The Devil's Arithmetic

by Jane Yolen

Overview

Hannah resents stories of her Jewish heritage and of the past until, when opening the door during a Passover Seder, she finds herself in Poland during World War II where she experiences the horrors of a concentration camp, and learns why she-- and we--need to remember the past.Hannah resents stories of her Jewish heritage and of the past until, when opening the door during a Passover Seder, she finds herself in Poland during World War II where she experiences the horrors of a concentration camp

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781432863920
Publisher:	Gale, A Cengage Company
Publication date:	03/13/2019
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	233
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Jane Yolen is the author of more than three hundred books, including Owl Moon, The Devil’s Arithmetic, and How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?. Her books and stories have won the Caldecott Medal, National Jewish Book Award and numerous awards and accolades. She splits her time between Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Editorial Reviews

The Holocaust was so monstrous a crime that the mind resists belief and the story must be made new for each individual. Yolen's book is about remembering. During a Passover Seder, 12-year-old Hannah finds herself transported from America in 1988 to Poland in 1942, where she assumes the life of young Chaya. Within days the Nazis take Chaya and her neighbors off to a concentration camp, mere components in the death factory. As days pass, Hannah's own memory of her past, and the prisoners' future, fades until she is Chaya completely. Chaya/Hannah's final sacrifice, and the return of memory, is her victory over the horror. The book's simplicity is its strength; no comment is needed because the facts speak for themselves. This brave and powerful book has much it can teach a young audience. Ages 10-14. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 4-8 In this novel, Yolen attempts to answer those who question why the Holocaust should be remembered. Hannah, 12, is tired of remembering, and is embarrassed by her grandfather, who rants and raves at the mention of the Nazis. Her mother's explanations of how her grandparents and great-aunt lost all family and friends during that time have little effect. Then, during a Passover Seder, Hannah is chosen to open the door to welcome the prophet Elijah. As she does so, she is transported to a village in Poland in the 1940s, where everyone thinks that she is Chaya, who has just recovered from a serious illness. She is captured by the Nazis and taken to a death camp, where she is befriended by a young girl named Rivka, who teaches her how to fight the dehumanizing processes of the camp and hold onto her identity. When at last their luck runs out and Rivka is chosen, Hannah/Chaya, in an almost impulsive act of self-sacrifice, goes in her stead. As the door to the gas chamber closes behind her, she is returned to the door of her grandparents' apartment, waiting for Elijah. Through Hannah, with her memories of the present and the past, Yolen does a fine job of illustrating the importance of remembering. She adds much to children's understanding of the effects of the Holocaust, which will reverberate throughout history, today and tomorrow. Susan M. Harding, Mesquite Public Library, Tex.

School Library Journal

"A triumphantly moving book."—Kirkus Reviews, pointer review

"[Yolen] adds much to understanding the effects of the Holocaust, which will reverberate throughout history, today and tomorrow."—SLJ, starred review

'When 12-year-old Hannah is transported back to a 1940's Polish village, she experiences the very horrors that had embarrassed and annoyed her when her elders related their Holocaust experiences."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Hannah, a modern American 13-year-old, complains about celebrating Passover Seder, in which she will listen (for the umpteenth time) to her elders remember. But when she reluctantly participates in the ritual, she’s suddenly transported back to Poland in 1942. She has become Chaya, whose future is doomed to the horrors and atrocities of life in a concentration camp. Narrator Barbara Rosenblat is superlative in every way. Her clear voice is suffused with emotion; her dramatic timing perfectly builds suspense and completely captivates the listener. Rosenblat’s finesse with foreign accents and her subtle nuances of vocal inflection render wonderfully drawn, compelling characters. Rosenblat makes Yolen’s powerful story of survival both heartrending and hopeful. J.H.B. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine

MAR 97 - AudioFile