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Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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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GinaKButler
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Up next…this one is on my 12 in ‘24 list.

#bookspinbingo

26 likes1 stack add
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sophiekinnett

“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas“ blends reality and imagination by grounding itself in historical context with a fictional storyline that dives into human nature during a horrible time. The use of actual events and creative narrative allows the author to construct a captivating and emotionally impactful tale that has the reader contemplation on themes of morality, innocence, and the repercussions of hatred.

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SophieA
Pickpick

Review:
The book is in the historical fiction genre. It balances fact and fiction by creating a fictional character who is in the concentration camps and a boy who is not but it is also factual because the Holocaust and WWll is something that happened. The book shows the feelings of how the Jews felt which is historically accurate.

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SophieA

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I will connect this book and its historical information with my students by guiding them in learning about the Holocaust and reading more stories that build upon my student's knowledge. I believe that the book is a great way to start the conversation about WWll and all its complexities.

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SophieA
Pickpick

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

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Abbylippert

“We're not supposed to be friends, you and me. We're meant to be enemies. Did you know that?“

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Abbylippert

I would use this novel with older elementary students, as the topic covered is graphic, disturbing, and emotional. It is vital that students learn about the Holocaust tragedy so that they can understand that hatred, manslaughter, and discrimination have no place in this world. The friendship portrayed in this book will allow students to gain a greater understanding of the horrific events that occurred during this time in history.

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Abbylippert
Pickpick

This historical fiction novel tells the story of a friendship between a young German boy, son of a Nazi officer, and a young boy in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. Their friendship is a fictional element used to convey historical and factual elements of the Holocaust in an emotional and impactful way. The development of the characters and descriptions throughout the book are used to encourage reflection of hatred and discrimination.

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Macey_Mitchell

“And then the room went very dark and somehow, despite the chaos that followed, Bruno found that he was still holding Shmuel‘s hand in his own and nothing in the world would have persuaded him to let go.”

“He took hold of Shmuel‘s tiny hand in his and squeezed it tightly. ‘You‘re my best friend, Shmuel,‘ he said. ‘My best friend.‘”

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Macey_Mitchell

I believe that this book opens a gateway for children to forge meaningful connections with the past. The story was set against the backdrop of World War II. This story not only unveils the harsh realities of the past but also serves as a catalyst for young readers to reflect on compassion, tolerance, and the importance of understanding our shared human history. It is a powerful tool for children to engage with complexities of the past.

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Macey_Mitchell
Pickpick

This historical fiction piece of literature is told through the eyes of a nine-year old boy named Bruno. The book inspires readers to consider the historical period in which Nazis utilized concentration camps to severely mistreat those who belonged to the Jewish community. I felt the author did a great job balancing fact and fiction. The book clearly portrays how Jews were treated, while following the imaginary friendship of the two young boys.

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mcappel

“It‘s so unfair,‘ said Bruno. ‘I don‘t see why I have to be stuck over here on this side of the fence where there‘s no one to talk to and no one to play with and you get to have dozens of friends and are probably playing for hours every day. I‘ll have to speak to Father about it.“

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mcappel

This book would be good to read with 5th through high school students. It shows the dark reality of those who lived through the Holocaust. This book would be best read as lit circles followed by class discussions. Having class discussions will encourage students to connect to how some people are treated in today's society. It would be important to have students research how groups today are being mistreated and discriminated against.

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mcappel
Pickpick

This book was told in the time of World War II in Nazi Germany. It shares the story of two boys, one is the son of a Nazi and the other is a Jewish boy who is in a concentration camp. The story goes to show the friendship between the two young boys as they try to survive the devastation of WWII. The book helps the reader understand how severe the differences in how people were treated between Jewish people and German people.

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ChelseaM6010
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#BookBinge
Day 5. Stripes on cover
#StripesOnCover
Missed a few days—Playing catch up

Eggs Perfect 👏🏻🤗 8mo
9 likes1 comment
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Kshakal
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Eggs 😣😢 8mo
35 likes1 comment
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Andrew65
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This was the first book that came to mind with #StripesOnCover 😢
#BookBinge

@AlwaysBeenALoverOfBooks @Eggs

Eggs Perfect choice 💔 8mo
74 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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MeJeMiller
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Pickpick

A book is always more impactful when it‘s a serious situation told from a kid‘s POV. I enjoyed the character being young and the mispronouncing of words. And how quick this book moved.

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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. 10mo
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. 10mo
Mccall0113 This one has stayed with me a long time. I absolutely loved the sequel. 10mo
46 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!😻 11mo
EmilieGR Thank you @Leftcoastzen!!! 11mo
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. 11mo
bookaholic1 @RebelReader ok good to know, thanks!! 11mo
29 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. 11mo
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! 11mo
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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 💗 12mo
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! 12mo
Mandoul Thanks - I hadn't realised there was a follow-up. I'll pop that on my list 🙂 12mo
candc320 You‘re welcome, @Mandoul ! 12mo
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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!! 14mo
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 :) 14mo
Trashcanman Welcome to Litsy here's a kiss for you 😘 13mo
See All 39 Comments
Trashcanman @thebackyardgnome I love non fiction too. 13mo
thebackyardgnome @Trashcanman oh, that's great ! Do you have any favourite titlrs ? 13mo
Trashcanman A Confession by Lev Tolstoy, Darkness Visible by William Styron, Letters from a Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke 13mo
Trashcanman Top 3 13mo
Trashcanman What are yours? 13mo
Trashcanman I'm depressed and bipolar but I'm harmless ask @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 13mo
thebackyardgnome @Trashcanman it's okay ~ I dont have any relatives who arent either on the autism spectrum or dealing with mental illnesses. Or both. 13mo
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 13mo
Trashcanman @thebackyardgnome tell me what you saw! Great books I need to read them 13mo
Trashcanman I'm George by the way. 13mo
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). 13mo
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 13mo
Trashcanman @thebackyardgnome it's pleasure to meet someone who prefers NF books. I'm glad to have met you. What's your native language? 13mo
thebackyardgnome @Trashcanman likewise! Are you from the US? My native language is Polish with Kashubian stirred in 13mo
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 13mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @thebackyardgnome this is the best place ever!! 13mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Trashcanman he is a true gem and I‘m honored to be his friend ❤️ 13mo
hannah-leeloo Welcome to litsy sweet, happy reading 📚💙📖 13mo
Mrs_B Welcome to Litsy!!! 13mo
AmyG Welcome! 🎉 13mo
RedxoHearts Welcome! 13mo
bthegood welcome to Litsy - 13mo
thebackyardgnome @hannah-leeloo hello! Thsnk you so much 13mo
thebackyardgnome @bthegood hii! Nicr to meet you :) 13mo
thebackyardgnome @AmyG hello 💕 thsnk you ~ 13mo
thebackyardgnome @RedxoHearts hey ~ thank you for your welcomf ~ 13mo
thebackyardgnome @Mrs_B hi Lucy! Thsnk you and enjoy Budapest ! 13mo
Mrs_B @thebackyardgnome thank you! I hope you‘re having a lovely day. :) 13mo
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. 😅 13mo
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. :) 13mo
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. :) 13mo
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. 😅 13mo
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. 13mo
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. 😬 13mo
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 🤚🏻 14mo
marleed Heartbreaking. The sequel is on my TBR. 14mo
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. 14mo
3 likes4 comments
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Besha
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4 likes1 stack add
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jamield1911
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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. 2y
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. 2y
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? 2y
See All 7 Comments
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. 2y
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. 2y
JenlovesJT47 Thank you! Adding them all to my list 🤗 2y
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. 2y
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

73 likes2 stack adds
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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. 2y
MissYaremcio Kenneth - thank you for the post! The ending is a tough one for sure! 6/6 2y
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! 2y
1 like1 comment
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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. 2y
MissYaremcio Thank you for the review Dom! I was just missing the recommendation and the theme! 3/6 2y
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? 2y
JacintaMCarter @Texreader There was definitely some sniffling happening. 2y
35 likes2 comments