The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
  • Published: 1 August 2012
  • ISBN: 9780099572862
  • Imprint: Vintage Children's Classics
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 256
  • RRP: $21.00

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Formats & editions
Paperback
30 Aug 2022
Paperback
3 Nov 2014
Paperback
1 Aug 2012
Paperback
2 Feb 2009
EBook
1 Jun 2010
Audiobook
6 Oct 2016
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An extraordinary tale of innocence, friendship and the horrors of war


Discover an extraordinary tale of innocence, friendship and the horrors of war.

'Some things are just sitting there, minding their own business, waiting to be discovered. Like America. And other things are probably better off left alone'

Nine-year-old Bruno has a lot of things on his mind. Who is the 'Fury'? Why did he make them leave their nice home in Berlin to go to 'Out-With' ? And who are all the sad people in striped pyjamas on the other side of the fence? The grown-ups won't explain so Bruno decides there is only one thing for it - he will have to explore this place alone. What he discovers is a new friend. A boy with the very same birthday. A boy in striped pyjamas. But why can't they ever play together?

‘A small wonder of a book’ Guardian

BACKSTORY: Read an interview with the author JOHN BOYNE and learn all about the Second World War in Germany.
  • Published: 1 August 2012
  • ISBN: 9780099572862
  • Imprint: Vintage Children's Classics
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 256
  • RRP: $21.00
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About the author

John Boyne

John Boyne was born in Ireland in 1971. He is the author of eleven novels for adults, six for younger readers and a collection of short stories. Perhaps best known for his 2006 multi-award-winning book The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, John’s other novels, notably The Absolutist and A History of Loneliness, have been widely praised and are international bestsellers. Most recently, The Heart's Invisible Furies was a Richard & Judy Bookclub word-of-mouth bestseller, and A Ladder to the Sky was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award in association with Listowel Writers’ Week.

His novels are published in over fifty languages.

portrait photo of John Boyne

Also by John Boyne

Water
Earth
All The Broken Places
Noah Barleywater Runs Away
This House is Haunted
The Heart's Invisible Furies
The Echo Chamber
See all

Praise for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

This novel is a fine addition to a once taboo area of history, at least where children's literature is concerned. It provides an account of a dreadful episode short on actual horror but packed with overtones that remain in the imagination. Plainly and sometimes archly written, it stays just ahead of its readers before delivering its killer punch in the final pages

Independent

An extraordinary tale of friendship and the horrors of war

Irish Independent

In this unforgettably moving Holocaust tale, nine-year-old Bruno is witness to events devastating in their tragedy

Irish Times

So what makes these different to any other set of classics? In a moment of inspiration Random House had the bright idea of actually asking Key stage 2 children what extra ingredients they could add to make children want to read. And does it work? Well, put it this way...my 13-year-old daughter announced that she had to read a book over the summer holiday and, without any prompting, spotted The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas...and proceeded to read it! Now, if you knew my 13-year-old daughter, you would realise that this is quite remarkable. She reads texts, blogs and tags by the thousand - but this is the first book she has read since going to high school, so all hail Vintage Classics!

National Association for the Teaching of English

A small wonder of a book

Guardian