The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne

Random House Children's Books, Dec 18, 2008 - Juvenile Fiction - 240 pages

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.

What people are saying

Review: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

User Review  - B - Goodreads

This book, to me, is beyond the normal parameters of judging most literature--it's not one of those books where you can say, “I loved it,” or “I hated it,” or even, “I kind of liked it/didn't like it ...

Review: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

User Review  - Julie Doyle - Goodreads

This was a fairly short book compared to some - so I read it in one or two sittings. I was not sure if this book was meant for adults or children but the style and content made me think it would be ...

About the author

John Boyne is a full-time writer living in Dublin. He was writer-in-residence at the University of East Anglia in Creative Writing and spent many years working as a bookseller. This is his first book for young readers. The author lives in Dublin, Ireland.


From the Hardcover edition.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
• Author: John Boyne
• Publisher: Random House Children's Books, 2008
• ISBN: 0307494233, 9780307494238
• Length: 240 pages
• Subjects: Juvenile Fiction / Historical / Holocaust