In Grade 9 English, students are currently studying John Boyne’s novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. We began by looking at the historical context of the
aftermath of World War 1, the Holocaust and the NAZI’s rise to power between 1918 and 1945.

Set during World War II, the novel follows Bruno, the young son of a Nazi commandant, who moves near a concentration camp. There, he befriends Shmuel, a Jewish boy imprisoned behind the camp’s fence. Their innocent friendship unfolds amidst the horrors of the Holocaust, ultimately leading to a tragic and haunting conclusion that highlights the devastating consequences of prejudice, obedience, and war through the eyes of a child.

Students are interpreting information based on the text written, what it infers and how to best structure these inferences in paragraph form, answering varying questions about the book chapters.