Prisoner B-3087 – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Prisoner B-3087

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2013

88%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

10 concentration camps, one boy, and a survival story so intense it makes your kid's middle school drama look like a spa day.

Prisoner B-3087

book

2013

88%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

10 concentration camps, one boy, and a survival story so intense it makes your kid's middle school drama look like a spa day.

4.8

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, it’s the Holocaust, so obviously it’s not a 'feel-good' romp. But Alan Gratz has a gift for taking the most horrific event in modern history and turning it into a high-stakes survival story that middle schoolers actually want to read.

It’s gritty, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s a total reality check. If your kid is ready to move past the 'easy' history and see what humans are really capable of—both the evil and the resilient—this is the gold standard. It’s the kind of book that stays in the back of your head for years.

Age Fit

Perfect for 10-14 year olds. It's written in a straightforward, fast-paced style that works for reluctant readers, but the content is heavy enough that even adults will find it gripping.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

While the subject matter is dark, the core of the story is about the survival of the human spirit and maintaining one's identity under extreme pressure. It models incredible resilience and quiet acts of kindness in a world of cruelty.

Imaginative

As historical fiction, it focuses on gritty realism rather than abstract world-building. However, it requires significant mental visualization of a historical period that is completely foreign to modern children.

Safe

It's a book about the Holocaust. It contains descriptions of starvation, beatings, public executions, and the general brutality of concentration camps. It's 'safe' because it's educational and expected, but it is deeply harrowing.

Enriching

This is a powerhouse for empathy and history. It takes a massive, abstract historical tragedy and makes it personal, visceral, and impossible to ignore. It's a masterclass in perspective-shifting for young readers.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Alan Gratz is the master of the 'unputdownable' middle-grade thriller; your kid will actually finish this book.
It builds massive empathy by putting the reader directly into the shoes of someone fighting for their life.
Based on the true story of Jack Gruener, giving it a weight and authenticity that fictional stories lack.
It provides a necessary reality check about history without being a dry, boring textbook.

⚠

What to Watch For

The violence is historical but blunt: expect descriptions of hangings, shootings, and the sheer physical toll of starvation.
It's emotionally exhausting. If your kid is currently struggling with anxiety or heavy themes, this might be a 'read together' situation rather than a solo venture.

Conversation Starters

"Yanek says he 'had no name, no family, no possessions.' How do you keep being 'you' when everything is taken away?"
"Why do you think some people chose to be cruel while others took huge risks to help Yanek?"
"Does knowing this was a true story change how you feel about the scary parts?"
"How does Yanek's perspective on 'what matters' change from the beginning of the book to the end?"

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