The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne
I read this recently and found that it was rather refreshing to read something from this period of history (World War II) from a child's point of view. I think we become a bit caught up in the political and social history of it all now, that we forget what a traumatic and confusing time it was. I thought this book was very well written and enjoyed the perspective it gave on the concentration camps. I do think that it was a little over simplified - I'm sure that a 9 year old son of a high ranking Nazi officer would have already been brainwashed in the policies of the Nazi party. The existence or 'need' for the concentration camps would hardly have been a surprise. Nevertheless, I thought that this was a great introduction to the issues of the mistreatment of the Jews by the Germans aimed at a young adult level. I would love to have a copy of this book for my children to read when they get to their 'tween' years.
I read this recently and found that it was rather refreshing to read something from this period of history (World War II) from a child's point of view. I think we become a bit caught up in the political and social history of it all now, that we forget what a traumatic and confusing time it was. I thought this book was very well written and enjoyed the perspective it gave on the concentration camps. I do think that it was a little over simplified - I'm sure that a 9 year old son of a high ranking Nazi officer would have already been brainwashed in the policies of the Nazi party. The existence or 'need' for the concentration camps would hardly have been a surprise. Nevertheless, I thought that this was a great introduction to the issues of the mistreatment of the Jews by the Germans aimed at a young adult level. I would love to have a copy of this book for my children to read when they get to their 'tween' years.