Jane Yolen

Hannah resents the traditions of her Jewish heritage until time travel places her in the middle of a small Jewish village in Nazi-occupied Poland.

The Devil's Arithmetic

The devil's arithmetic

Sarah Sammis

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen was on my wishlist for a long time, long enough that I don't remember when or why exactly I added it. I'm a fan of her books so it's not a complete surprise that any of her books would be on the list. One of my resolutions for 2010 and the future is to work my way through the wishlist. The Devil's Arithmetic was one of the first ones I crossed off the list.

Hannah's an American child with a Jewish mother and a Christian father. It's time again for family gathering for the Passover Seder. She doesn't want to go because she's tired of hearing the same stories of the Holocaust. She feels like she's heard it all and it's time to move on. With apathy she opens the door for Elijah and finds herself transported back in time to Poland. She and her family are captured and sent to a concentration camp.

In some of the reviews I've read the set up compared to The Magic Tree House series. I disagree. Jack and Annie for the most part go on their missions willingly and with a brief idea of what to expect when they arrive. Hannah though, travels back in time without expectation and completely unwillingly. Her journey comes as unexpectedly as it does in Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce and not like Jack and Annie's quick journeys back in time. Her journey is life threatening, scary and at times horrifying.

For rating this book out of five stars, I'm struggling. While reading it, I would have given it a two. Hannah comes off as an overly self centered child in the beginning and over the course of the book transforms into a Mary Sue. But it ends with an afterword by the author explaining the personal nature of the book and her own family story that inspired it. For that I briefly gave the book a four. In thinking though about the flaws of the book, despite the awards it has earned, I am dropping the rating down to a three.

Libertad Aguilar

If you’ve heard of the movie or even better, saw the movie first, the book is 1,000 times better! 

Also, I love the explanation on the “devils arithmetic”

While "The Devil's Arithmetic" tackles a crucial subject and packs emotional punch, historical inaccuracies mar its impact. Idyllic depictions of pre-war life clash with harsh realities, and dialogue leans didactic. The fictionalized camp, a blend of real elements, confuses more than illuminates. For an immersive Holocaust education, other resources might prove more accurate and insightful.

Liana

Caroline Lewicki

I read this book at some point as a kid...one that I was asked to read for a school project or summer reading assignment...and I didn't appreciate it enough then. I'm so glad I reread it as an adult, as the message is so powerful. The gentle combination of history and fantasy (Hannah's "time travel" is never really explained), combined with the horrors of the Holocaust, make for a really powerful read.

Toni Turner

I read this book when I was on a competitive reading team a few years ago (before I knew what goodreads was) I remember very little about this book except that I enjoyed it and it may have made me cry? I remember thinking it was clever and interesting, but as for the plot? Not much stuck except that it is a time travel story during Passover. Which is a really cool idea.

Casie Blevins

Emotion cannot be contained with this one. You'll cry whether you want to or not.

The Devil's Arithmetic

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