Authors Note: I think this book shows a great example how point of view can change a book.

In The Boy With Striped Pajamas a nine year old boy, son of a Nazi officer, becomes friends with a concentration camp inmate. Together, they become great friends even though there is a fence separating them. The story is written in Bruno’s point of view. From this perspective, a lot of events and characters are described in a way that makes the reader a little naïve about the events going on at the about what his dad does and what is happening at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

One way that Bruno’s point of view influences the reader's interpretation is how this perspective describes the Jewish at the concentration camp. He simply sees them as people with striped pajamas. Even though they are starving and sick, he fails to notice what is really happening. This stood out to me because he will most likely get in trouble later on in the book.

However, the reader would feel a lot differently about the Jewish and the Auschwitz concentration camp if the novel was written in the point of view of Bruno’s dad who is a Nazi officer. As an example, the reader would react angry when Bruno was interacting with Shmuel- who is Jewish -when Shmuel was supposed to be cleaning glasses. These points of views are almost completely opposite.

As you can see, the point of view of a story just shows you one side but knowing the other is important. In The Boy With Striped Pajamas the narrator's perspective makes the reader naïve about the events happening around Bruno. After reading this book you realize how naïve and confused Bruno was towards the concentration camp. He thought the Jewish were only different because they wore striped pajamas and were on the other side of the fence. His point of view is completely different than anyone else’s and leaves you wondering what other people were thinking during the time of Bruno’s short life.

Bravery

Author’s Note: Throughout, Fighting Ground by Avi you will learn how to be brave and how to grow up.

Saving a child from a house fire, fighting for your country, and protecting your family are all examples of courage and valour. Many genres of books included the themes growing up too quickly and bravery, but in my thought action and adventure have the best evidence of themes.  In the book, The Fighting Ground, by Avi, readers will learn how it feels to be brave, which helps you become a strong person, but if you mature too quickly and  think you are invincible, it can hurt you in different ways.

Although bravery is an important aspect to carry in life, being too brave can actually hurt you in multiple ways. Jonathan, a 13 year old, fighting in the Revolutionary War has a lot of evidence of his bravery in the story.  For example, Jonathan was fighting, he took the big role of shooting a musket at the British during war.  Also he saved a little boy that lost his parents and was scared. However, Jonathan was too daring; after the war he finally noticed that war wasn’t fun and games.

Well bravery is a big part of the book, the other theme, growing up too fast is equally as important.  Growing up too quickly is not a great trait to have because Jonathan, barely a teenager, hasn’t lived through his childhood yet, and he still wants to take adult responsibilities. At the age of 13, Jonathan is joining the soldiers to fight for what is right. After almost his death and his close call with getting captured, he finally notices at the end of the book that he was too young for war.

Bravery and growing up too fast isn’t only discussed in Fighting Ground: these themes were also discussed in The Hunger Games.  Katniss, the main character in “The Hunger Games”, took adult responsibilities by providing food for her family and also showed courage by taking her sister’s spot in the games.  Both of these characters share many traits, but are still different in multiple ways.

While bravery and growing up too quickly were huge factors of the similarities in both of the books, determination is what brought the two books together.  Being brave and maturing too fast, both have their pros and cons.

Striving To Live

Authors Note: I Wrote about this theme because it is a super important one in life.

Perseverance plays a huge role in Gecko’s life, he could stay in Juvie but he does everything he can to get out of it. Where he lives is a very hard to place to stay out of trouble because almost everyone is in gangs in his part of town. Peer pressure is hard to say no to. Also his best friend is in one and he is scared that he may lose him because he got in trouble with a gang and they are after him.

He keeps trying to be a good person but staying out of trouble is not his thing. He has to persevere to stay alive because he really has no one taking care of him. He has to work hard to feed himself. He has had to persevere through a very hard life but he is a smart kid and could have bright future ahead of him.  If you work hard you can accomplish great things.

I think this theme relates to Touching Spirit Bear because he has to persevere to stay alive with after getting mauled by a bear. Also to get his full range of motion back in his limbs because they are not healing well.  But they both wanted to live and so they had to persevere to otherwise they would not be alive.

All in all, life will most likely never be easy but trying your hardest is all you can do but those who keep persevering can change bad things into good or great. Where you start doesn’t matter it is where you finish you life is how people are thought of.