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The Boy In the Striped Pajamas (Movie Tie-in Edition) (Random House Movie Tie-In Books)

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Manufacturer: David Fickling Books
List Price: $8.99
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Berlin 1942
When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.

But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.


DESCRIPTION:

Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780385751896
ISBN: 0385751893
Label: David Fickling Books
Manufacturer: David Fickling Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 240
Publication Date: 2008-10-28
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: 2008-10-28
Studio: David Fickling Books


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CUSTOMER REVIEWS:

Customer Rating:
Summary: The Other Side of the Fence
Comment: Bruno is a 9-year-old boy, living a privileged and a protected life in Berlin during WWII. His dad is a Nazi commandant in the process of being transferred to Auschwitz. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a "young adult" book told in the form of a fable. A friend of mine in London recommended it to me. Before I started reading it, I had heard nothing about it. The jacket offers no explanation. (Since the book came out in 2006, many people have heard of it, though. It is now being used in English classes and school reading clubs. It has also been made into a "major motion picture.") From the window of his new bedroom, Bruno can see the fence that surrounds the camp. There are no kids to play with on his side of the fence, so Bruno (wide-eyed innocent that he is), makes friends with Shmuel, a boy who shares Bruno's birthdate but not his religion. Their friendship is forged in conversations that occur almost entirely through the fence itself. Because of its fable-like telling, the story requires the reader to suspend disbelief as Bruno observes but doesn't quite understand the atrocities going on around him. While these atrocities are merely hinted at, the book builds toward a powerful ending designed to inspire discussion -- and further reading.

Customer Rating:
Summary: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Comment: Don't worry, this review doesn't have any spoilers. :)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was a great thought-provoking read. The fact that the Holocaust is told from the perspective of a nine-year-old is very interesting. The naïveté of Bruno to what is happening to poor Schmuel is shattering. While it is pretty unrealistic that Bruno would not be able to pronounce words like "Auschwitz" (He says Out-With) and "Fuhrer" (Fury), it does not distract from this great story.

For starters, this novel is so much deeper than a story about the Holocaust. For one, it is about the main character discovering the humanity in all people, not just the ones that are socially at his level. Before Bruno moved to "Out-With," he did not really seem to appreciate his maids, cooks, and butlers. After the move, he discovered that each of his servants had a life all their own, each person having their own memories and experiences other than waiting on him. Also, he tends to become less materialistic than he was at his home in Berlin. Instead of worrying about how many stories his house has and how many friends he had acquired back in his old house, he begins to value small things, such as sitting with Schmuel talking.

But as far as a story about the Holocaust goes, this novel is great. While not as graphic as other Holocaust novels are, this book allows you to read between the lines and fill in the blanks passed the book's simplistic descriptions. Also, for me, the ending was totally shocking and I did not see anything like that coming.

That being said, this book is not perfect. There are many aspects of the novel that are much too convenient and/or unrealistic. One of these is the fact that Schmuel can manage to meet with Bruno for a year without being caught at a place like Auschwitz. And, included at that spot is a conveniently placed hole that is just big enough for a boy their size. Furthermore, the fact that both boys have exactly the same birthday is a little too perfect. But still, these small flaws do not get in the way of a story that will both move you and make you really think.

A-


Customer Rating:
Summary: A Very Complex, Multi-Layered Read
Comment: One of the few books that crosses over from a book that I will read to my child (in a few years), but one that I think would be an excellent discussion for my own book club. I thought it was amazing. Dark, disturbing, clever, frustrating and well-plotted, it was both simple and complex - just the way I enjoy my books. I enjoyed it very much. Highly recommended.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully written easy read
Comment: This was a great book and written very well. I loved the characters and it really pulls you in. I read it in no time and even want my 10 year old to read it. It is wonderful!!

Customer Rating:
Summary: a shockingly innocent story
Comment: i read this book rather quickly but did have to brush up on my WW2 history while reading this. It seemed unrealistic that a boy with such a high powered father was oblivious to what he did and who he worked under, however the story line is wonderful and easy to follow. This book is definately for adults or a young adult reader, not a child though.

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