The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Title: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Author: John Boyne
ISBN: 97803857519637

Plot Summary: Bruno is a young German boy living in Berlin with his parents and older sister. When his father's job requires them to move to a remote village in Poland, Bruno bemoans the lack of other children to play with, general ugliness of his surroundings, and the loss of his old friends. However, when he starts to observe the goings-on behind the large fence visible from his bedroom, he makes the acquaintance of a boy his age who helps him realize that there is much more going on in his new home than he previously realized.

Puppet

Title: Puppet
Author: Eva Wiseman
ISBN: 0887768288

Plot Summary: Julie, a young girl growing up in Hungary at the end of the 19th century, deals with poverty, hunger, and domestic violence in her daily life. When her best friend is found dead, the villagers blame the local Jewish community. In the course of the murder trial, Morris Scharf, a young Jewish boy who is the son of the defendant, is coerced, tortured and bribed into giving testimony against his father. Although Julie understands the pressures with which Morris is faced, she decides she must overcome her father's wrath, the community's disapproval, and her own fear in order to tell the truth.