The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
by John Boyne
★ Top 5 book of 2006 · #4 on Best Books of 2006
This Holocaust novel comes from Irish writer John Boyne and was published in 2006. It is a work of fiction set against the history of the Holocaust.
Best for: Readers drawn to Holocaust-themed fiction by an Irish novelist
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is #4 on BookWard's Best Books of 2006, out of 46 2006 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is about
Bruno is nine years old. When a visit from Hitler leads to a promotion, the family leaves their Berlin home for a new house beside a place Bruno can only call "Out-With". From the house he can see people in what look like striped pyjamas, and he is lonely enough to wonder what lies beyond the fence.
There he meets Shmuel, a boy who shares his age and his birthday. Bruno brings him food, and a friendship grows that neither boy is equipped to understand fully. It has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide, though Holocaust scholars, historians and memorial organizations have criticised its historical inaccuracies.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas on the Best Books of 2006
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas came out in 2006. Of the 46 books first published in 2006 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #4 on our Best Books of 2006 list.
Why it made the list: 1,607 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (76 ratings); 114 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
It earns Being read right now.
Nearby on the 2006 list
- The Book Thief Markus Zusak, #2
- Half of a Yellow Sun Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, #3
- The Secret Rhonda Byrne, #5
- Mindset Carol S. Dweck, #6
See all Best Books of 2006 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2005 Best Books of 2007.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 1,338 want to read it, 114 are reading it now and 155 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.9 out of 5 from 76 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 91 | 55% |
| Reader love | 46 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 91 | 20% |
Questions about The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
When was The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas published?
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne was first published in 2006.
Was The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas one of the best books of 2006?
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is #4 on BookWard's Best Books of 2006, out of 46 2006 books that cleared our data bar. 1,607 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (76 ratings); 114 are reading it right now.
Why is The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas on the Best Books of 2006 list?
1,607 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (76 ratings); 114 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2006
- The Sea of Monsters Rick Riordan, #1
- The Book Thief Markus Zusak, #2
- Half of a Yellow Sun Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, #3
- The Secret Rhonda Byrne, #5
- Mindset Carol S. Dweck, #6
- New Moon Stephenie Meyer, #7
See the full Best Books of 2006, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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