THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS by John Boyne

Boyne, J. (2006). The boy in the striped pajamas. Great Britain: David Fickling Books.

This book is essentially about the holocaust. It follows nine-year-old Bruno and his family to their new home in "Out-With." Bruno hates his new home and isn't allowed to do any exploring. Bruno's father is a very high ranking military professional whose boss is the "Fury." Bruno doesn't really like the Fury or the soldiers that are always at his home. One day he and his sister discover that there is a fence with tons of people living inside. They thought that it was not fair that these people got to wear pajamas all the time and never had to change into uncomfortable clothes. Bruno was absolutely not allowed to go exploring to the fences, but he did and made a friend. Ironically they had the same birthday! Bruno and his new buddy forge a friendship and Bruno sometimes brings his new friend treats. One day he and his friend agree to do some "exploring" behind the fence to find his friend's father. What happens next will forever have you thinking.

Rationale for Selection: I had heard about this book last year after my students' finished reading Elie Wiesel's book Night. I recommended to a student that was very interested in reading about WWII and the horrors of the holocaust. Unfortunately our media center didn't have the book, so I ordered it, and just got a chance to read it.

Reader Response: I had a really difficult time getting into this book. I totally disagreed with how the author and publisher printed their inside jacket about the book. They stated that they wouldn't tell the reader about the book so as not to spoil the reading of the book. Most striving readers need to know what the book is about to activate their prior knowledge. (Obviously the publishers are not teachers...) Overall I had a really difficult time getting into this story. It took about three-quarters of the way through the book to get into anything interesting. I think that most of my high school students would quit reading this book before they got to the ending--which is the heart of the novel.

Genre and Themes: This was a historical fiction novel that is about the holocaust, nazis, Auschwitz, and concentration camps. It deals with friendship, war, and the horrors associated with war.

Teacher Thinking Notes: I would probably add this book to a list of recommended reading about the holocaust. I usually do a unit on Elie Wiesel's book, Night, and I would add this as voluntary additional reading. It could be a book that I would do a book talk on once we got started in class about the holocaust. As student that had no background knowledge on the topic would be completely lost. They wouldn't understand the significance of "Out-With" or the "Fury."

Grade or Reading Level: 5th grade - 10th grade

Interest Level: Medium

Quality Level: Medium