The Devil's Arithmetic (Puffin Modern Classics)

I must admit that I had no idea what this book would be about before I began. No one had given me a clue as to what adventure I would be taking as I read, so I am inclined to say as little as possible while convincing you this a "must read." Children have a remarkable way of creating and imagining another world and set out to act out life in that world of make-believe. The main character, Hannah, does just that. Except that her world is choked by the holocaust. Though this subject can be a dreary one, it is one that our youth should be educated about. This book will certainly bring to mind all of the "simple" things we should be thankful for, which we often take for granted, like a warm yummy meal, their clothes, their family, safety, and security. In addition, I am inclined to believe that it will arouse a sympathy in the young adult for those who are persecuted and tortured simply because of who they are and where they come from. Surely, this will give way to many discussions about the world, why this happened and how it makes them feel. It is not a dismal story, it is a truthful depiction of what we can't pretend didn't happen. I highly recommend it. If you are intersted in another book on this topic, try Lois Lowry's Number the Stars.

The Devil's Artihmetic by Jane Yolen, is OUTSTANDING. I liked the way Jane made the book come to life as you are reading it. It sets my soul on fire just knowing the way the Jews were treated in Concentration Camps. I also like the way she made the book so people could understand it. A young Jewish girl, Hannah goes back in history to the time of the Holocaust. She finally understands her role in the Seder, when she is trapped in the camp. Hannah is the only one who knows what awaits behind the camp doors.

I am currently doing a unit at school on the Holocaust and it is amazing yet frightening how much torture that these people had to suffer through. The reason I mention this is because it is important that we remember the Holocaust, even if it is hard. That is what this book is about, remembering. It's like the saying, "History reapeats itself". Forget what happened in the past and we are doomed to make the same mistake again.
Hannah is a 12 year old Jewish girl that does not appriciate the life she has now. But when she opens the door and suddenly finds herself in the past, she is confused as to which is reality, or if there is a reality. To her horror, it is 1942 and she is taken with her family to a concentration camp and subjected to cruel hard labor and degradation. Will she ever find out which life is a dream and which is reality? Can she get back to the present time that she remembers? Because it's all about remembering the past in The Devil's Arithmetic.

I thought the book was okay. It was very enlightening about the life of a young girl during the Holocaust. At first, all I really knew about the Holocaust was that 6 million Jews died, and, all together, 11 million people died. But now, I know all the horrible things that went on during that time. The best part of the book was when she sacrificed herself for her family. It shows that you should always stand by what you believe in.
Sandy B

The Devil's Arithmetic, By: Jane Yolen
Meaghan Herring...
The Devil's Arithmetic is an excellent read for a person of any age. The story involves a young Jewish girl, named Hannah, who is transported from modern day America to a village in Poland during the Holocaust. In America, her grandparents and great aunt were Holocaust survivors, and Hannah was getting tired of her family tradition of remembering. Her dreamlike experience of the Holocaust humbled her adolescent rebellion, and led her on a voyage of courage and personal triumph. ...
As a future teacher, I feel that students will be able to connect with this book very easily. It begins from a present day point of view, which helps students identify with some current adolescent emotions towards the Holocaust; sometimes it is hard to remember something that you have not experienced. Yolen's expertise then guides you into experiencing the awful acts of the Holocaust, and you cannot help but be moved by the events of this story. The Devil's Arithmetic is a credible novel that would in no doubt enhance a unit on the Holocaust.

This book is a good book that talks about what it was like in a concetration camp in the eyes of a girl who is from the future. It is about understanding that the past is just as importasnt as the future. Hannah descovers this for herself and when she returns she will not think otherwise. It's sad when you read about what is seen and what is done in the "camp". I hope that anyone who reads this book enjoys the book as much as I did.

Going to Passover at her grandparents is something Hannah is never looking forward to. She doesn't understand why it is so important to remember the Holocaust. This Passover is going to be one she will never forget though. She was picked to open the door for Elijah. As she opens the door she is pushed back in the year 1947 where everyone thinks she is a girl named, Chaya.
While she is there something happens. On the way to her Uncles wedding Nazis Soliders catch them and take them away. Chaya memories about her real life as Hannah fades and she becomes more and more forced to be this Chaya character. The Nazis put Chaya and her relatives in a concentration camp.
Chaya makes new friends in the camp as she works. Her memories or Hannah have slowly slipped and made it so Hannah had seemed like a dream. Chaya is forced into a gas chamber. As she goes through the dark tunnel she crosses back to her own time. Now she realizes how important it is to remember the Holocaust. She knows why her Grandparents get so angry when this subject comes up.
This book is a wonderful book. It really educates us on the history about the Holocaust. This historic event is one that must never be repeating in the future and this book shows you why.

It is a good book about hannah's life. I love the part where hannah is dreaming about the death camps its sad what happens to hannah but she tryed saving other people and did good deeds for other people.She had a good life tell she dream about the death camps run by adolf hitler.We just read this book in english class were done with the book know were going to watch the movie in class.

I read this book for the first time recently for a Children's Literature course, and I enjoyed it a lot. I was already vaguely familiar with the events of the Holocaust, but having a character plunged into the thick of it (while borderline cheesy at the very beginning) made it feel very real and very relevant. It didn't merely tell a sad story or open old wounds; it revealed the heroism and bravery that exists even in the worst of circumstances. I would recommend this book to just about anyone.

All kids hate going to any family gatherings or social event, dreading the endless stories their family members tell and the many hours rekindling the past. Hannah Stern is no different, she absolutely hates goin to her family Seder, year after year it's the same old thing; adults screaming at each other, grandmas pinching her cheek, all the boring traditions of her Jewish family, and her Grampa Will screaming at the tv at the holocaust specials. Why does he bother she thought, it's in the past and he should give it up. Until something goes wrong, she's transported back to the year of 1942, shes dazed and confused of this new life but after awile she tries to accept it, at a wedding of one of her new Polish family members cars and trucks are waiting, she notices swastikas on the sides, she's the only one that knows who they are and what they are about to do, but no one believes her. The Devils Arithmetic I think is one of the best books I've read, it tells the struggle of one little girl attempting to save hundreds of lives, everyone she now loved was being taken away, and only Hannah knew the horrors that await. I urge everyone to read this book!

13 YEAR OLD HANNAH IS TIRED OF HEARING HER FAMILY TALK ABOUT HOW BAD THEY HAD IT DURING THE HOLOCAUST.THEY ARE JEWISH SO THEY WERE TREATED VERY BAD AND ALLMOST WERE KILLED MANY TIMES. HANNAH GETS TRANSPORTED BACK IN TIME TO A POLISH VILLAGE AND GETS TO EXPERIANCES AND THE EMBARRASSMENTS THAT HER FAMILY'S HAD TO GO THROUGH. SHE SEES AND CARES HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT THEY TOLD HER THESE THINGS.

Sure, when you pick up the book you think, wow, this reviewer doesn't know what she's saying. well i do. and i say that the beginning is good. the middle is good. the ending is TERRIBLE!

It just ends. Pitstop. She's back. that's all. blah. Like someone just ripped pages out from the end! my eyes were reading the ending pages just about...10,000,000,000,000,000 times. But my brain still couldn't comprehend it! It's like Jane Yolen had another idea and just said... "and she lived happily ever after. the end." one of the worst of Jane Yolen's books...EVER. What a disgrace!

This story is about a girl, her mother, her Aunt, and her grandma. The girls name is Anna. She and her family were taken captive by the germans, and was sent to a prison camp. Her grandma becomes very ill, and her mother gets real waek and tired. One day Anna and her friends were sent to live in a childs home. Anna now has food, and a good place to sleep. Then they try to make rthier way to Switzerland to be free. Read to find out how the journey goes, do they make it and survie? Read and find out.

It is a good book about hannah's life. I love the part where hannah is dreaming about the death camps its sad what happens to hannah but she tryed saving other people and did good deeds for other people.She had a good life tell she dream about the death camps run by adolf hitler.We just read this book in english class were done with the book know were going to watch the movie in class.

This is a powerful book full of historical facts. Well researched. Though it is written for a younger audience, because of the revealing content, I believe every audience will take away a better understanding of the profound demoralized behaviour that took place during WWII.
Through this "Twilight Zone" occurrence, Hannah, the protagonist, steps through the "looking glass." Through her vast experiences there she discovers a new understanding and thus develops the needed compassion for her family, and her heritage.
The title is interesting in itself. "The Devil's Arithmetic." Math determined the outcome of a population dictated by the demons within a man's head.
This is an important book for all ages. Nicely written for the younger audience so the effect will reach them. Adults will also be gripped by the magnitude of the content.

I like the way his book takes a teen-age girl from today and takes her to her back to the days of Holocaust where she meets ancestors and sees what it was like for them to live back then. She goes through very few happy times, which were unusual in the concentration camps, and goes through the rough and hard times that were most common in the days of the concentration camps.

The Devil's Arithmetic

Jane Yolen

Hannah has to go to Passover to welcome the prophet Elijah. She hates Passover because her grandfather talks of the Holocaust and the past. But when she opens the door for the prophet, she sees a village in the 1940's. When the Nazi's come to take them to "resettlement", they don't listen to Hannah even though she knows the truth

Yvette Cline

7-O.

This book is really good. It was so sad that I cried for 2 hours after I read it. It gave me a good idea of what went on during the Holocaust. Even if you don't really like historical fiction books, you should still read this. I recommend it to readers of all ages!!!!!!!!!!!!! PS- if you read the book and liked it you should see the movie Life is Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!

I have been trying for YEARS to remember the name of this book, and have failed only because I could only remember the plot and the book cover, but not the title.

I read this book in the fifth grade. It was sitting on my teacher's bookshelf collecting dust, but the picture on the front of the ghostly girl and her bald counterpart haunted me. I asked to borrow it. I read it in two days (I was ten at the time) and the story has stuck with me for nearly ten years. I'm so relieved and excited to find this book and will definitely be adding it to my collection ASAP.

This should definitely be required reading for all age groups. It has such a powerful message.

This story is about a girl, her mother, her Aunt, and her grandma. The girls name is Anna. She and her family were taken captive by the germans, and was sent to a prison camp. Her grandma becomes very ill, and her mother gets real waek and tired. One day Anna and her friends were sent to live in a childs home. Anna now has food, and a good place to sleep. Then they try to make rthier way to Switzerland to be free. Read to find out how the journey goes, do they make it and survie? Read and find out.

It is a good book about hannah's life. I love the part where hannah is dreaming about the death camps its sad what happens to hannah but she tryed saving other people and did good deeds for other people.She had a good life tell she dream about the death camps run by adolf hitler.We just read this book in english class were done with the book know were going to watch the movie in class.

Do you like history, for instance, World War II? If you do, read The Devil�s Arithmetic. The historical fiction book tells about what happened to the Jews in concentration camps in Poland during World War II. Hannah-Chaya experiences things that changed some thoughts she had.
Hannah goes back in time to 1942 after walking through the door to Elijah. Jews were captured by Nazi soldiers and taken to concentration camps or (death camps). There was little food for the Jews there. They got to eat watery soup. At camps they were tortured or killed and they were branded with numbers.
Hannah was going to Lilth�s Cave with two other girls and they would have to stay there forever. What will happen to her? Will her life come to an end? To find out read The Devil�s Arithmetic.
It was a good book, because there was a lot of information. You got sadness when you read about how the Jews were tortured or killed, and how little food they got. It was cool to read and see Yiddish words. I was amazed when Hannah�s aunt told her she was Rivka because you would have never guessed that. I give this book three stars, because it gives historical information. Some of the words were hard to understand. I would have given it four stars if the words were easier to understand.

This is a powerful book full of historical facts. Well researched. Though it is written for a younger audience, because of the revealing content, I believe every audience will take away a better understanding of the profound demoralized behaviour that took place during WWII.
Through this "Twilight Zone" occurrence, Hannah, the protagonist, steps through the "looking glass." Through her vast experiences there she discovers a new understanding and thus develops the needed compassion for her family, and her heritage.
The title is interesting in itself. "The Devil's Arithmetic." Math determined the outcome of a population dictated by the demons within a man's head.
This is an important book for all ages. Nicely written for the younger audience so the effect will reach them. Adults will also be gripped by the magnitude of the content.

I like the way his book takes a teen-age girl from today and takes her to her back to the days of Holocaust where she meets ancestors and sees what it was like for them to live back then. She goes through very few happy times, which were unusual in the concentration camps, and goes through the rough and hard times that were most common in the days of the concentration camps.

The Devil's Arithmetic

Jane Yolen

Hannah has to go to Passover to welcome the prophet Elijah. She hates Passover because her grandfather talks of the Holocaust and the past. But when she opens the door for the prophet, she sees a village in the 1940's. When the Nazi's come to take them to "resettlement", they don't listen to Hannah even though she knows the truth

Yvette Cline

7-O.

This book is really good. It was so sad that I cried for 2 hours after I read it. It gave me a good idea of what went on during the Holocaust. Even if you don't really like historical fiction books, you should still read this. I recommend it to readers of all ages!!!!!!!!!!!!! PS- if you read the book and liked it you should see the movie Life is Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!

I have been trying for YEARS to remember the name of this book, and have failed only because I could only remember the plot and the book cover, but not the title.

I read this book in the fifth grade. It was sitting on my teacher's bookshelf collecting dust, but the picture on the front of the ghostly girl and her bald counterpart haunted me. I asked to borrow it. I read it in two days (I was ten at the time) and the story has stuck with me for nearly ten years. I'm so relieved and excited to find this book and will definitely be adding it to my collection ASAP.

This should definitely be required reading for all age groups. It has such a powerful message.

I read the book in 6th grade and the story has stuck with me ever since, I am reading it once again because it is just so powerful and really gets you right in the heart. It choked up my throat and made my eyes swell with tears. This book is about what the true horrors in life are. It's a must read for anybody and everybody, no matter what age or size.

I am a 5th grade student at Huebner Elementary and I had to read this book as an asignment. I absolutely loved it! In many parts it was terribly sad and I had to keep myself from crying. Hannah dreads going to Passover Seders. She must go to one at her Aunt's house. Then, Hannah has to open the door for the prophet Elijah and when she does she yells, "Ready or not, here I c..." and suddenly has gone back in time. She turns around expecting a door but finds none. She now believes that somehow, her Grandfather has played a trick on her. She finnally comes to know her new guirdians, Gitl and Shmuell. She is then taken to a concentration camp where they shave her head. She becomes good friends with a girl named Rivka, who, if you read the book, you will soon find out that it is someone she knows...

My 4th and 5th graders loved this book! It brought out so many emotions, mostly tears and an understanding of a world tragedy. Everyday my students would beg me to let them finish the book. Parents of my students also found the book very thought provoking and well written. They, too, shed many tears. I, myself, could not put the book down once I started to read it. Elementary children should have an adult read the book with them or be available to answer questions about the Holocaust. Background knowledge about the Nazi Party and the Holocaust will help children better understand the book and get the most out of it. The most popular questions my students had while reading this book were "Could this happen again?" and "How could this have happened?"

This is the type of book you can't put down. You want to put it down, because the subject is uncomfortable, but you can't. The character has a mental experience where she travels back in time, and becomes one of the Jews that went to a concentration camp. It shows how they just got sucked into something they couldn't do anything about. It's important for everyone to remember the Holocaust, because it could happen again. If you want to read a modern love story that is also compelling, check out Stars Shine After Dark. It's just been republished as an ebook on [...].Stars Shine After Dark

This is a great book! It's about a girl named Hannah who is tired of remembering the past. So at her seder dinner when she opens the door for Elijah she goes back to 1940 during the Holocaust. She has a lot of adventure during this book but its very sad. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes sad books.

I read this book and I also own it. It is very good. If you are a fan of "The Diary of Anne Frank" and other Holocoust or WWII books, then you'll just love this book! the movie is really good too. Kirsten Dunst does an excellant job in it. Again, this book is worth buying, or at least checking out of the local library!

I read this book when I was 7 years old, and frankly, it gave me nightmares. I had never heard of the holocaust or concentration camps at this point in time, and I think it is for the best that someone that age doesn't hear about such things. It is certainly an eye-opener, and is an informative book to show how people were treated without so much of the harsh reality, but enough to be truthful. It's like Eli Wiesel's Night for children. I just wish the librarian had made me wait a few years to read it.

I used this as a literature circle book for my 6th graders. You could have heard a pin drop whenever it was read silently, and students had a hard time not reading ahead when they needed to stop. It is a traumatic story, but one that needs to be told. It brought up a wealth of questions from students. The Holocaust is a difficult subject, no matter how it is told. As a parent, I will have my children read it, but with guidance so I am there to answer their questions about this horrible event in history. Jane Yolen is truly amazing.

As other reviews have said this book is essentially Schindler list but from a child's perspective and i think that is a perfect way to describe it. i think that because it is about a girl who gets to what her grandparents are talking about what they went through but then she actually gets to experience it for herself. she then realizes that the things that would really bug her and she would be annoyed by their stories but she actually experiences it. i sometimes find myself wondering what it was like in the days of my grandparents and wanting to experience it for myself. great book! i recommend it to everyone.

Wow i really am lucky I got threw this book it about pulled out every tear in my little head. This book is probably one of the best books that I have ever read. It was full of irony and pain to yourself. This book is about the holocaust and the consentration camp. This a seriosly sad book and it shows you what the jews went threw. Definatly diserves 5 stars.

I read The Devil's Arithmatic for a book report and ended up reading it over and over again. It shows how the life of Jews was when the were in a death camp. For most of them it took a lot of guts. If I were to recomend it I would tell you to read it as soon as possible cause it's a great book.
-Sydni

In the Devil's Arithmetic, I enjoyed reading about the history of the Nazis and the way the Jews were treated harshly. It was so sad in many ways that the Nazis treated the Jews and the author describes some of the ways they were treated in such detail that the reader can almost feel that they are there.
It is a great book to read if someone wants to understand what the Jews went through and how hard it was for them to live in the conditions that they did. For those who do not understand the hardship that the Jews went through during that time period should read this book because it is such detailed that the image of the horror at that time will become clearer to see.

Depressing as it is exhilarating.
The stoic valor of the Jewish people who struggled against the perpetrators ; Yet rose like a Phoenix from the ashes of betrayal and murder
Even a thousand years from today; the moments will remain alive because
It is not made of bricks and stones to perish- Built of immortal and indestructible memory.

This book gives the reader a very brief view of history and how the evils of this world has a domino effect on us all. It also reminds us that we [humans] can survive in the worst of times with the help of family and friends. It is well written and gives you a good mental image of what you are reading.

The Devil's Arithmetic is a good book about the Holocaust. It was a little slow at the being to get into but that is from my point of veiw and that of a few friends who have also read the book. It was give as an asiment for our 10th gread english, Global Studys project. It is about Hannah, a Jewish girls who would much rather spend time with her friends then have to go Passover Seder with her family. Her grandfather asks her to let in the prophet Elijah, when she find that she has gone back in time to a Polish village in the 1940s. During her time in the Village and in the camp she makes a friend who letter becomes a improtant person in the story.

I thought the book was incredible. It gives you a good idea of what happened to Jewish people during World War II. It's about a young girl, Hannah, who finds herself back in 1942, in Poland. She is taken to a concentration camp. She has to survive the harsh labor, and she can't lose the knowlege of who she is. I wasn't hooked on the book until about one-fourth of the way through the it. I wanted to find out who lived, and if Hannah would return to the present tome. I would recommend the book to teenagers and adults. They would understand the events and be able to follow the book better. Over all, I think this is a wonderful book to learn from.

I was assigned this book for a book report, and I didn't think that it would be that great, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It is wonderful, and has a great lesson of life in it. Our ancestors have done so much for us, we needn't forget our heritage.

I have read this book and truly admired it. It tells about a girl going back in time--to the Holocaust. In the beginning she didn't understand why it was important to remember that time. by the time you are through with the book, she knows why, and so will you.

The book Devil's Arithmetic is a sad but thrilling story about a girl named Hannah who hates going to her grandfather's house for Passover and listening to old stories about Nazis and the Holocaust. This year's is different though, when she goes to open the door for Elijah she is transported to 1942 in then Nazi occupied Poland. While there, everyone is panicky and everyone is running around calling her Chaya. There, a girl named Rivka befriends her and together they put in a death camp. To learn more reads and find out what happens and who exactly Chaya is.

I ordered this book from Scholastic for my classroom. After reading it, I realize that it is more suited for Jr. High or High School students than 4th graders. Although I think that younger students benefit from learning about the Holocaust, I think books more like Number the Stars are more age appropriate for 9 and 10 year olds. being sent to a concentration camp. The story told has a magical element of time travel, that she had a hard time selling to me. However, the purpose and story is there.

This novel is about a 12 yr old girl named Hannah Stern. She is at her grandparents house for the Passover Seder. As she goes to put the cup of wine outside to the prophet Elijah, she is suddenly swept back into time, into the time of the Holocaust in 1942. She is now known as Chaya and lives with her aunt and uncle in a small village in Poland. One day, the Nazis come and take her and the rest of the Jews in her village away to a concentration camp. She meets a girl named Rivka who helps her through the terrifying Nazi ways. Will she ever return home and see her family again? Read this amazing book and you'll find out.

I read this book when I was in 6th grade, I am now a sophmore in college and still love this book. I regard this book as my favorite, I use it for papers that I have to write and probably will continue doing so. Jane Yolen does a wonderful job on grabbing the emotions of the reader and getting you involved in the story itself. I felt the pain that Chaya went through, and I really wanted to help her. Every time I read this book, tears come to my eyes. I want to thank Jane Yolen for writing such a wonderful book that I will remember forever. You touched a 6th grade girls heart and will forever remember it!

I'd never heard of this book before I had to read it for my children's literature class. I was pleasantly surprised with it. I like that it starts out modern day and magically goes back in time to the holocaust. It does a good job explaining the holocaust while still being palatable enough to younger readers.

I'm not a very big fan of school-assigned books. They're usually boring...but we had supplementary novels we could choose from last year, and I decided to choose this. It was a very good decision of mine! Jane Yolen does an excellent job of describing the characters, and it's all truth. I gave is a 4 because being me, some of the stuff creeped me out (the ovens, etc.) It does really provide the truth behind what happened.

This story is about a girl, she time travels on accident and gets scared. She traveled back to the horrible years of when the Nazis put the Jews into the Concentration Camps. In the Camp people, babies, parents, and kids die or even worse some can stay and starve them self to death or stay there and be killed by the Nazis. Finally, something really life changing will happen to her.

You should really read this book! It has it's sad parts and happy parts, but it's great. (BTW, Elijah isn't a god! ) "THe Devil's Arithmetic" is a book that makes you think and you learn from it. I think that people of ALL ages should read this book. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

This children's book abput the Holocaust is one of the best. I makes you realize how truly horifing this time period was. This is one of the best novels that I have ever read. You see the Houlocaust though a child's eyes!

The Devil's Arithmetic was a great book to read. It tells you alot about how the Holocaust was, how the Jews were treated and put to work in the poor conditions and how the people that were sick or not sick died in the Gas Chambers. Also it shows/tells you how the main character, Hannah, was feeling,doing, and saying during the period in which she was in the past at the concentration camps.If you want to learn/know more about what the Holocaust you should read this book. It was a very suspenseful book. I thought it was very enjoyable.

I ordered this book from Scholastic for my classroom. After reading it, I realize that it is more suited for Jr. High or High School students than 4th graders. Although I think that younger students benefit from learning about the Holocaust, I think books more like Number the Stars are more age appropriate for 9 and 10 year olds. being sent to a concentration camp. The story told has a magical element of time travel, that she had a hard time selling to me. However, the purpose and story is there.

This novel is about a 12 yr old girl named Hannah Stern. She is at her grandparents house for the Passover Seder. As she goes to put the cup of wine outside to the prophet Elijah, she is suddenly swept back into time, into the time of the Holocaust in 1942. She is now known as Chaya and lives with her aunt and uncle in a small village in Poland. One day, the Nazis come and take her and the rest of the Jews in her village away to a concentration camp. She meets a girl named Rivka who helps her through the terrifying Nazi ways. Will she ever return home and see her family again? Read this amazing book and you'll find out.

I read this book when I was in 6th grade, I am now a sophmore in college and still love this book. I regard this book as my favorite, I use it for papers that I have to write and probably will continue doing so. Jane Yolen does a wonderful job on grabbing the emotions of the reader and getting you involved in the story itself. I felt the pain that Chaya went through, and I really wanted to help her. Every time I read this book, tears come to my eyes. I want to thank Jane Yolen for writing such a wonderful book that I will remember forever. You touched a 6th grade girls heart and will forever remember it!

I'd never heard of this book before I had to read it for my children's literature class. I was pleasantly surprised with it. I like that it starts out modern day and magically goes back in time to the holocaust. It does a good job explaining the holocaust while still being palatable enough to younger readers.

I'm not a very big fan of school-assigned books. They're usually boring...but we had supplementary novels we could choose from last year, and I decided to choose this. It was a very good decision of mine! Jane Yolen does an excellent job of describing the characters, and it's all truth. I gave is a 4 because being me, some of the stuff creeped me out (the ovens, etc.) It does really provide the truth behind what happened.

This story is about a girl, she time travels on accident and gets scared. She traveled back to the horrible years of when the Nazis put the Jews into the Concentration Camps. In the Camp people, babies, parents, and kids die or even worse some can stay and starve them self to death or stay there and be killed by the Nazis. Finally, something really life changing will happen to her.

You should really read this book! It has it's sad parts and happy parts, but it's great. (BTW, Elijah isn't a god! ) "THe Devil's Arithmetic" is a book that makes you think and you learn from it. I think that people of ALL ages should read this book. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

This children's book abput the Holocaust is one of the best. I makes you realize how truly horifing this time period was. This is one of the best novels that I have ever read. You see the Houlocaust though a child's eyes!

The Devil's Arithmetic was a great book to read. It tells you alot about how the Holocaust was, how the Jews were treated and put to work in the poor conditions and how the people that were sick or not sick died in the Gas Chambers. Also it shows/tells you how the main character, Hannah, was feeling,doing, and saying during the period in which she was in the past at the concentration camps.If you want to learn/know more about what the Holocaust you should read this book. It was a very suspenseful book. I thought it was very enjoyable.

I just finished the Devils Advocate and I can not say I have read another historical fiction book that was as engrossing as this was. Jane Yolan takes you into the time warp with her young character Hannah and Chaya. Jane takes this piece of history and writes it in a way that is easily connected with. As a reader you really feel you understand what Chaya goes through in her expierence in the concentration camps. This was a great book. I highly recommend it to anyone intrested in reading about the concentration camps.

The Devil's Arithmetic is a great book. It tells the story about a 13 year old girl named Hannah. It came the time of the year for the Seder meal. Hannah hates remembering because all Jewish holidays are about remembering. Hannah's grandfather has a tattoo on his arm from the concentration camp. After the meal Hannah had to open the door for a prophet. When she opens the door she goes back in time to the Holocaust. Even though I do not like to read, I actually liked this book. People who do not like to read should read this book.

I thought The Devil's Arithmetic was a very interesting book. It taught me some things about the Holocaust I never knew before. I liked how the author used such detail in the story. But I didn't like how the book got off to a slow start. I thought the beginning of the story was not very interesting. But as you read on, the story gets better. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about the Holocaust or just wants to read a good book.

This book is very educational to people who do not understand the struggle of Jews. Even though it is told from a naive point of view it is very passionate. You feel like you are there, you feel the need to help them in any way you can. Ifelt very sympathetic towards the characters.
I really enjoyed this book and its historical information. It helped me to realize that the Jewish struggle was one of the harshest. The book also helps one to appreciate the life that they have now.

Another one of Jane Yolen's great books. This book blew me away when I read it. I think everybody needs to remember their ancestry to the best of their abilities. After reading this I want to find out more about my own. I highly recommend it to all the people out their who have WWII interests.

I used this book in my classroom to give students some background on Holocaust Remebrance Day on Jan. 27th. Myself and my students enjoyed this book tremendously. Jane Yolen is a wonderful author and her use of foreshadowing, and character development are amazing. This was a real eye opener for some of my students about the Holocaust. Even though this is a work of fiction, Jane Yolen really gives some insight on this tragedy.

I read The Devil's Arithmetic when I was about 11. Now, I am 17 and I still rate it as one of my favorite books of all time. It is an excellent book that every child should read. The message is an important one: remember. Remember what others had to go through so that we could have the life we have now. This message not only applies for Jews, but for all races and religions. We should all remember and never forget.

This book is so good! It is about a girl who dreads the thought of going to her family sedar. All her relatives do is talk about their rememberance in the Nazi death camps. Until she opens the door to traditionaly welcome the profit Elijah , she is warped back in time to a Polish village during WW2. She doesn't know where she is until Nazis round up the family she is staying with and send them to a concentration camp. If you want to find out more I reccomend you READ THE BOOK!

"Devil's Arithmetic" is a excellent book portraying the horor of the Holocaust in a form that is appropiate for people of all ages. The author, Jane Yolen puts this book together in such a way that shows superb writing skills. It takes great writing skills to take a disaster in history and turn it in to something we can all learn from. I recamend this book to anyone who likes to read and enjoys history.

I just finished reading this book yesterday, and it left me thinking...Couldn't happen? A blast from the future, warning the present of the future. It was a good book, it made me aggrivated without reading Stephen King; I just finished reading the best book of alltime, BAG OF BONES. I dont know, it just made me mad. I was moving on to Carrie, but i had to read a Holocaust book. Maybe thats why the review wasnt as good as it shouldve been.

Hannah was a 12-year-old girl who was blasted into the past after checking the door during Sabath...? Is that wrong with anyone? Anyway, she moves into a house with Schmuel and his bride. Hannah's new name is Chaya, and it means "LIFE". Everyone gets "resettled by the Germans" and are sent to a make-believe concentration camp. Many of Chaya's new friends die, and by the end of the book, she finds out that she was living with her Grandmother and Grandfater in the camp, showing all the signs that were layed out from the camp

Now, if you excuse me, I am going to read Carrie; thank you very much.

I am happier now.

:)

I am sorry, but no fiction novel will ever replace that of a true memoir. Yes, it was written for kids, but I read my first Holocaust novel at age nine without major trauma. The plot is somewhat jumbled, but still gets the point across (Which is why it got two stars, instead of one). I feel it does the entire surviving (and not surviving) cast of those who experienced the horrors of the concentration camps a tragic disrespect. If you would like a helpful hint of where to look for a high-quality Holocaust books take a look at my listmania list which has, in my opinion, the top five Holocaust novels of times (All of which are true). And, if you are looking particularlly for a child try my number five choice: Anne Frank.

This is by far one of the best books I have read in a while. I just got done reading it a few minutes ago for a project I have to do for English. I just could not put it down! It is so descriptive that you actually feel like your there watching all this take place. It is a wonderful book that I would definately recommend for anyone to read! Words just can not describe how wonderful this book really is! Kelli

The Devil's Arithmetic was a good book. Its about a girl named Hannah who is at the passover with relatives and goes to open the door for Elijah and is taken to the past to 1942, to a village in Poland.In the midlle of a wedding the Jews and Hannah are taken away to a Nazi Concentration Camp. Hannah knows what going to happen, but no one believes her, Read the book tro see what happens next.

Although this is a powerful and memorable book, I disagree with some of the age guidelines of grade 4 - 8. I think a child should be over 12 to read this book, there are some graphic and disturbing descriptions of deaths in this book.

This book is about a 14 year old girl who hates going to her family's passovers. While there, she goes to open the door for Elijah but actually opens a portal for herself and goes back in time to 1942 in Israel. This was the time of concentration camps and Hitler. This is a great book for students like myself to learn about what happened during these years. I would recommend this to any 5th to 10th grade teacher. That is why I gave this book 5 stars.

this about a girl named hannnah who has to go to herr grand parents house for passover every year she really hates it. i thought this book was amazing it is so hard to put down when i was reading it at school i took it evry were with me to art to lunch and to math i highly recommend thid book to people who like books about conctartion camps or have an intrest in the halucaust. id ont recoomed this book to little kids like7 or 8 it might give you a nightmare.

The Devil's Arithmetic is one of the best books I've ever read. It gives you all the details of the Concentration camp that this girl went to. It also explains all of the things she went through while she was there. It's sad but it's not as tragic as some of the other books about the Holocaust. I really reccomend this book to anyone interested in the Holocaust.

The Devil's Arithmetic was a well-written, interesting novel. It is a great piece of historical fiction. However, it was very emotional and somewhat depressing novel. I would recommend this novel only to someone who is very mature, over 10, and able to handle some very emotional literature. The Devil's Arithmetic is so real, it puts you in shock.

This is a great book because it teaches young children about the horrors of the "Death Camps" This can hopefully teach our future to make sure this never happens again. Jane Yolen puts everything in great detail to give students the full effect. She make you feel like you are at this concentration camp with Chayah and Rivka. It is simpily a great book.

The main character is Hannah.She is put into another time period of the Hauiocaust.She has to live with her great aunt and unkle.She has to imagine herself at the siminal to get back home.She does get home!

By: Jane Yolen
This is a novel about the Jewish experience in concentration camps. There is a spoiled young girl by the name of Hannah. She hates her family's Seder meal, but when she goes to open the door for the prophet Elijah, she gets transported back in time to the year if World War II. Gitl and Shmuel are calling her Chaya instead of her real name. At Shmuel's wedding, the Germans come and take them away to concentration camps where they are starved, humiliated, and periodically killed. What will be Hannah's fate? Will she ever return to her normal life?
I genuinely enjoyed this book. I loved the plot, and the ending was magnificent. I liked how courageous Hannah was. She was a true hero to me even though she was only there in the pages of the book.
Right off the bat, the plot and storyline are some of the book's many strengths. Another good thing that Yolen gives you is the plain knowledge and facts about concentration camps. She tells about the different types of labor and the horrible conditions of the concentration camps. After reading this book, I had a whole other view of the insanities and inhuman conditions of the Nazis. I can really connect that to my life and appreciate every single thing I have, including time on this Earth.
My favorite part was during a scene with the midden:
"When they got to the midden, they skinned out of their clothes and dove naked into the dump."
I enjoyed this excerpt because it was funny how Hannah just stood there and watched. She was a true first-timer!
I think that the thing that the author would like me to take away from this book is just plainly the story of the Holocaust. She wants people to read her book and remember. Of course she wanted to tell a great story of survival and courage, but she only wants us to take away from this the story and knowledge of the Jewish experience.
This is one of the most memorable books I have ever read because of the fact that it was entertaining but still informing. The word choice that the author used really brought out clear pictures in my mind. The image was very powerful. You could not read this book and not be changed. It didn't have to be a big change. Only the way you look at your shoes. It is a meaningful book.
I recommend this book to people who really want to take something away from what they read and who care about their history. This book's theme is; if you don't appreciate what you have now, history has a way of showing itself to you! The evidence is the way Hannah was brought back in time. She was so changed by her experience and learned to appreciate life and what she had.

Do you like history, for instance, World War II? If you do, read The Devil�s Arithmetic. The historical fiction book tells about what happened to the Jews in concentration camps in Poland during World War II. Hannah-Chaya experiences things that changed some thoughts she had.
Hannah goes back in time to 1942 after walking through the door to Elijah. Jews were captured by Nazi soldiers and taken to concentration camps or (death camps). There was little food for the Jews there. They got to eat watery soup. At camps they were tortured or killed and they were branded with numbers.
Hannah was going to Lilth�s Cave with two other girls and they would have to stay there forever. What will happen to her? Will her life come to an end? To find out read The Devil�s Arithmetic.
It was a good book, because there was a lot of information. You got sadness when you read about how the Jews were tortured or killed, and how little food they got. It was cool to read and see Yiddish words. I was amazed when Hannah�s aunt told her she was Rivka because you would have never guessed that. I give this book three stars, because it gives historical information. Some of the words were hard to understand. I would have given it four stars if the words were easier to understand.

My class got to read that book then see the movie my teacher almost cried. This book is about a girl who thinks the sader is stupid and is tired of remembering. but when she goes back in time she gets to know how hard and tough it really was in the camps. I recommend "number the stars" and " the diary of Ann Frank"

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i do not like this book because it is very very confusing. this book is also very boring. there is nothing interesting and definately nothing fun. very sorry but this book is not good at all.
(...)

This book is very bland, boring and mind-numning. The main character is a twit, let's see, you know you're going to a concentration camp, yet you do ... wait for it ... Nothing.

The book hides many truths from the real horrors of real concentration camps, paints very unrealistic mages, and could basically be offered as a pop-up-book.

The author, god-help her, cannot write. She has no talent and could not write a good book if it killed her. By the by, nice job throwing in Star Wars references, very bright. How dumb does the main character have to be to try to explain Star Wars to girls from a small polish village, in the age of the holocaust? These kinds of expressions made me think this was like a bad TV special. The character is dumb, slow witted, ugly, boring, too simplistic, and let's face it, she should have died sooner (I really enjoyed her supposed death, the book doesn't describe her death). Oh and the rowing moment, Rivka is her aunt Eva, very good.

All in all this book is so badly written skips on key details, and so short, it's something a 7-year old may come up with. Let's be honest with ourselves, is this the kind of dribble we want our kids reading.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a true book written by a holocaust survivor NIGHT, by Elie Weiser (I hope I spelled that correctly)

This book is a miss.

I think this book was twice as boring as schhool. The author (Jane Yolen) wasen't very specific about what happened. I think she should of translated the Yettish into English, so I could understand what was going on.If you like WWII and Holocaust books this ones for you.The book did have a good plot,But I coulden't wait for this book to get over. So in conclusion,this book was boring.By the way your better off seeing the movie!

Have you ever read a book that just seemed to drag on and on? For me, that was this book. If you like fantasy then you might like this, because that is the genre of this book. It is about a Jewish girl named Hannah. She goes to a family party and hears a knock on the door. She opens it and then sort of wakes up and she thought it was a dream. She now has a new name, Chaya. She now has to figure out what happened, and what she will do in this body. It takes place in New Rochelle. It is old times. It doesn't give a specific time but you can infer by the clues and setting. She doesn't know why this happened to her but she must try to fix it.

I didn't like this book at all. I thought it was really hard to follow. You have to pay attention throughout the whole book. You can never daydream or you won't know why they are calling her a new name. This was definitely made for older adults, or people with a higher reading level. If you are a good reader and you like to challenge yourself, try this book. I don't recommend this book if you are younger, or just not that well of a reader. This is for very and I mean very good and high level readers. I would say between the ages of 25-60 might like this book. I don't think this book was a page turner. I wanted to put it down, instead of not wanting to put it down. It never sparked my interest. Her being Jewish, and the book being a fantasy, I couldn't relate to anything that happened. This book was hard to concentrate on. If you look up for one second, you miss most of the story, so concentrate hard. I couldn't relate to anyone. I am not Jewish. If you are Jewish, you might actually understand this book better than I could. I didn't like the genre. It was all fake and totally unrealistic. If you like that sort of stuff, then read this book, but I don't like fantasy. I didn't like how it was written. It was too hard to concentrate on. I had to reread twice to find out why they are calling her a different name. I never found any surprised in the story. I could guess what would happen next. It was predictable. None of the chapters had cliffhangers. If just was boring and that's it. I thought it was extremely boring. I didn't understand anything and I would rather do my homework, than read that book. My mind wandered a lot. I had to read sections over and over again. I never believed the plot one bit. With the story being fantasy, everything is farfetched. I think older people would enjoy this book, because they would be the only ones who could understand it.

I am sorry, but no fiction novel will ever replace that of a true memoir. Yes, it was written for kids, but I read my first Holocaust novel at age nine without major trauma. The plot is somewhat jumbled, but still gets the point across (Which is why it got two stars, instead of one). I feel it does the entire surviving (and not surviving) cast of those who experienced the horrors of the concentration camps a tragic disrespect. If you would like a helpful hint of where to look for a high-quality Holocaust books take a look at my listmania list which has, in my opinion, the top five Holocaust novels of times (All of which are true). And, if you are looking particularlly for a child try my number five choice: Anne Frank.

This is a type of book a teacher would use to teach his/her class. *Warning* it is horibble. This is just -BLAH- it doesnt deserve to be a book. I just hated it soo badly. I never reccomend this book to anyone. Just if you ever see this book, do not read it, i dont care how many other people said id it was good or not, it is just bad.

This fictional account makes the horrific Holocaust
more real and personal than reading historical accounts. The book is sobering but the survival of the main character makes it easier to stay with.