Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg

The one thing I love about summer is that I get a chance to go back and read books I have always wanted to read. E.L. Konigsburg’s Silent to the Bone is one of those books.

It begins with a call to 911 and an event that takes away Branwell Zamborska’s power of speech. The transcript of the 911 call is repeated at various times during the book as we all try to decipher who is to blame for his baby sister’s descent into a coma. The nanny claims that Branwell dropped her. Did Branwell do it? Is he refusing to speak or is he simply unable to?

Most of the story is told through the voice of Branwell’s best friend, Connor. It is Connor who insists that his friend is not capable of hurting his sister. And it is Connor who let’s us into the psyche of Branwell as he tries to help him communicate what really happened on November 25th at 2:43p.m.

This is truly a captivating story of a 13-year-old boy who is completely overwhelmed by a life-changing event.

The Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

It is 1942 and nine-year-old Bruno has just moved from Berlin to “Out-With.” “The Fury” transferred his father, a high ranking Nazi commandant. Bruno is incredibly unhappy here since there are no other children his age. Bruno goes exploring one day and meets Shmuel who lives on the other side of a long fence that separates his house from a sandy area with flat buildings. Shmuel is thin, pale and sad and is wearing gray, striped pajamas. Bruno brings him food. They exchange stories about each other’s lives. Neither boy has much of an understanding of the events which are actually taking place in “Out-With.” The story is told through Bruno’s eyes as a child who does not question authority. His innocence is believable and allows the story to unfold as their friendship grows. The ending is horrifying but believable.


This book is not for the faint of heart. It deals with the subject of the Holocaust in a unique, yet powerful account of a friendship between two nine-year-old boys who are yearning to connect.