Fox 2000 optioned Markus Zusak's young adult novel The Book Thief a few years ago.  The project is moving forward now that the studio hired Brian Percival to direct.  Death narrates the novel, set during WWII, telling "the story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken at age 9 to live with a foster family in a German working-class neighborhood."  Michael Petroni (The Rite) penned the adaptation.  As the director of several episodes of Downton Abbey, Percival is a classy choice.  Percival is coming off an Emmy in 2011 for his work on the first episode of everyone's favorite British soap.

According to Variety, Fox 2000 wants The Book Thief in production by the summer.  Hit the jump to read the full book synopsis.

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. [Amazon]

Anyone else haunted by this book cover?  I am going to have beautiful, delicate nightmares tonight.