Book Series Guide
Markus Zusak

Author guide

Markus Zusak Books in Order

Markus Zusak is an Australian writer born in Sydney. He is the author of six novels, including The Messenger, The Book Thief, and Bridge of Clay, as well as the memoir Three Wild Dogs (and the truth). His fiction combines literary ambition with coming-of-age, family, historical, and contemporary themes, and has been translated into more than fifty languages.

young adult fictionliterary fictionhistorical fictionmemoirnonfiction

Catalog record updated .

Markus Zusak's Newest Book

Cover of Three Wild Dogs (and the truth)

Three Wild Dogs (and the truth)

memoir · First published 2024

In this poignant, funny, and disarmingly honest memoir, one of the world's most beloved storytellers, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book Thief, tells of his family's adoption of three troublesome rescue dogs--a charming and courageous love story about making even the most incorrigible of animals family. There's a madman dog beside me, and the hounds of memory ahead of us . . . It's love and beasts and wild mistakes, and regret, but never to change things. What happens when the Zusak family opens their home to three big, wild, street-hardened dogs--Reuben, more wolf than hound; Archer, blond, beautiful, destructive; and the rancorously smiling Frosty, who walks like a rolling thunderstorm? The answer can only be chaos: There are street fights, park fights, public shamings, property damages, injuries, hospital visits, wellness checks, pure comedy, shocking tragedy, and carnage that must be read to be believed. There is a reckoning of shortcomings and failure, a strengthening of will, but most important of all, an explosion of love--and the joy and recognition of family. Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth) is a tender, motley, and exquisitely written memoir about the human need for both connection and disorder, a love letter to the animals who bring hilarity and beauty--but also the visceral truth of the natural world--straight to our doors and into our lives and change us forever.

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of The Book Thief

The Book Thief

Best entry point for readers seeking Zusak's most acclaimed and widely translated standalone novel.

Cover of The Underdog

The Underdog

Start here to read the Wolfe Brothers trilogy in publication order.

Read in order

Books by series

trilogy · complete

Wolfe Brothers

A complete trilogy following Cameron and Ruben Wolfe and their family through adolescence, poverty, fighting, identity, and love.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    The Underdog

    Book 1 · novel · 1999

    Before The Book Thief , Markus Zusak wrote a trilogy of novels about the Wolfe Brothers: The Underdog , Fighting Rueben Wolfe , and Getting the Girl . Cameron and Ruben Wolfe are champions at getting into fights, coming up with half-baked…

  2. 2
    Fighting Ruben Wolfe

    Book 2 · novel · 2000

    Partly because of their family's poor finances and partly to prove themselves, brothers Ruben and Cameron take jobs as fighters and find themselves reacting very differently in the boxing ring. The working class family of Cameron Wolfe…

  3. 3
    When Dogs Cry

    Book 3 · novel · 2001

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (3)
  1. The Messenger

    novel · 2002

    After capturing a bank robber, nineteen-year-old cab driver Ed Kennedy begins receiving mysterious messages that direct him to addresses where people need help, and he begins getting over his lifelong feeling of worthlessness.

  2. The Book Thief

    novel · 2005

    It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in…

  3. Bridge of Clay

    novel · 2018

    The breathtaking story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father’s…

Nonfiction (1)
  1. Three Wild Dogs (and the truth)

    memoir · 2024

    In this poignant, funny, and disarmingly honest memoir, one of the world's most beloved storytellers, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book Thief, tells of his family's adoption of three troublesome rescue dogs--a charming…

Frequently asked questions about Markus Zusak

Who is Markus Zusak, and where is he from?

Markus Zusak is an Australian author who was born in Sydney and continues to live there with his family.

Source: markuszusak.com (opens in a new tab)

What is Markus Zusak’s cultural background?

He is Australian of German and Austrian descent. His parents immigrated to Australia from Europe after World War II.

Sources: australianbookreview.com.au (opens in a new tab)time.com (opens in a new tab)

What inspired Markus Zusak to become a writer?

As a teenager, Zusak became absorbed in reading and discovered how written words could make imagined worlds feel vivid. He later decided that writing was what he wanted to do with his life.

Sources: asauthors.org.au (opens in a new tab)markuszusak.com (opens in a new tab)

What is Markus Zusak best known for?

He is best known for The Book Thief, an international bestseller that was adapted into a major motion picture in 2013.

Sources: markuszusak.com (opens in a new tab)loc.gov (opens in a new tab)

Which major awards has Markus Zusak received, and what is his literary legacy?

Zusak received the 2014 Margaret A. Edwards Award for a significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens. The Book Thief was also a 2007 Michael L. Printz Honor book, reinforcing his standing in young adult literature.

Sources: ala.org (opens in a new tab)ala.org (opens in a new tab)