When this first came out in hard cover, my sister urged me to read it. At that time, I wasn't ready. Now that it's in paperback and a movie has been made about it (whichI haven't seen), I think I'm ready. I bought this for myself at my local Borders and have it on my "to be read" pile.

Gosh I found this wishlist book on the book buffet table at the BC 10th anniversary convention. Thank you so much! Heard so much about it.

Finally get to read it, and by this time I've heard about both the raving and scalding reviews about the story. I agree, on the surface, it's a moving story about two boys' friendship during war. I also agree with most critical reviews that it's quite improbable that the Jewish boy can spend hours, on many days, sitting by an unguarded fence, without the guards or other captives noticing. Or how naive Bruno can be, when he should be indoctrinated and chatting slogans already. However, what I find most disturbing is this:

(spoiler alert)Among the many stories told of Holocaust, this one garners attention because the story seems especially tragic? Why? Because, well, the boy doesn't belong there. He is just a lonely boy who is at the wrong place at the wrong time. Which begets the questions - so it isn't sad that millions of innocent Jewish children die? That some people do belong on the other side of the fence? That life of the son of a Nazi officer is more precious?

Nice to see you today Azuki!
I've heard so many good things about this book, I'm glad I get the chance to read it now. Thanks!

moved from his home in Berlin to a house outside Auschwitz. As a completely naive nine year old, Bruno is unaware of what is going on and only thinks about how he wants to be back in Berlin with his friends. As he explores his new home, he finds another boy, sitting inside the fence. The two talk and become friends, from completely different worlds and in completely different circumstances.

This is a hard book to review. The subject matter is difficult, the outcome depressing, and yet Bruno was an annoying character for me. Surely a nine year old living under his Nazi father wasn't that clueless as to what his father was up to? Bruno seemed completely unaware of the state of the world, where he was, why other Nazi officers were such horrible people, and why the people working for his family were so scared. Even his friendship with the other boy focused mostly on himself.

Personally, I liked the ending and think the message behind it is good. I only wished that his parents had found out what happened, as this may have been a step towards them realizing how wrong they are.

To the finder of this book: I hope you enjoy reading this book. Please keep it or set it free when you're done. If the book is of no interest to you, please release it into the wild for someone else to find and enjoy. I hope you will make a journal entry so its journey can be tracked and to let me know the book has been found. You can remain anonymous if you wish, but if you join BookCrossing, you are in for a great experience.

Picked this up at our BC Meetup yesterday.

Yesterday, I got a nice, big bunch of books from Leester. This one appears to be a children's book (says "Random House Childrens Books Supports the First Amendment" inside the cover. Altho' I'm not American, off the top of my head, I'm guessing this amendment is about freedom of speech). The book reviews are really positive. I will give it a whirl.