June 7

‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne

Boyinthestripedpyjamas     This is the story of Bruno, the son of a German soldier during World War II, who forms an unlikely friendship with Schmuel, a young Jewish captive… Does this sound like the type of book you enjoy reading? If so, then ‘The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas’ is the book for you!
For Bruno, life is about to dramatically change. One day Bruno arrives home, he walks into his room and finds Maria, his maid, cleaning out his room. Apparently, because his father’s job is so very important, he and his family are being shipped off to a camp by the name of ‘Out With’ in Poland. It’s a boring and lonely place and, for a while , Bruno has nothing at all to do. This is until he spots the thousands of people in the striped pyjamas surrounding the fence of his home and, one day, decides to go on an adventure to find out who they are. This is where he meets Schmuel at the border of the fence. Schmuel is a young Jew who is being held captive by the Germans. This gives Bruno doubts about his father and causes stress in the family. During the book Bruno and Schmuel grow close and everything is fine until one day Schmuel’s father goes missing…
I enjoyed the book, ‘The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas’ because it is a story about an unlikely friendship between two completely opposite young boys. The book was written very well and I could not put it down. The language John Boyne used in the book made it very easy to imagine the scenes and also to get a sense of the characters. Though the book was at times a little boring, it still provided enough twists and turns for me to want to read right through to the end.
I would recommend this book to teenagers and young adults between 12 and 20 who are interested in realistic and heartwarming novels. The book is a good read and I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars.

Chelsea, Year 8.

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     How would you feel if you had to move away from everything you know and love?

     When Bruno had to move away from his friends, school and basically everything he loved for his father’s work, things went from good to bad. For starters, the house he’s moving to is called ‘Out-With’ and it’s in the middle of nowhere.As soon as Bruno gets there he immediately feels homesick. He misses everything he left behind. His new home is full of strange soldiers and there are no children to play with other than his sister Gretel. But who wants to play with a 12 year old girl who’s into collecting freaky looking dolls?

     But when Bruno notices strange and unusual people dressed in striped pajamas from his window, he’s looking across the wired fence that separates his house from the people. One day Bruno becomes so curious that he just has to investigate.

     When Bruno gets closer to the fence he notices something in the distance and to his discovery it’s a boy! Bruno excitedly introduces himself and this strange Jewish boy’s name is Shmuel. Every day they meet at the same spot to talk. But one day Bruno climbs over the fence to explore Shmuel’s world, even though he’s forbidden to. Schmuel’s and Bruno’s friendship becomes stronger with every day they go through together.

     John Boyne’s ‘The Boy In The Striped Pajamas’ is a book for ages 12 and up. If you’re looking for a book that’s about friendship this book is for you. I enjoyed this book along with all its twists and I hope people who read this will like it too.

Tara, Year 8

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     Do you like discovering new things and adventures like Bruno? If you do, then “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” is the book for you. During this book you go on an adventure with Bruno, to a fence and you meet a boy called Shmuel.

     The two boys could almost pass as twins. They were both born on the same day, April the 15th. This book is based around the time of World War II in Germany. The story begins when Bruno comes home from school one day to find his maid, Maria, packing all of his belongings into boxes. Within days Bruno and his family moves to ‘Outwith’ for his father’s work. His Father’s work is very important as he is a German soldier.

     One day, Bruno was looking out his bedroom window. He noticed a large group of people in striped pajamas on the other side of the fence. Bruno wondered why so many people were wearing striped pyjamas. A few days later his curiosity had finally got the better of him and he decided to go on an adventure to see what was happening on the other side of the fence.

     When Bruno arrived at the fence he came across a boy, called Shmuel. Shmuel was a Jewish captive who had been put into a concentration camp by the Germans. Bruno sneaked out of his house every day to visit Shmuel and they become close friends. One day, Bruno sneaked into the other side of the fence, the side the people in striped pyjamas are on, Shmuel’s side.

     I enjoyed this book because it was a good story about friendship and adventures. I would recommend this book for girls and boys aged 12+.

Leisel- Year 8

 

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Posted June 7, 2013 by marjk in category Realistic fiction, Student Reviews

About the Author

Teacher-librarian at Aquinas College, Southport, Gold Coast, Australia

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