The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
By John Boyne
224 pages
Summary: Bruno is the 9-year-old son of an important commandant in WWII Germany. Bruno family relocates to a new home close to the concentration camp, Aushwitz. With no friends and an itch to explore, Bruno ventures out to find out what is going on in the feild near his house where all the people are wearing "striped pajamas." He soon discovers a boy named Shmuel, the only problem: he lives on the other side of the fence. They meet every day, sitting on either side of the fence, and discuss their similarities and try to find out why they have differences. They develop a friendship no adult would find possible or understand in a time of misunderstanding, fear, and discrimination.
My Review: This book touched my heart with its childlike innocence and John Boyne offers such a pure perspective of Bruno, who doesn't understand why the "Fury" (Adolf Hitler) is revered by his father, why he can't talk to the servants in striped pajamas, or why his friend Shmuel gets skinnier and more pale every day and doesn't seem happy. The reader will bond with both boys as they discover they are both just 9-year-old boys who want to be friends in a world that is telling them to be enemies.
Warning: This book is set near a concentration camp but the events are described my 9-year-old boys who don't understand everything so nothing is too detailed or graphic. An understanding of the Holocaust is necessary to understand the history, terms, people, and mispronunciations of Bruno ("Fury"=Fuhrer; "Out-With" = Aushwitz). After reading this book, check out the 2008 film!
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