The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

The Devil's Arithmetic was written by Jane Yolen in 1988. Hannah Stern is attending a family Seder when she opens the door and walks into the past, right into 1942. Hannah is thrown into the life of Chaya, a Jew living in Poland during World War II. She, along with Chaya's family, is sent to a concentration camp.

     Jane Yolen brings time travel to a new level. She utilizes one main character to portray two completely different people living in two completely different time periods. The beauty of the New Rochelle setting is that it can be any modern time. Although the book was written in the 80's it could have taken place yesterday. 

     The Devil's Arithmetic is, no question, a work of historical fiction. The author did her research and included a "What is true" page at the end of the book to help emphasize the historical nature of this multicultural book.  

For Teachers: 

     The Devil's Arithmetic deals with some intense and sometimes graphic subject matter. It is intended for a sixth or seventh grade reading level. While the main theme of the novel is the Holocaust, teachers can also utilize the book for teaching Jewish history and traditions. 

• History part 1: Discuss World War II; the causes of the war, the war in Europe, the war in the Pacific, the end of the war. 

• History part 2: Discuss the Holocaust; what was it, how many lives were lost, why did it happen, could it happen again? 

• Jewish Traditions: Discuss Passover and Seder. Look at some passages in the Haggadah and discuss them. 

• Where in the world: Chaya is from Poland. Locate Poland on a map. Now locate the other countries affected by the Holocaust and World War II. Where did the war start and end? 

• Vocabulary word suggestions: Passover, Seder, Yiddish, Haggadah, concentration camp, steerage, yarmulke, matzoh, superstition, Torah, solemn, shtetl, Klezmer, badchan, synagogue, Nazi, arithmetic, and shnell. 

• Discussion questions: Do you think living Chaya's life gave Hannah a different perspective on life? Why did her aunt and grandfather change their names when they came to America? Why is it so important to "remember"? Why do you think the author choose to portray the horrors of the concentration camp graphically, and would they have had the same effect had they not been as graphic? 

My Thoughts:

     The Holocaust is a time we wish we could forget ever happened. But it did. Jane Yolen did an excellent job bringing the Holocaust to a middle-grade level. Yes, there is violence and some intense scenes, but it is no more violent than The Hunger Games or other popular books. It is a tough book to stomach, however. Parents and teachers should prepare for discussions with their children on the graphic nature and death portrayed in the book. 

Additional Resources: 

More books on the Holocaust and World War II: 

• The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• Milkweed by Jerry Spinell
• Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse

Hannah talks about the movie Yentl and Fiddler on the Roof. These movies can be shown to give insight into the Jewish community. 

References: 

Yolen, J. (1988). The Devil's Arithmetic. New York, NY: Viking Kestrel.