The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

[annettemarie]

Does anyone know anything about the book "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"? I know they're making a movie out of it, and it's recommended by some. But there's a German pastor here (as in, grew up in Germany) and she said it was really historically inaccurate.

Michael is interested in reading more about WW II and the Holocaust, but I've been reluctant because (a) there are some really poorly written books out there and (b) I want him to understand the enormity of it all and don't want to give him a book that trivializes it. He did read Number the Stars last year, but I was wondering about books that have male main characters (he's in the "Ew, that's a girl book" stage).

Anyway, thoughts on this book or recs for other books would be appreciated.

ETA: He's ten and is in 5/6 grade, but can pretty much read anything. My biggest concern is the appropriateness of the text.

[raksmama]

I have not read the book but we saw the movie with DS (11). It is very good. We were all very touched.

[mammastar2]

Noooo, don't do it! I really, really have a problem with this book.

I went back and looked for what I posted on another thread when I read it. I've pasted it in below:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

I thought I'd just go ahead and read it, since I've heard very different things about it.

I didn't like it. I thought that calling it a 'fable' was the author's excuse for being lazy, ahistorical, and internally inconsistent. It was cutesy in places - the German boy calls Auschwitz "Out-With" and the Fuhrer "the Fury," which would make sense only if he were an anglophone. In a totalitarian state, you know darn well who your leader is, and the glorious story of your empire's progress, and all the rest of it. And an urban German boy would not be mystified by what a "Jew" is, or what a yellow star on a shirt sleeve means.

I also didn't like the picture of Auschwitz as filled with passive families, surrounded by a fence with holes through which they don't try to escape. And the essential conceit of the boys meeting by the fence is rather unworkable, since children were gassed upon arrival by the time period in question.

If he wanted to write a 'fable' (although I still think the label is a lazy excuse), the author shouldn't have deployed all the markers of a Holocaust story, given that what he presents of the Holocaust is misleading at best. I recognize that it was supposed to have some kind of a 'universal' character and 'make us think', but it was very much a "chicken soup for the soul - Holocaust edition" kind of a book to me.

There are also lots of really very good books for children and teens about the Holocaust. I read a number of them when I was a kid, and I'm sure there have been more since - ones with fully formed and believable characters, and some historical research behind them.

[mammastar2]

So far as other recs go, I'm not hugely up on what's new out there, but I have a few ideas:

- The Diary of Anne Frank - obviously. No accuracy issues there.

- When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr (link below). I remember reading this one when I was younger and finding it really engaging.

http://www.amazon.com/When-Hitler-St.../dp/0698115899

- Hana's Suitcase (link below). I haven't read this, but it sounds intriguing and has got lots of favorable coverage.

http://www.amazon.com/Hanas-Suitcase...7679286&sr=1-1

[abomgardner417]

It wasn't the inaccuracy that bothered me, it was just the horrible ending. I didn't read the book, but the movie just shocked and depressed me so badly - I was down for days after watching it. IMHO, it's way more than a child can handle.

[annettemarie]

Thank you for the thoughts and the recs. Obviously, I haven't read the book myself. I'm now wondering if I should, not because I want Michael to read it, but just to see for myself if it's as bad as I heard.

[nerdymom]

I don't know about that book particularly, but as WWII history and the Holocaust have been favorite subjects of mine (I took a semester of "History of the Holocaust" even, that was grim, let me tell you), I can simply waltz over to my bookshelf.

Ok, I'm back. I'm assuming you're referring to your eldest? I'll write the list from most -to least suitable by age and writing style. I have omitted some books that might be suitable because they have female protagonists. If you are interested in a more complete listing, just PM me.

-Friedrich, Hans Peter Richter [fiction]

-Daniels story Carol Matas [fiction]

-The Diary of Petr Ginz Petr Ginz [nonfiction pre-deportation journal of a young Czech boy. It's the Anne Frank for boys.]

-Night Eli Wiesel [nonfiction, firsthand survivor account. Is the first of a trilogy.]

-Dry Tears, the story of a lost childhood Nechama Tec [nonfiction firsthand survivor account. Female protagonist, but too good not to list.]

-Survival in Auschwitz Primo Levi [nonfiction firsthand survivor account]

This is a disturbing subject. I would try to at least skim each book so that you understand what he's reading. He's bound to be emotional, to have questions. None of the books I listed have any foul language or sexual content (as far as I remember) but there is a lot of violence. The first three are the tamest. the first two being written for children in grades 4-7. The third is a simple journal, with some editing to explain certain things, and there is an explanation that Petr was deported to Treblinka, and later transferred to Auschwitz, where he did die. The last three are survivor stories that are more adult, more graphic. They are still hard for me to read.

I don't know how close you are to DC, but the National Holocaust Memorial Museum is worth a visit. They have a children's exhibit that is quite thorough and honest without being graphic or too disturbing. Also if you are close to DC I have all of the above books that you may borrow.

[MsBirdie]

I enjoyed Number the Stars when I was in 4th grade.

[aprons_and_acorns]

I read Twenty and Ten when I was in fifth grade. It has a girl narrator but there are some clever boy characters too.

[Pinoikoi]

All but my Life is pretty good. It is by Gerta something.. Weissman?

Anyway, there is actually an educational unit that goes with it from the Dept of Education I think? Gerta is a survivor and the DOE interviewed her on the DVD that came with it.. the kit had the things she was able to smuggle (reprints obviously) but photos of her family for instance which I thought was good for kids to learn about primary sources..

She was not in a concentration camp, but a work camp, so there is quite a bit of difference with her experience..

http://classiclit.about.com/od/allbu.../aa_allbut.htm

Night by Elie Weisel is probably the most acclaimed piece for its literary strength and power.. I believe Elie spoke at the opening of the Smithsonian's Holocaust museum.. it is a bit haunting for younger audiences I think, though.. I have taught it to 14yo, and I think there are schools that teach it to middle schoolers- but I think that is a stretch for most kids..

Has anyone read Maus? It is a graphic novel- but a novel definitely not a comic book. I read Maus I and Maus II.. one is more adult than the other imho, but very artistically done imho.. I think in this case, it was a son documenting his father's stories rather than a first hand account, though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maus

OP: From an educational standpoint, Anne Frank Diary of a Young Girl, is imho, a story of a girl that lived during the Holocaust.. but I think it is more about being a young adult (her infatuation with the boy in her diary for example is a recurring theme) rather than an educational book ABOUT the Holocaust.. I think Night is probably the strongest choice for Holocaust education, but it is pretty haunting, so perhaps the Weissman book might be a good place to start..

[Summertime Mommy]

I haven't read the book, but I saw the movie. I would not recommend it to anyone. The historical inaccuracy didn't bother me, but the end haunted me for days.

[heartmama]

I watched the movie with ds and he got a lot from it. None of us thought it was too graphic or disturbing for kids. I pretty much figured what the end would be in advance so it wasn't a shock--just very sad and hard to think about afterwards. I just took it for what it tried to be, rather than focusing on what it lacked. Most parents will not take younger kids to see something like Schindlers List and many younger kids would have a hard time digesting a book like Anne Frank. Someone mentioned 'Night' which I thought was a terrifying memoir (of course!) and definitely not what I would recommend for a ten year old, unless they were exceptionally mature in coping with this subject matter.

This was clearly meant to be a family friendly introduction to a very disturbing and complicated issue. They were trying to make it a movie children could watch and feel more or less able to digest. I think in that sense it was a success. The protagonist seemed naive because he was the voice of a child watching the movie ie. "Why do you have a number?" "Why are the Jews called bad people?" "What is a Jew?" "What is this camp?" "Did you do something bad to end up here?" etc. These are the types of questions a child today will have when first introduced to the issues in this movie, and I think the movie tried to answer those questions by making the main character seem very sheltered.

[cupcakeladybug]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I have it waiting in my movie stack. I am going to try to sit back and watch a few of them tomorrow.

[madskye]

If you want to give it a read yourself, you could probably finish it in a few hours. It's pretty slight.

It's written from a child's point of view, and it's fiction--so I'm sure there are things in it that are inaccurate, and it's easy to say that a child would know/should know, etc--but in this book, from this childs viewpoint--he doesn't.

I wouldn't recommend the book because I thought it was heavy-handed and JUST NOT THAT GOOD, honestly.

In My Hands, by Irene Got Updyke is also a wonderful book--perhaps better for teens but you might want to check it out on Amazon.

Also, The Book Thief is fiction about Germany in WW II, and it is beautifully written literature.

I just think the Holocaust is such heavy material to write about--you have to do it BETTER than this one. The ending, that several people mentioned, just felt manipulative to me. It's the kind of book that I threw across the room after I finished reading!

[obiandelismom]

I think The Devil's Arithmetic (by Jane Yolen) would be ok for a 10yo, but you should probably read it first to be sure. And it's about a girl. But it is REALLY wonderful!

[Valval]

"The Silver Sword" by Ian Serraillier. I think it used to be called "Escape from Warsaw". My dad gave it to me when I was in 4th grade and it was my introduction to the Holocaust. If I remember correctly it was about a family of children trying to find their parents and I remember it being from a male's POV. I'll probably have my daughter read that one when she's ready.

It was the first book that popped into my head when I read the OP.

[MsBirdie]

Originally Posted by obiandelismom

I think The Devil's Arithmetic (by Jane Yolen) would be ok for a 10yo, but you should probably read it first to be sure. And it's about a girl. But it is REALLY wonderful!

that was a great book

[ChristaN]

I don't know how you would feel about this one, but when dd#1 was very interested in the Holocaust a few years ago, we read Stanley Milgram's Obedience to Authority together. She, too, is a very competent reader, but I did have to explain some of the words to her -- like counteranthropomorphism :. I definitely think that it is a read together type of book, though, to help the child understand the themes.

Dd was interested in how and why something like the Holocaust could happen, so I thought that the Milgrim experiments were a good explanation of that. We also went to a Holocaust survivor event at our local college to hear survivors speak.

[Irishmommy]

Originally Posted by obiandelismom

I think The Devil's Arithmetic (by Jane Yolen) would be ok for a 10yo, but you should probably read it first to be sure. And it's about a girl. But it is REALLY wonderful!

Dd1 read that book a number of times, starting in grade 5. We rented the movie about a year ago, and she lasted about 15 minutes or so. The movie ending is way more graphic and goes further than the book. I'd recommend the book, not the movie.

[mammastar2]

Originally Posted by ChristaN

I don't know how you would feel about this one, but when dd#1 was very interested in the Holocaust a few years ago, we read Stanley Milgram's Obedience to Authority together. She, too, is a very competent reader, but I did have to explain some of the words to her -- like counteranthropomorphism :. I definitely think that it is a read together type of book, though, to help the child understand the themes.

Dd was interested in how and why something like the Holocaust could happen, so I thought that the Milgrim experiments were a good explanation of that. We also went to a Holocaust survivor event at our local college to hear survivors speak.

Those are both really interesting suggestions!

I found this teachers' resource site - it may be useful, but the problem is that it doesn't give you a feel for any of the resources that are listed:

http://fcit.usf.edu/HOLOCAUST/

This list may be useful:

http://www.elmhurstpubliclibrary.org...orGrades45.php

So far as "Striped Pajamas" go, I'm not usually a stickler for historical accuracy in historical fiction, especially for kids. However, the kind of inaccuracy in the book is the kind that really matters to me, since it goes to the heart of a lot of the 'why' questions that kids (and adults) will have about the Holocaust. You just end up with a really skewed picture of life in Nazi Europe - and you don't ask the right questions about how people can treat each other that way - if you take even the broad contours of what the book puts out there to be true.