The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Front Cover
Random House, Aug 2, 2012 - Juvenile Fiction - 256 pages
340 Reviews

Discover an extraordinary tale of innocence, friendship and the horrors of war.

'Some things are just sitting there, minding their own business, waiting to be discovered. Like America. And other things are probably better off left alone'

Nine-year-old Bruno has a lot of things on his mind. Who is the 'Fury'? Why did he make them leave their nice home in Berlin to go to 'Out-With' ? And who are all the sad people in striped pyjamas on the other side of the fence? The grown-ups won't explain so Bruno decides there is only one thing for it - he will have to explore this place alone. What he discovers is a new friend. A boy with the very same birthday. A boy in striped pyjamas. But why can't they ever play together?

‘A small wonder of a book’ Guardian

BACKSTORY: Read an interview with the author JOHN BOYNE and learn all about the Second World War in Germany.

 

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User ratings

5 stars
182
4 stars
108
3 stars
31
2 stars
9
1 star
10

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - ashewert - LibraryThing

This book tells the story of a young boy who becomes friends with another young boy through a fence. What the reader doesn't initially realize is that this story is taking place is the reason that the ... Read full review

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - Northern_Light - LibraryThing

It's very hard to review this book without spoilers. Although published as a children's book I think it's one that deserves to be read by adults too. Set in WWII it's strength is in the things it ... Read full review

All 10 reviews »

Selected pages

Contents

Exceptions
41
That She Hadnt Done
69
Exploration
98
a Blob That Became a Figure That Became
107
Question
129
12
166
Copyright

Other editions - View all

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
John Boyne
Limited preview - 2008
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
John Boyne
No preview available - 2006
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
John Boyne
No preview available - 2007
View all »

Common terms and phrases

added afternoon allowed answer anyway arrived asked Bruno Berlin better called camp changed close clothes coming continued course decided didn’t dinner don’t door exploring eyes face fact Father feel felt fence find first Fury going Grandfather Grandmother Gretel ground hand happened hate head heard Herr idea important inside It’s knew laugh leave Lieutenant Kotler live looked marching Maria mean mind moment Mother mouth move never nodded opened Out-With Pavel Perhaps play question quickly remember repeated returned seemed seen Shmuel shook side sitting smiled soldiers sound speak standing started stay stepped stood stopped story striped pyjamas sure talking tell things thought told took trying turned understand voice waiting walked watched wear weeks window wondered young

About the author (2012)

John Boyne was born in Ireland in 1971. He is the author of eleven novels for adults, six for younger readers and a collection of short stories. Perhaps best known for his 2006 multi-award-winning book The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, John’s other novels, notably The Absolutist and A History of Loneliness, have been widely praised and are international bestsellers. Most recently, The Heart's Invisible Furies was a Richard & Judy Bookclub word-of-mouth bestseller, and A Ladder to the Sky was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award in association with Listowel Writers’ Week.

His novels are published in over fifty languages.

Bibliographic information

QR code for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
TitleThe Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
AuthorJohn Boyne
Editionreprint
PublisherRandom House, 2012
ISBN1448139880, 9781448139880
Length256 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Juvenile Fiction / Historical / General
Juvenile Fiction / Historical / Holocaust
Juvenile Nonfiction / History / Military & Wars
  
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