Blog Post: Science of Breakable Things and Boy in the Striped Pajamas

This week I will be reviewing two YA books: The Science Of Breakable Things by Tae Keller and The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. I read both of these books while subbing. I had never heard of The Science Of Breakable Things until last year when it was a class novel for the 5th graders at Massillon. The Boy In The Striped Pajamas is one of my younger brother’s favorite books, and it was a class novel I read back in 7th grade. Although I remembered parts of the book, I thought it was important to reread it. Both books were enjoyable and easier reads. I read these books quickly, but I’ve been busy with three jobs to have time to sit down and write. Sorry!  

The Science Of Breakable Things

The Science Of Breakable Things tackles the themes of family, friendship, mental illness, and being true to one’s self. The main character’s name is Natalie, and her mom is suffering from depression. Natalie’s mom lost her as a Botanist at the local university due to funding and lack of support from the university. Because she is suffering from depression, she is in bed most of the novel, but both Natalie and her dad worry about her health. They try to find ways to keep her included in daily family life. Natalie and her family live in a town/ suburb without a description of which state. Natalie’s best friend is Twig and Natalie’s friendship with Twig throughout the book is constant. There are arguments between the two characters, but these minor conflicts get resolved in the novel. Twig’s family is also difficult for a young person to navigate because her dad lives in France and her mother is a fashion designer. 

The plot of the book is relatively simple; Natalie’s science teacher, Mr. Neely suggests that Natalie enters an egg drop competition for a class project. Both Natalie and Twig work together to create their scientific egg drop experiment in which their classmate, Dari joins their team. Although the three of them lose the egg drop competition, the story shows how Natalie copes with her own feelings as her mom isn’t much help and how Natalie navigates social situations with her schoolwork and her friends. The story starts at the beginning of the school year and then ends around Christmas time. 

 At the end of the story, Natalie’s mom explains to Natalie that it was very kind and courageous for her to enter an egg drop competition in order to potentially receive money to take her mom back to New Mexico to see the Cobalt Blue Orchid flowers. The Cobalt Blue Orchids are a rare breed of flower that only grow in New Mexico and are a genetic mutation due to an accidental waste plant spillage in the area. They are the flower that Natalie’s mother studies, and are seen as a symbol of hope in the book.

Throughout the novel, Natalie tries to be true to herself and her feelings by expressing her concerns for her mom, maintaining her relationship with Twig, and handling the science project with their new friend Dari with academic confidence. Natalie doesn’t have many hobbies outside of the egg drop competition, hanging out with Twig, and caring about her mom which may be why she has a bit of anxiety as a character.

Natalie’s dad sends her to therapy. Natalie’s dad is a therapist and wants her to have help understanding her own emotions. He also wants a licensed professional to explain her mother’s depression. Natalie’s relationship with her dad is pretty standard and average except she knows when they are having a “therapist dad” conversation vs a “normal dad” conversation. Those only happen a few times in the book, and throughout the novel, her dad is supportive about the egg drop competition and Natalie’s own mental health. 

The ending of the book is positive and strong with reflection towards the deeper emotions that appear in the book. I’m still slightly confused on whether Natalie’s mom still had her job at the university or if she was actually fired. I wish the author would have explained that more because her office is still intact and set up as if Natalie’s mom still had her job when Natalie and Twig break into the office in order to find extra Cobalt Blue Orchid seeds to save Natalie’s mom from depression. 

The book slightly reminded me of the characters in the Baby-sitter’s club series, although those characters are in high school they also solve problems and focus on their school work. 

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas

I’m still really shocked that I forgot that I read this book in 7th grade. My teacher at the time did a really good job asking the class about the plot, how the characters felt about different situations, and how, as a reader, if we were in the character’s shoes, how we would feel about different situations that happened to each character. 

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas is a classic middle school read, and it illustrates the themes of WWII, friendship, hardship, Nazi Germany, and a young boy’s choices. 

This book was an easier read than The Science Of Breakable Things. There aren't a lot of difficult words used in this book, besides the word Ergo. The reader has to piece together what is happening on the other side of the fence for the majority of the novel. There are some social settings that have to be explained to the reader if they are not familiar with Nazi Germany and the relationship between the Nazi’s and the Jewish people.

The family’s situation with moving and leaving their old life behind is a difficult topic, and illustrates how many Nazi families were normal families before WWII who held normal lives in society. Bruno’s family relationship with Bruno’s dad’s mom (Bruno’s grandma) was an important part of his life in Germany. The family tries to keep up their social graces by having fancy dinner, Gretel has a flirtatious relationship with Kurt, and there are maids and waitstaff in the new house. Life is still not the same for Bruno’s family because when they moved to Poland they lost living in a busy city in Germany and having a school for Bruno and Gretel to attend. 

Bruno meets the character, Shmuel from behind the concentration camp fence (Auschwitz) over the hill behind Bruno’s family house. Bruno is too young and doesn’t realize the severity of the concentration camp. Shmuel is seen as a prisoner, doesn’t have basic human rights, and will ultimately be killed . This friendship grows throughout the book, but there is not enough conversation about the hardships that Shmuel is facing for Bruno to fully understand what is happening in the concentration camp. There are also not enough conversations with Bruno for him to fully understands what it means for his dad to be wearing a red and black uniform with the Nazi swastika symbol. 

The ending of the story is sad because I wish Bruno would have invited Shmuel back to his parent’s house and taken responsibility for the consequences. Instead he follows Shmuel and lives his life in the concentration camp as a prisoner, with Bruno's family not knowing where he went. 

The tone of the book is somber, without having any flowery language or allusions in the text. 

Bruno as a character is honest, curious, and friendly which is why the story is compelling to read. He is also young and admits that he doesn’t know everything about the world which adds to the story's elusive tone sometimes. 

Both books are great examples of glimpses into YA characters’ lives, their struggles, and how they handle their problems. If I were to be teaching these books in a classroom setting, I would need supplemental materials to help students understand WWII, Nazi Germany, and mental health. 

Sorry for recent longer blog posts; the next ones I’m going to try to keep them a bit shorter. Thank you for reading! Happy Fall!