The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

I have just finished an amazing and quite tragic book about a 9 year old boy in Germany in WW2. His dad is a commanding officer and the boy, Bruno, doesn't know what's going on.
They have to move house by Hitlers orders and Bruno hates it at his new place. It's small and dark and it smells funny too.
Out of his bedroom window he can see a large fenced off area in the distance. It is a concentration camp for Jews but, of course, Bruno doesn't know that. So he goes exploring and when he gets to the fence he meets a little boy who, like the rest of the people on the other side of the fence, is wearing striped pyjamas and has a shaved head.
The boy's name is Schmuel and it turns out that they share the same birthday, they are not related though. Their unlikely friendship developes until they are almosty like brothers to each other. Keeping his new and only friend secret is turning out to be one of the hardest things Bruno has ever done in his life.

This remarkable book is written by John Boyne and it is soon to be released as a film adaptation in September 2008. I would recommend that you read the book first. To order the book off amazon follow this link,
http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Striped-Pajamas-John-Boyne/dp/0385751532/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209547340&sr=1-1

I got this book completely by chance, It was a christmas present off my wonderful auntie Jackie!! I'm so glad I read it and I hope that Boynes' other books are just as good.

9/10 (It finished a it too quick, (and too sad, but I wont give anything away!!))