The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Name: __________________________________________

Chapter 1:

1. Who is Maria? How is she treated in the family? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. Which family member treats Maria differently? Why do you think this happens? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

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3. What do you already know about the family because of Maria and Lars? Use evidence to explain your thinking.

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4. Who has being things in mind for Father? How could this impact the plot?

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5. What did Bruno think his father did? Do you think this is strange? Use evidence from the text to explain your thinking.

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6. Where did Bruno’s family live? Is this a real place? Explain your thinking.

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7. What is odd about Father’s office? Use textual evidence to explain your answer.

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Chapter 2:

1. Describe Bruno’s new house. Does anything stand out to you? Explain why/why not using evidence from the text.

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2. What is odd about the new maids in the house? What do you think this could mean for the family? Use evidence to support your answer.

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3. “Maria wasn’t the only maid at the new house either: three were three others who were quite skinny and only ever spoke to each other in whispering voices” (13). Why do you think the maids are all really skinny and whisper to each other? Use evidence to explain your thinking.

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4. “Some people make all the decisions for us” (14). What does this quote mean? Who are the people making the decisions?

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5. Why do you think Maria is so fearful of the soldiers and Bruno is not? Use evidence to explain your thinking.

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6. “... something made him feel very cold and unsafe” (20). What made Bruno feel this way?

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Chapter 3: 1. On page 24, what does Bruno learn his house is named? Why do you think the

house has this name? Why did the author make this alteration to history? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. “... and she saw exactly what Bruno had been talking about” (29). What have Gretel and Bruno discovered?

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Chapter 4:

1. Why do you think the men and the women were separated? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. Describe the setting of the place Gretel and Bruno saw. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

3. What was the explanation Gretel gave for the place looking the way that it did? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

4. What did Gretel and Bruno realize about the children? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

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5. What are all of the people wearing? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Chapter 5: 1. Compare and contrast the way Bruno’s family and the crowds of people traveled.

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2. What do you think of Bruno’s father? Use evidence from the text. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

3. What was the difference between the way Father and Mother parented on page 45.

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4. How does Father respond when Bruno asks about the people in the distance? Use evidence from the text in your response.

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5. What does Bruno think “Heil Hitler” means when his father says it to him? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Chapter 6: 1. Why do you think Maria says it is not important what she thinks about their new

house? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. Do you think Maria is really considered part of the family? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text in your response.

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3. “‘If you ask me, we’re all in the same boat. And it’s leaking’” (58). In your own words, what does this quote mean?

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4. Does Maria like Father? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text to support your thinking.

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5. “‘He has a lot of kindness in his soul, truly he does, which makes me wonder…’” (62). Why did Maria not finish her sentence? What does this show about Maria and what she really thinks?

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6. “‘It’s not up to us to change things’” (65). Do you think this has a deeper meaning than just moving? Why or why not?

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Chapter 7: 1. What was the Great War?

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2. Who is Lieutenant Kotler? Does Bruno like him? Why or why not? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

3. When Bruno says to Pavel, “You’re not a doctor,” what is Pavel’s response? How do you think this could be true? Use evidence from the text to support your thinking.

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4. Why does Bruno think his mom is being selfish at the end of the chapter? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

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Chapter 8: 1. Who were the two people that Bruno missed the most? Why do you think they

did not come with Bruno and his family? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. “... Father was now to be addressed as ‘Commandant’ by Maria, Cook and Lars the butler…” (89). Why do you think there was a sudden change with how Father was addressed?

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3. How did Grandmother respond to Father? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

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4. “‘Dressing up like a puppet on a string’” (90). Who is the puppet and who is the puppeteer?

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5. What does Grandmother say the only thing soldiers are interested in? Use evidence from the text to back up your thinking.

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Chapter 9: 1. Who is Herr Liszt? What is his purpose? What about some of his beliefs?

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2. What is “The Fatherland”? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

3. Bruno states that he wants to start exploring again. What do you think the first place he is going to explore will be?

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4. Bruno noticed that at the camp people were wearing different uniforms. What do you think the different uniforms represent?

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Chapter 10: 1. What did Bruno think was strange about the fence? Use evidence from the text to

support your response. What do you think this means? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. What did Bruno see when he was at the fence? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

3. Describe the boy’s appearance. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

4. What was noticeable about the boy’s face color? What does that mean? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

5. What do Bruno and Shmuel have in common? Why do you think the author makes this choice? Use evidence from the text to support your thinking.

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6. Where is Shmuel from? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

7. What is Bruno’s response when he is unimpressed that Shmuel’s mother can

speak so many languages? What does this show about Schmuel? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

8. Does Bruno know why Shmuel is on the other side of the fence? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text in your response.

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Chapter 11: 1. Who is the Fury? Use evidence from the text to support your response.

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2. What are some of the rules that Gretel and Bruno have to follow when the Fury arrives?

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3. What was the Fury’s response when he finds out that Gretel can speak French? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

4. Why did Bruno think that the Fury was the rudest guest? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

5. When the Fury left, why is Bruno surprised about his exit? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

6. Why are Mother and Father arguing at the end of the chapter? Use evidence from the text to support your thinking.

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Chapter 12: 1. What was Shmuel’s like before being put behind the fence?

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2. What happened to Bruno’s watch? Why do you think this happened? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

3. What is similar and different between Shmuel and Father’s armbands? Why does Bruno not think this is weird?

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4. What is another thing that Shmuel and Bruno have in common? However, how are they different? Use evidence from the text to support your thinking.

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5. What other things about Shmuel’s lifestyle is Bruno surprised about? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Chapter 13: 1. What is the question that Bruno asks Maria? What is Maria’s response. Why did

she respond this way? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. What does Bruno discover about Pavel? What do you think this means? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

3. “‘It usually works the other way round’” (139). What does Shmuel mean by this? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

4. What does Bruno want to be when he grows up? What is Shmuel’s response? Use evidence from the text to support your thinking.

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5. What does Bruno tell Shmuel when he says he is cold? How does Bruno respond? What do you think about this response?

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6. What does Bruno realize about Pavel? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ 7. What happened to Lieutenant Kotler’s father? Why do you think this happened?

Use evidence from the text to support your thinking. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

8. What is unique about where Lieutenant Kotler’s father went? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

9. Did Bruno feel guilty about what happened at dinner? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text to support your thinking.

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Chapter 14: 1. Where do you think Shmuel got the black eye?

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2. “One day Bruno asked Shmuel and all the other people on that side of the fence wore the same striped pajamas and cloth caps” (151). Was Bruno being selfish or does he honestly know know? Use evidence from the text to support your thinking.

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3. Why does Bruno not want Gretel to know about Shmuel? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

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4. What do you think happened to Shmuel’s grandfather? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Chapter 15: 1. How is Bruno being selfish in the beginning of Chapter 15? Do you think he is

truly being selfish? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. Why was Shmuel suddenly in Bruno’s house? What was he supposed to be doing?

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3. What does Bruno compare Shmuel’s hands to? Why do you think the author made this comparison?

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4. How does Bruno respond with Lieutenant Kotler asks if he is friends with Shmuel? Why do you think he responds this way?

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5. “‘I don’t feel anything any more’” (175). Why does Shmuel not feel anything any more? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

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6. What did Bruno and Shmuel do for the first time at the end of the chapter?

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Chapter 16: 1. What does Bruno ask Gretel?

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2. What does Bruno learn about the people on the other side of the fence? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

3. Why did Bruno and Gretel both get lice? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

4. Name one similarity and difference between Bruno and Shmuel at the end of the chapter.

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Chapter 17: 1. Why are Mother and Father arguing? Use evidence from the text to support your

response. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. “Perhaps this is not a place for children” (191). What is Bruno’s response to this statement? What happens? Use evidence to support your thinking.

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3. Why do you think Father makes the decision that Gretel, Bruno, and Mother will return to Berlin? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

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Chapter 18: 1. Why was Shmuel upset? What do you think happened? Use evidence from the

text to support your thinking. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. What plan do Shmuel and Bruno make at the end of the chapter? Make a prediction about what you think will happen next. Use evidence from the text to support your thinking.

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Chapter 19: 1. Why does Bruno think about Grandmother? Use evidence from the text in your

response. Why do you think the author includes this in the fictional story? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. Why does Bruno have to leave his boots behind? Why do you think the author includes this in the fictional story?

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3. What are the two types of people in Shmuel’s home? Use evidence from the text in your response.

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4. What does Shmuel know about the marches? What was the purpose of these marches? Use evidence from the text in your response.

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5. What does Bruno tell Shmuel at the end of the chapter? Why do you think the author included this in the fictional story?

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6. What happened to Bruno and Shmuel? Use evidence from the text in your response.

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Chapter 20: 1. What did Bruno’s father discover?

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2. “No in this day and age” (216). Why do you think the author ended his novel with this line? Use evidence from the text to support your response.

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Author’s Note: 1. Why did the author decide to write this novel through the eyes of a child?

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2. “Fences such as the one at the heart of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas still exist; it is unlikely that they will ever fully disappear” (218). In your own words, what does this quote mean?

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