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The Devil's Arithmetic (Puffin Modern Classics) by [Jane Yolen]

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The Devil's Arithmetic (Puffin Modern Classics) Kindle Edition

by Jane Yolen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

1,600 ratings

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

Hannah dreads going to her family's Passover Seder—she's tired of hearing her relatives talk about the past. But when she opens the front door to symbolically welcome the prophet Elijah, she's transported to a Polish village in the year 1942. Why is she there, and who is this "Chaya" that everyone seems to think she is? Just as she begins to unravel the mystery, Nazi soldiers come to take everyone in the village away. And only Hannah knows the unspeakable horrors that await. A critically acclaimed novel from multi-award-winning author Jane Yolen.

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

"Readers will come away with a sense of tragic history that both disturbs and compels." —Booklist

Winner of the National Jewish Book Award
An American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists"

Reading age

11+ years, from customers
Print length

175 pages
Language

English
Grade level

5 and up
Lexile measure

730L
Publisher

Puffin Books
Publication date

October 1, 1990
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ISBN-13

978-0140345353
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Jane Yolen
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Karen Hesse
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Virginia Sorensen
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Jane Yolen
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 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.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

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. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00NUMIM1Y
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Puffin Books; Reprint edition (October 1, 1990)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 1990
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1367 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 175 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #315,438 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #13 in Children's Jewish Fiction
- #20 in Children's Holocaust Fiction Books (Kindle Store)
- #22 in Children's Judaism Books (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
1,600 ratings

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Jane Yolen

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Customer reviews

5 star		82%
4 star		10%
3 star		5%
2 star		1%
1 star		2%

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PROVIDES YOUNG READERS WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE HOLOCAUST…

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2022

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This is a moving work of fiction about the Holocaust that is geared towards the middle school age reader but will hold the interest of even adults, such as myself. It tells the story of a thirteen year old girl from New Rochelle, NY who is at a family Passover Seder and bored by her grandfather’s rants about the Holocaust, which he personally experienced.

While playing a game during the Seder, she suddenly finds herself pulled back in time to a shtetl in 1942 Poland, where she will discover for herself, firsthand, just what the Holocaust was like, as well of the meaning of the numbers tattooed on one’s arm. It is a voyage that will prove to be unforgettable , as well as instructive.

Where Hannah’s voyage of discovery takes her, and what it will mean to her, will keep the reader turning the pages of this book. This book is a voyage of discovery for the reader, just as much as it is for its protagonist. Just enough information is provided to the young reader to give them a basic understanding of the horrors of the Holocaust and instill in them a desire to learn more.

One person found this helpful

Overall a mediocre read

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2018

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I have read at least 7 Holocaust survivor stories to my 10 and 12-year-old children over the course of the last 2 years. I was hesitant to read this book because it is fiction, but decided to go ahead and give it a try since it had such positive reviews. This book starts off slowly and I had to stop and explain the content every 2-3 pages. The author seems to assume that you have attended a Seder (I actually have- 3 times now) and have a working knowledge of the Yiddish language (I do not). Many times the Yiddish word is used to describe something or someone, with no explanation or solid context cues to figure the word out (thank you Google).

The book is very slow for the first 50-60 pages, but does get interesting and exciting when the Nazi army bursts onto the scene. The experiences that the main character experiences at the concentration camp are similar to actual occurrences I've already read in nonfiction books.

At the conclusion of the book I was left to ponder, why did I read an historical fiction account of the Holocaust when there are so many biographical accounts that are much more powerfully told?

16 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2015

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My daughter is reading this book in school and because she is dyslexic, I have started getting my own copy of her required reading so that I can help her if she needs it. This book was so good. It did a great job of telling a story of what it was probably like in a concentration camp. Being that it is written from a 12-year-old's perspective, the situations were very descriptive. It was hard to read the names and remember who belonged to what family, but other than that, it is a very educational and captivating read.

3 people found this helpful

arrived as shown

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2021

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school book

One person found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2020

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This book is very well written. Although it falls into the fiction category, it is based off of a true story that occurred during the holocaust. It brings to light many of the survival techniques people used to survive the time and the atrocities they endured.

Great book goes well with the DVD movie,

Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2008

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The Devil's Arithmetic (Puffin Modern Classics)
The book is very easy to read, goes pretty well with the DVD movie. I used this book The Devil's Arithmetic, DVD movie, and the downloaded study guide in my English high school and middle school classes in my World War II Holocaust unit with: Night by Elie Wiesel, and Raoul Wallenberg: The Man Who Stopped Death Excellent resource for students to get a personal connection to World War II via the main character Hanna who is an high school teen ager who travels back to Poland and experiences the death camp.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2016

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This is an excellent story to introduce and teach children the awfulness of the holocaust. A young Jewish girl doesn't see the point in 'remembering' about her family's horrible past but gets swept back in time to relive part of it as her grandmother's best friend in a concentration camp. The movie is a nice addition after you've read the book but changes the young girl to a teen.

One person found this helpful

excellent and informative read

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2021

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a teacher friend uses it in her clas and recommended it. It was an excellent book and a good read.

Top reviews from other countries

sally tarbox

"We are all heroes here"

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 8, 2016

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As an adult reader, I must admit to not expecting great things, as the story opens with a modern American Jewish family celebrating Seder. "Passover.. is about remembering," Mama tells her bored, slightly spoilt daughter Hannah - the horrific WW2 losss of the older generation wash over the girl, who has heard it all before.

Then, in a deft bit of time travel, Hannah finds herself living in a Polish shtetl in 1942 with an unknown family. It's the eve of a wedding and everyone is happy, but the Nazis are close at hand... As she experiences the horrors of life in a concentration camp, she understands the desperate yearning to survive:

"Everyone knew that as long as others were processed, THEY would not be. A simple bit of mathematics, like subtraction, where one taken away from the top line becomes one added on to the bottom. The Devil's arithmetic."

With a touching ending, I thought this would be an ideal book for around the 11 - 12 age-group (but this adult liked it too!)

One person found this helpful

martinwright

time traveller to auschwitz

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2011

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I read this book after seeing the film (which was great), and found the book to be even better! The prominence of the young inmate who lets the newcomers know how to survive, the midden where the underage inmates hide - all here in the book and missing from the film - all in all a most worthwhile read.

One person found this helpful

Avantika

Must read

Reviewed in India on August 24, 2019

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Holocaust is one of the terrifying facts which has happened in world history & this book has depicted the same through a girl who didn't knee the gravity of the incident & had to relive her past by going through the same .This book is worth the buy & it's my 2nd time in reading it.

Anne

Compelling

Reviewed in Canada on May 17, 2021

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Very well written. A good insight into the plight of the prisoners in the concentration camps.

John K Bond

Arrived Quickly

Reviewed in Canada on March 2, 2022

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As advertised

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