For such a short and simple book, this story is poignant and powerful, yet innocently written. Bruno is this nieve young boy who walks to the edge of his property where there is a fence, and every day he chats with Schmuel, a young boy on the other side of the fence. Bruno struggles with big questions - why is the fence there? Who are all the people in striped pajamas? Why are they there?

Families are so complicated, and in the eyes of a child, it can be hard to understand everything. I appreciated the exploration of this theme in this story. There is a very clear good v. evil dynamic as well.
Even days aften reading I still feel an emotional connection to this story, and to Bruno. Even though I had seen the movie version years ago, I was still captivated by the novel as I really had forgotten the story.
I think this is a book for everyone. You could read it to kids, teens could read it, and adults a like. It's just one of those books for all generations. It also teaches that you never really know what experience anyone is having on the other side of a fence, whether it's an actual fence or a metaphorical fence.