Nine-year-old Bruno is completely unaware of the horrific events of the Holocaust and the atrocities his country is inflicting on Europe. Everything has changed for him since he moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a remote location, where he has no playmates and nothing to do. This changes when he meets Shmuel, a boy who lives on the other side of a fence and, like the other people there, wears striped pajamas. Bruno's friendship with Shmuel leads him from innocence to discovery. As he begins to understand what is happening around him, he inevitably becomes involved in this horrific process. Bruno's journey slowly reveals the harsh reality of his surroundings, and his innocent curiosity leads to tragic consequences.