John Boyne 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'

The cover on the book is totally uninspiring and dates the book to the 1950's. As you read the book you realise why - but unfortunately it may have stopped you from wanting to reach for it on the shelf, which would have been your loss. It was given to me by someone who had bought and read it. I was going to the mainland for a day, overnight stay, and started reading it at the airport, on the helicopter and in bed that night. I didn't want anyone sitting next to me on the helicopter or at the heliport as it would have meant me having to talk to them and not read this book. (Since I wrote the opening sentence I've seen the book with a few different covers than the one I've got).

Bruno was 9 years old and born in 1934 in Berlin, exactly the same birthday as Shmuel, who was born in Poland.
Bruno tells his story in the simple, innocent was of a 9yr old boy. He is astounded when he comes home from school one day to find their maid Maria packing all his clothes and things. He couldn't understand why. What had he done, had he used a naughty word when he shouldn't, is that why they were sending him away? But the whole family were moving, except his Grandma & Grandad, because of his fathers job, his special important job (Bruno still didn't know exactly what that job was). A very important man called 'Fury' had said how important his fathers job was one night when he came to dinner at their house. Fury was smaller than his dad and had a very short mustache (at least Bruno thought it was a mustache, maybe he had missed it when shaving and didn't realise it was there), he also had a beautiful girlfriend called Eva who had smiled and waved at Bruno.
Bruno was miserable in their new house, he had been perfectly content in Berlin, playing at home with his 3 best friends for life, sliding down banisters and now here he was stuck in this cold, nasty house in Out With (wherever that is). Brunos bedroom window looks across to a huge field that goes on forever, which is surrounded by a wire fence. There are lots of sheds and thousands of people who are all wearing the same striped pyjamas. But why are they all on that side and just him, his family and a few soldiers on this side?
Its as he explores one day that he meets Shmuel in a distant part of that field. Shmuel becomes his secret friend. They sit and talk each day, Bruno on one side of the fence and Shmuel on the other, Bruno simply not comprehending some of the things that his friend tells him. Bruno thinks its not fair that Shmuel has got all those other boys to play football with and Bruno has nobody. Why can't Shmuel come on his side or come to tea? Why do they all wear the same clothes, surely they must have other things in their wardrobe? I could sense what was going to happen in the end but I kept hoping I was wrong.
Its a book that talks about something that we have all heard of and read about but its told with the innocence of a child (how different the world would be if they ruled it), its a book that seeps into your life. We, as adults with hingsight, know the sinister implications behind what he sees. Its a lovely, sad book that everybody should read.
The book has now been turned into a major film starring many names I have not heard of but two that I did, Sheila Hancock and David Hayman.