DS and I just finished reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne.  It is *wonderful*!  We read it in advance of seeing the movie (although it's not playing here...we'll have to wait for the DVD.). If you are studying the Holocaust, this is a great book to introduce your child(ren) to the topic.  I hadn't heard of the book, or the movie, until I heard Bob Wholeshefski (sp) from Plugged In Online discussing it in his weekly reviews.

Don't read toooo much about the movie, or the book, because there are some people giving away the ending/spoilers...which in this case, ruins the reading of the book.

Book:

www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780385751063-The+Boy+in+the+Striped+Pajamas

Movie Trailer:

www.thefilmfactory.co.uk/boy/

Info from IMDB:

www.imdb.com/title/tt0914798/

 EDITED TO ADD:

I found some lesson plans online:

www.youthfilmproject.org/documents/BOYDiscussionGuide.pdf

www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl

www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780385751063.pdf

www.youthspecialties.com/free/general/BoyInTheStripedPajamas_StudyGuide.pdf

www.classicalmagnet.org/The%20Boy%20in%20the%20Striped%20Pajamas%20Final.doc

thanks for posting this, it looks very good.

Thanks we are hoping to get to WW II in Jan. I will add that to my growing list of resources. Michele

I'd like to study it sometime. Another good book is called "The Devils Arithmatic" (spell?) by Jane Yolen. It is also a movie. I've seen the movie a few times and it is WONDERFUL. It is an amazing movie. I also have the book for my kids to read later.

Here is a link to the movie - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179148/

Here is another reccomendation.  The Island on Bird Street,  by Uri Orlev. 

http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780395616239-The+Island+on+Bird+Street

There is a sequel to this called Man from the Other Side.   We have it but have not read it yet.  I expect it to be good as well. 

Yay!  The movie is going to play in our city!  I'll report back about it after we see it.  For some reason all matinees are "off" for this week - so it will be a couple of weeks.

JC

The book is really good.  My neighbor and I both read it and saw the movie.   As is most often the case the book is better.  :o)  It was interesting to hear the audience react to different parts of the movie.  You could tell who had read the book and who hadn't.  :o)   I think I misinterpreted the relationship between the mom and the young lieutenant in the book or maybe it was changed for the movie.

The father in the movie is also Remus Lupin in Harry Potter films.

I believe the mom-Lt. relationship was changed.  I haven't seen the movie yet, but I read a lot of stuff about it online, and that was mentioned.  It was too bad they felt the need to put that in.