Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Deceptively simply written from the point of view of Bruno. I think you need a certain amount of knowledge about the Holocaust to fully appreciate it. It has had great impact on the children I know who have read it, from about age 11 up, who know a little about it and can approeciate the feeling of anxiety that comes with knowing what Bruno does not.

Some quite clever stuff in this, but only clever at a certain level. I'm not sure why this was re-issued with an adult cover, since the story is clearly written for children.

There were certain times where I was aware that some of the ingenious bits didn't work. For instance, while I was reading, I enjoyed the protagonist's misinterpretations, but realised that they didn't function in a realistic sense. Some were better than others (The Fury for fuhrer was quite good, whereas Out-With for Auschwitz didn't seem to function as well) - but I was always conscious that these play-on-words wouldn't work in German. Not a huge gripe, but one that niggled at me all the same.

It tells a story that needs to be told, as the cover critical blurb would suggest. But I would suggest that this is more easily absorbed by a child (with appropriate contextual explanation).

That isn't an insult. Different genres for different target audiences can be very effective. The most damning and moving holocaust depiction I've ever come across wasn't a biographical account or a historical document. It was MAUS; a graphic novel.

This was good, but I felt a bit predictable. As I got towards the end, I just wanted to finish it...to get it out of the way. However, I'm not sure that children would have the insight to predict the ending.

This is an incredibly moving book about the innocence of children against a backdrop they should never have to experience. Originally marketed as a children's book, it has recently been repakcaged for adults but I can't work out who it's really for - I think most of the stunning impact would be lost on children, but who knows what they get taught these days? All I know is that when I realised what was happening my jaw literally dropped and stayed open until I realised that my mouth was starting to fill with tears. Powerful.