- Bruno is technically nine years old… but how old does he seem to you? Older? Younger? Nine exactly? How do you think Boyne does when it comes to representing the voice of a kid? How about for Gretel's character?
- Why do you think Bruno doesn't understand what his father does? Is it because he never asks, or because his parents lie to him?
- How does Bruno's mother feel about moving from Berlin to Auschwitz? Point to examples in the text.
- How do Bruno's grandparents' attitudes about his father's promotion and subsequent move to Auschwitz compare and contrast?
- Do you think Boyne makes Bruno too naïve when it comes to current events? Do you think it's really possible for him to not know anything about the concentration camps, Hitler, and Jewish people? Why or why not?
- Why do you think Boyne calls the novel a fable? What about the story makes it a fable?
- How do the women in Bruno's family view Auschwitz and Bruno's father's position?
- What do you think of Bruno's malapropisms (misuse or distortion) of the words Auschwitz ("Out-With") and the Fuhrer ("the Fury")? Why does Boyne choose to have Bruno misunderstand the words?
- What do you make of Gretel's explanation that they (Germans) are the "opposite" of Jews?
- Why do you think the title is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas? Why is Shmuel (and not Bruno) the title character?
- How would you classify the genre of the novel? Is it more historical fiction or fable? Or neither? Can you think of other examples of media (books, films, graphic novels, and such) that fit into the same sort of genre combination?