitude is much in evidence later on when Liesel doesn't just steal one of Frau Hermann's books but actually destroys one.

One day, Liesel, feeling angry and hopeless at everything in her life, sneaks into Frau Hermann's library. There, in a mounting fit of rage, she takes a book down from the shelf and rips it to shreds. At that moment, Liesel positively hates books; she sees the words they contain as being somehow responsible for the calamity of war. Without words, she muses, the Führer would be nothing.

Thankfully, Liesel's anger doesn't last for long, and she gradually comes to her senses. Feeling somewhat guilty over her wanton act of destruction, she sits down at a desk and pens a heartfelt letter of apology to Frau Hermann. Once again, Frau Hermann is very understanding and gives Liesel a black notebook. She tells Liesel that she's a very good writer and so might like to write a book herself.