In this moving novel, one day in 1942 nine-year-old Bruno returns from school to find his belongings packed up. From his sheltered life in Berlin, his family moves to Poland. Outside his window Bruno sees a large fence and on the other side hundreds of people in striped pajamas. He feels uneasy about what he sees, but keeps this to himself, especially since he is not sure how his father is involved. One day he meets a boy named Shmuel who lives on the other side of the fence. The two develop an unlikely friendship, despite the circumstances, but Bruno realizes he can never mention this