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    The Devil's Arithmetic

    Part of Puffin Modern Classics

    Author Jane Yolen
    Ebook
    Penguin Young Readers | Puffin Books
    On sale Oct 01, 1990 | 176 Pages | 9781101664308
    Grade 5 & Up
    Reading Level: Lexile 730L
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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"
    Jane Yolen was an accomplished and awarded author and poet, with over 450 books published in her lifetime. She was born and raised in New York City. She attended Smith College, and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. She settled and raised her own family in Hatfield, Massachusetts, and spent parts of the year in Scotland as well. When she was not writing, Yolen composed songs, was a professional storyteller, and was the beloved mother of three children, and five grandchildren. Many of Yolen's stories and poems were rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate paper-cut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. The Devil’s Arithmetic, a National Jewish Book Award-winner and eventual movie, spoke to her own Jewish identity, interest in historical fiction, and her father’s service in WWII. Jane was generous of spirit, mentoring generations of children’s book authors with her expertise, her warmth, and her wonderful sense of humor.  Jane passed away in 2026, but left behind a ubiquitous presence on children’s bookshelves and in hearts across the world. View titles by Jane Yolen
    • WINNER
      National Jewish Book Award

    About

    "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"

    Author

    Jane Yolen was an accomplished and awarded author and poet, with over 450 books published in her lifetime. She was born and raised in New York City. She attended Smith College, and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. She settled and raised her own family in Hatfield, Massachusetts, and spent parts of the year in Scotland as well. When she was not writing, Yolen composed songs, was a professional storyteller, and was the beloved mother of three children, and five grandchildren. Many of Yolen's stories and poems were rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate paper-cut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. The Devil’s Arithmetic, a National Jewish Book Award-winner and eventual movie, spoke to her own Jewish identity, interest in historical fiction, and her father’s service in WWII. Jane was generous of spirit, mentoring generations of children’s book authors with her expertise, her warmth, and her wonderful sense of humor.  Jane passed away in 2026, but left behind a ubiquitous presence on children’s bookshelves and in hearts across the world. View titles by Jane Yolen

    Awards

    • WINNER
      National Jewish Book Award

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