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This is a difficult one. My reasons for not giving four or five stars is simply because of the use (or rather the obscene misuse) of the Holocaust alongside some personal quibs I have regarding the writing and characters. Is it really essential for it to be set in Auschwitz if it's a fable that bares very little resemblance to what actually happened? The story would work and be less controversial if it was a dystopian novel with subtle nods like striped uniforms. It would would as a sci-fi, fantasy, alternate history...almost anything EXCEPT as a Holocaust novel that seems to anger a lot of people.

I teach English and History. As an English text it is easy enough to read, it has a film to support it and does raise a starter point for introducing poetry such as "Vultures" quite nicely. However, I find the writing to be overly complex and not to a standard to teach to students approaching GCSE. I just think there's better out there that can fit this role.

In regards to teaching History it's almost offensive. The portrayal of the Holocaust and Auschwitz is odd and shows no research. The notion that kids could sit around and chat for hours at a time is funny (if that's the word for this). Likewise, the idea that you could lift up the fence and crawl under/out without a soldier anywhere in sight makes it seem like it was straight out of a Carry On film. I can imagine getting loads of "well what are the Jews moaning about, they could come and go as they please and all that happened was older kids (also Jews!) would hit them from time to time".

The main character is so unbelievable it's unfunny. It's impossible for a German kid to get Fuhrer and Fury (an English word, Germans say Zorm)confused. Likewise why would he not understand Auschwitz or Sich Heil despite hearing it over and over? The kid was a child of a top nazi, would have spent a year in the Hitler Youth and if Hitler was popping over for dinner, I fail to see how he can't understand ANYTHING...and I mean ANYTHING!

I consider myself well read. I would say I was at my brightest between 7 and 11 where I was reading a book a day -still a majority of my lifetime reading 20 years on. It's called KS2 for a reason. Kids that don't have access to books at this stage lose many years of development. At that age I could name you every country in the world, their capital cities, their flags and currency...with few mistakes. I had a solid understanding of most subjects and absorbed numerous facts each day. I find it hard to picture a 9 year old with a private tutor and a library of books about travel not knowing where Poland or Denmark are or anything about German history. Key to writing for kids at this age is to assume they are smarter than all adults. Ever seen the show "are you smarter than a nine year old?" -not easy is it? This kid despite being privately tutored upon Geography and History seems to have no knowledge about Jews, Poland, languages other than German or anything that is happening all around. Think "Shaun of the Dead" and you can imagine the Jews popping out for a cornetto between work shifts...

If he was retarded then it would make a good story. You have the protective father keeping him hidden and pretending he is "normal" to avoid the nazi killing of "defectives" but it's not even clear if this is the case. I just think it's a poor character that doesn't match any 9 year old I have ever encountered facing a situation that isn't plausible...

Tighter writing (perhaps with an even younger narrator) and set it away from Aushwitz and the message will be strong, powerful and I might even care what's happening. This book, if anything, watered down the Holocaust to a double shift at work. Too many "subtle" nods to suggest we know more than Bruno from the start is frustrating and patronising.

Shame as I was looking forward to a novel of this type but will probably look at Private Peaceful or Now is the Time for Running for this genre. They are more thought provoking.