THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS by John Boyne Category: Contemporary Age Recommendation: Grades 6+ Release Date: 9/12/06 Publisher: David Fickling Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" Rating: 5 Stars
What an incredible story! John Boyne has created innocent, naïve Bruno and given him a powerful story to tell. This moving book should be required reading for everyone.
Set in the 1940’s in Berlin, Germany, the story centers around a nine-year-old German boy named Bruno. His family leaves Berlin to move to the country because his father has been reassigned by the “Fury." Bruno’s youth and innocence has protected him from the harsh realities of Hilter and his reign of terror.
Life in the country is dull and boring for Bruno. He doesn’t understand his new home, “Out-With." He’s left his friends behind and doesn’t like the smaller house he’s forced to live in with his parents and his sister. Missing the hustle and bustle of the city, Bruno begins to explore his new surroundings. Beyond the fence near his house, he sees people, but is confused by their strange striped pajamas and their sad demeanor.
Bruno’s loneliness is somewhat relieved when he becomes friends with a boy on the other side of the fence. They meet daily and exchange comments about their daily lives, but neither fully understands the circumstances of the other.
Boyne presents a story about the Holocaust like none other before. He brings tragedy to life through the eyes of innocent children. Readers of all ages will be spellbound until the last page and beyond.
