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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas | John Boyne
Powerful and unsettling. . . . As memorable an introduction to the subject as The Diary of Anne Frank. USA Today 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 to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people 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 from his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.From the Hardcover edition.
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suvata
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Pickpick

I‘m not much of a re-reader but I‘ve read three in May.

Berlin 1942 — Bruno, the young son of a Nazi officer, befriends a Jewish boy named Shmuel during World War II. Bruno‘s family moves to a house in the countryside near Auschwitz, where Bruno‘s father works. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy named Shmuel who is imprisoned in the concentration camp. Their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

Erinreadsthebooks Not sure if you‘re a podcast listener, but Diving In podcast recently did an episode on book canceling. They have a fascinating discussion about this book. 4d
suvata @Erinreadsthebooks I am a podcast listener, but I‘ve never heard of that particular podcast. I will have to look it up. I‘m sure it was a very lively discussion as John Boyne‘s books strike a lot of nerves. Thanks for the heads up. 4d
Mccall0113 This one has stayed with me a long time. I absolutely loved the sequel. 4d
45 likes4 comments
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Crystal83
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Pickpick

I just finished this book on my tablet. It was an interesting book to read. It was sad and emotional. I enjoyed reading this book. I rated this book a 3 out of 5 stars. This is my first book completed for the #20in4 readathon @Andrew65. I finished this book in 1:26.

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EmilieGR
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Pickpick

This had some major problems, but it‘s a good introduction for kids. Innocence and heartache permeate every sentence, which is jarring but also a perfect tone for this story.

Leftcoastzen Beautiful markings!😻 2w
EmilieGR Thank you @Leftcoastzen!!! 2w
6 likes2 comments
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bookaholic1
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Pickpick

#24
This was so good..listened in one sitting

RebelReader I just finished All The Broken Places which is Greta‘s story and sort of a sequel to tagged book. It‘s excellent too. 3w
bookaholic1 @RebelReader ok good to know, thanks!! 3w
27 likes2 comments
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JacintaMCarter
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Pickpick

#2023Book36
This is one of the few books I like less every time I teach it.

Leniverse I wish schools would pick a different holocaust book to teach, honestly. 1mo
JacintaMCarter @Leniverse I was planning to find a different one to teach next year, but I won‘t be teaching 8th grade anymore. In the future, though, I‘m definitely on the lookout for a better option! 1mo
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Erinreadsthebooks
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Such a great (and super important) episode of the Diving In podcast. The ladies discuss the idea of ‘cancel culture‘ and book banning and all the BS involved. And my favorite part?! Where they defend teachers as professionals who can (and should be able to) correctly choose literature to utilize in their classrooms! 🤌🙌👏💪

Allyneedsbooks Fantastic listen 🎧 🙌🏼. Love these ladies 💗 2mo
19 likes1 comment
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candc320
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Pickpick

This is a pick for me because I think it‘s an important story and one more people (especially kids) should read. Most of what I didn‘t enjoy (the juvenile way it‘s written, especially the constant repeating of phrases, and the naïveté of the characters) were clearly done on purpose to bring home the youth of the main character. Will I reread this? No. Am I glad I read it? Meh. Am I glad my son read it and we talked about it? Yes! ????

candc320 I forgot to mention I do plan on reading what I believe is a sequel to this - All the Broken Places - which is told from the POV of the sister, Gretel, now living in London and in her 90s. Hopefully it being from a more mature character will allow me to enjoy the writing more. We will see! 2mo
Mandoul Thanks - I hadn't realised there was a follow-up. I'll pop that on my list 🙂 2mo
candc320 You‘re welcome, @Mandoul ! 2mo
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Melreedauthor
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Mehso-so

Ummmm…. Im not sure how I feel about this yet. Like… it‘s perfect for kids as an introduction, but also… wtf? I‘m so confused.

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Melreedauthor
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Been a minute but things have been busy. Working my way through my pile of TBR and decided this would be perfect. Let the crying commence

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OrangeMooseReads
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Pickpick

Well written. Good story considering the subject matter. This book is an excellent jumping off point to start a conversation with young people about what the Holocaust.
Short and worth the read.
4.5 ⭐️
Would recommend

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OrangeMooseReads
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Up next.

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thebackyardgnome
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Panpan

Oh dear.

Somehow I have never read this book, even though I knew about its existence. Maybe it would have been better for me not to read it, but...

I expected something along the lines of Life is Beautiful, a movie of which I may be not too fond of, but the first half is quite good... But this book is a mess. With its nonexistent research and odd understanding of how humans work, it was hard to read. Really hard.

It made me queasy.

I'm sorry.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Welcome to Litsy!! 4mo
thebackyardgnome @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks hi and thank you so much! I just happened upon this app and I love it already (sorrg if my English is a bit off, it's my third language/I'm from Eastern Europe). People here seem really cool :) 4mo
Trashcanman Welcome to Litsy here's a kiss for you 😘 4mo
See All 39 Comments
Trashcanman @thebackyardgnome I love non fiction too. 4mo
thebackyardgnome @Trashcanman oh, that's great ! Do you have any favourite titlrs ? 4mo
Trashcanman A Confession by Lev Tolstoy, Darkness Visible by William Styron, Letters from a Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke 4mo
Trashcanman Top 3 4mo
Trashcanman What are yours? 4mo
Trashcanman I'm depressed and bipolar but I'm harmless ask @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 4mo
thebackyardgnome @Trashcanman it's okay ~ I dont have any relatives who arent either on the autism spectrum or dealing with mental illnesses. Or both. 4mo
thebackyardgnome @Trashcanman as for books - um, my top three non-fiction books woulf be: Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievich, Nijinsky's diaries and The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. The book I am starting now, if it is as good as it is at the beginning, also is a contender - King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild. It's amazing. I also adore the books you have listed, my pocket copy of Letters from a Poet is a becoming worn out 4mo
Trashcanman @thebackyardgnome tell me what you saw! Great books I need to read them 4mo
Trashcanman I'm George by the way. 4mo
thebackyardgnome @Trashcanman all books by Svetlana Alexievich are magnificent and she is an amazing writer. Her "War's Unwomanly Face" is terrifying anf astounding at the same time. It reminded me of my granny (she survived a stay at a Soviet POW camp, surviving a major massacre). 4mo
thebackyardgnome @Trashcanman and I'm Cassia. Lovely to meet you, George. I'm sorry if I'm a little woozy in my comments, I take heavy medication and English is not my native language 4mo
Trashcanman @thebackyardgnome it's pleasure to meet someone who prefers NF books. I'm glad to have met you. What's your native language? 4mo
thebackyardgnome @Trashcanman likewise! Are you from the US? My native language is Polish with Kashubian stirred in 4mo
Trashcanman Yes I'm from Los Angeles California. My wife is Polish but i don't remember from where. I understand about the medication. I take 5 myself 4mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @thebackyardgnome this is the best place ever!! 4mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Trashcanman he is a true gem and I‘m honored to be his friend ❤️ 4mo
hannah-leeloo Welcome to litsy sweet, happy reading 📚💙📖 4mo
Mrs_B Welcome to Litsy!!! 4mo
AmyG Welcome! 🎉 4mo
RedxoHearts Welcome! 4mo
bthegood welcome to Litsy - 4mo
thebackyardgnome @hannah-leeloo hello! Thsnk you so much 3mo
thebackyardgnome @bthegood hii! Nicr to meet you :) 3mo
thebackyardgnome @AmyG hello 💕 thsnk you ~ 3mo
thebackyardgnome @RedxoHearts hey ~ thank you for your welcomf ~ 3mo
thebackyardgnome @Mrs_B hi Lucy! Thsnk you and enjoy Budapest ! 3mo
Mrs_B @thebackyardgnome thank you! I hope you‘re having a lovely day. :) 3mo
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Welcome to Litsy! That‘s too bad to hear about this book, it‘s on my TBR, but now I‘m not so sure I‘ll make any attempt to get to it. 😅 3mo
thebackyardgnome @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm hii ~ thank you! As for ths book, it's a Marmhte novel I think - eithsr you love it or you dont. To me, rhe nknexistent research and thr way the author forcrs the reader to feel things keep me from wnjoing it. If you like history novels/are a WWII buff, thrn you might be let down. If you just wsnt to read a moving storh and don't care as much about realism (whicg does not exist here), it might br for you. :) 3mo
thebackyardgnome @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm now thst I think of it,it feels likr an attempt to go in thst The Prophst/The Littrl Prince story directjon, like a fairg tale... Except it just doesn't work for me whrn thrust into all too real, thougg badly describrd (a 9 y.o. German kid doesnt knjw what beer is, has not hearf of Hitler despirs having a father in thr SS, has not heard of Jews eithst), circumstancrs. So, it's about whst kind of book do you want. :) 3mo
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Ah, yes, I would have gone in expecting a more historical context, like you. I might still be able to enjoy it now that I can adjust my expectations, but I‘m less enthused about making it a priority now. 😅 3mo
thebackyardgnome @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/27/the-boy-in-the-striped-pyjamas-fue... -- i saw this articlr tonight, thought it might br of interest to you, as a person here who expectrd a more historicsl book. Looks like it's seen as one by manh students. Interesthng. 3mo
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Interesting. Thanks for sharing the article. It‘s funny, now I find myself more intrigued to read the book again. 😅 Going into it now with the understanding of what to expect, I think I‘d have a better chance of getting something out of it. That‘s scary though about teachers not making it clear to their students that it is not meant to be taken as a 100% completely accurate book. 😬 3mo
22 likes39 comments
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MasonInTheBooks
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Having a fun reread of “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas“ by John Boyne!

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MasonInTheBooks

Who else has read this book?

megnews 🤚🏻 4mo
marleed Heartbreaking. The sequel is on my TBR. 4mo
thebackyardgnome I did, the research errors made it really to read sadly :( it felt like the author had an idea and didn't allow any silly facts to get in its way. 4mo
3 likes4 comments
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Besha
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jamield1993
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Pickpick

This is a book I have read several times. It is one of my favourite books of all time.
It tells of the horrific events of the Holocaust through the naivety and innocence of a 9 year old boy. A must read. Heartbreaking yet beautiful.

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analesemarrison

“Their lost voices must continue to be heard.” ..

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analesemarrison

I think that this book is a very well fit for fourth and fifth grade and had ways to keep the reader engaged.

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analesemarrison
Pickpick

This book went in depth with the perspective of both a boy's journey as a nazi commander's son and a boy that was a Jewish prisoner. It was a very well detailed book that listed their perspectives and made the reader consider both.

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Rybow
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Pickpick

A classic. Everyone should read this.

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Lisalucy
Pickpick

This heart breaking story tells a story of two boys in the holocaust . It was an interesting perspective to see the events that occurred through a child‘s eye. I highly recommend this book as I think it is very important that everyone is aware of what happened. #15 read a book of your choice.

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tdrosebud
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Pickpick

I was aware of the existence of this book, but knew nothing of the subject matter. It is a story of WWII told through the eyes of a naive 9 year old German boy. I knew immediately where his family relocated and what his father did. The ending broke my heart. I saw it coming as soon but hoped it wouldn't end the way it did. Very good book.
April #authoramonth @Soubhiville

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rachelshareex
Pickpick

👌

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thewallflower0707
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Please don‘t support this author, don‘t read this book in class, don‘t buy it for your children. The Auschwitz Memorial Museum on Twitter has heavily criticized it.

“The UCL study concluded that the book‘s use in schools helped to foster “an inaccurate perception of German ignorance of the Holocaust.”

https://www.kveller.com/the-boy-in-the-striped-pyjamas-set-holocaust-education-b...

#JohnBoyne

JenlovesJT47 I hated this book but liked the movie. I can‘t remember how old the main boy character is supposed to be but in the book he had the mentality of a 2-year-old and it just really bothered me. 14mo
thewallflower0707 @JenlovesJT47 The worst thing for me as a German is, that Bruno should be completely indoctrinated into hating Jewish people. It also spreads the lie that the normal population didn‘t know about the camp and what was going on. This book helps Holocaust denial. 14mo
JenlovesJT47 @thewallflower0707 that makes a lot of sense. Would have made the story better if Bruno was indoctrinated but became friends with him anyway. It‘s been ages since I‘ve seen the movie and the whole thing is just so sad. I‘ve read so many WWII books. Do you have any recommendations for good WWII historical fiction? 14mo
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thewallflower0707 @JenlovesJT47 I really recommend testimonials of survivors: Night by Eli Wiesel, If this is a man by Primo Levi, The Twins of Auschwitz by Eva M Kor. The Light in Hidden Places is for younger readers and based on a real story. For a better view into German minds at that time, try Remote Sympathy and The Book Thief. 14mo
thewallflower0707 @JenLovesTJ47 More Stories about survivors but not written as non-fiction, try: The Boy who followed his father into Auschwitz, The Klara Witzel Story, The Sisters of Auschwitz, The Brothers of Auschwitz. For Non-Fiction: The Choice by Edith Eger (a magnificent author), The Light of Days (about Jewish resistance), The Nine Hundred. 14mo
JenlovesJT47 Thank you! Adding them all to my list 🤗 14mo
JenlovesJT47 The only one I‘ve read of these is The Book Thief and it‘s really good. Thank you again! Gonna start with the twins book. 14mo
16 likes7 comments
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Caterina
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Listened to this #AuthorAMonth book on my #AudioWalk today! Lots of flowers in Berkeley right now. 🌷Very much not enamored with the book so far (28% in) but at least it's a break for my brain! 🎧

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marleed
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Pickpick

This was an emotional book for me, and I‘m glad I read it because the innocence and honesty of children made this heartbreaking. I do recognize how implausible it would be for such a friendship to unfold in this horrific place and respect the critics who disagree with the setting used to this story. April #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

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Kenneth.Visaya
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Mehso-so

The book “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” by John Boyne, is a book that goes back in time of the World War 2 where this boy named Bruno and he lives in Berlin. He finds out that his entire family has to move out to some place where his father has to work for a person named the “Furry”. Later on in this story Bruno finds a friend that lives behind a fence Shmuel. Bruno finds an idea that he can play with Shmuel, so he sneaks inside and since this-

Kenneth.Visaya Was in the World War 2 the soldiers made them walk and toward the end of the story it did not end good. If you like books that goes back in the day, and have something to do with war this is a good. I would say how the author wrote this book is in first person because we see this in Bruno point of view. 1y
MissYaremcio Kenneth - thank you for the post! The ending is a tough one for sure! 6/6 14mo
4 likes2 comments
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Noveldrama
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Pickpick


I read this book in lockdown. It's a very short book but you can't even guess what shock or ache this book hold in itself .
The end made me speechless and l just felt like I want to know more .
This book is definitely not for kids

WJCintron I cried so much. The movie destroyed me too! 1y
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Dom_inator
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Mehso-so

The book has not been my favourite. I haven‘t read the entire book as if yet but so far I have not been too interested. It starts off with the main character, Bruno, going home to find his maid packing up his things so his family can move away to a different house. This book takes place during world war 2 in the 1940s and Bruno‘s family is on the side of the nazis. Bruno moves to a much sadder and darker house than his original home.

Dom_inator I have only read about 2 or 3 chapters and it has been pretty slow so far. Maybe I am just not understanding the book or I could just not be interested enough in the book. The book isn‘t terrible but it is not my favourite. 1y
MissYaremcio Thank you for the review Dom! I was just missing the recommendation and the theme! 3/6 1y
2 likes2 comments
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JacintaMCarter
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Pickpick

#2021Book115
Just finished teaching this for the third time. It‘s always a favorite with my 8th graders.

Texreader How do y‘all all not end up sobbing? 1y
JacintaMCarter @Texreader There was definitely some sniffling happening. 1y
35 likes2 comments
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ju.ca.no
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Pickpick

I‘m on a small weekend long getaway holiday with my boyfriend and accidently finished my buddyread with @Tanisha_A a bit early. This book left me heartbroken oh my god😭 5/5 🌟

Cupcake12 My daughter (11) has just read this in school and watched the film too. She said the whole class was nearly crying and the teacher! 2y
ju.ca.no @Cupcake12 totally understandable - I was close to crying too 😳 it‘s heartbreaking. People where so cruel and stupid in those times 😭 2y
BiblioLitten It is a heart-wrenching book😭 2y
Tanisha_A ☹️ 2y
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freeatlast1137
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Pickpick

A boy makes a friend across the fence.

Texreader Have you seen the movie? 2y
freeatlast1137 @Texreader no, not yet. I‘m planning on seeing it one of these nights after Matthew is asleep. 2y
Texreader @freeatlast1137 you might put it off. It will break you. 2y
freeatlast1137 @Texreader that‘s good to know. I‘ll wait until I‘m in a good headspace to watch it. 2y
Texreader @freeatlast1137 A really good headspace and preferably with someone else in the room. You might just wait until Matthew is a lot older. Maybe it‘d have been different if I‘d read the book first. So maybe it won‘t be so devastating for you. I‘ve got the book but decided not to read it. 2y
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Mistry26
Pickpick

A powerful book packed with adventure friendship and bravery. A heartbreaking story! Well executed and impossible to put down.

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NashT

Character Focus*: What choices has the character made thus far? Do you agree with their decision?
So, far the character has made a big choice of deciding to walk a long, a very long fence everyday to talk with his new “friend“. This was due to his family's recent movement, which caused him to have no friends in the new area he lived in. I agree with the decision because all he wanted was social interaction. A way to stay sane, which I understand.

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NashT

Fiction: In another place or time, how would the story change? Where else could the story take place?

I believe, that if you took this story and put into anywhere else in time, that story would already be present. What I mean by this, is the historical accuracy in the sense of how Jews were discriminated against simply because of their race is still present. Black Lives matter for example, it started because they were discriminated against.

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JacintaMCarter
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Pickpick

#2021Book8
This was my second time teaching this book. Unfortunately, this class didn‘t respond to it as well as last year‘s kids, but I think they still got quite a bit out of it.

LazyOwl I cried so much when I read this 😭 2y
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WormForWords
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Panpan

The super inaccuracy really lets this book down, and I get that the book was probably trying to show the irony of war. What goes around comes around, blah blah blah. But what it really seems to send the message of is that the tragedy is not the millions of innocent Jews that were senselessly murdered but the one German son of the nazi soldier who ‘didn‘t belong in the camp‘ and ‘didn‘t deserve to die‘ - this book just rubbed me the wrong way.

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jmtrivera
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Pickpick

While I struggled with the simple and childish way this was told, the message comes across very clearly. But the story drags a bit due to the writing. At the end, the book makes it clear that the story is supposed to be a fable, but that might have been helpful to know earlier. Still, that ending will haunt me for quite a while.

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Jennick2004
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Not people at all?! 🙄

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thevagabondlawyer
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Pickpick

I don't know what to say! Short but lacerating, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne is a novel that will quickly hook you in, and disorient you in a way you've never experienced before, but it will slowly reorient you and ponder, What on earth are we really here for as humans? Who gets to say one is superior and the other is inferior? Who in his right mind has the authority to discriminate and condemn people for who they are? 👇

thevagabondlawyer It's crazy and I hope there will be no more fences, real or imagined, there will be no more us vs. them narrative. We all just want to live and carry on and endure and be fulfilled in our own ways. 👇 3y
thevagabondlawyer I might go watch the movie soon. Whenever I think of a book to recommend for first-time readers, I think of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. But this time, it is not so much difficult to recommend this book in the hope that this will open up something in the reader's mind, for good, for the better. 👏👊 3y
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Suet624
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Pickpick

I‘m very late to the party reading this one. Boyne does an amazing job. Straddling the line between young adult/adult fiction, I kept wondering how he would finish the tale. The book was bound to pack a punch and it sure did. This audio version also had an interview with Boyne which was icing on the cake.

AmyG I thought this was such a good book. Yes, the ending....wow. 3y
LeahBergen Oh, this book. 😭 3y
Suet624 @AmyG @LeahBergen Boyle is so good at what he does. 3y
50 likes2 stack adds3 comments