The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Sometimes books about incredibly horrible things can be really good.  The Holocaust and what people did to other people is probably one of the most horrible things in our recent history.  But thinking about it from the point of view of a boy close to my age made for a great story.  Bruno's experience makes you think about relationships and people's trust.  Kommandant, Fuhrer, Hitler and Out-With are all words that Bruno has to think about throughout the story as he tries to figure out what he is seeing happen on the other side of the fence.  I think that this is really a book that kids or adults with all sorts of interests could read and enjoy, but this would be best for middle-schoolers who are learning about this time period at school.  My whole family read it together and it was good to talk about it together.

Rating: *****