CCBC-Net Archives

RE: DEVIL'S ARITHMETIC

From: Lbhcove_at_aol.com
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:34:52 -0500 (EST)

For the record, THE DEVIL'S ARITHMETIC was not a Newbery Honor Book.

Lee Bennett Hopkins

Visit my site at: www.leebennetthopkins.com

In a message dated 11/18/2011 8:14:13 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, grace_1335_at_yahoo.com writes:

I must respectfully say that this is not a fair reading of Jane Yolen's Newbery Honor, "The Devil's Arithmetic." In this very sensitively written

book, the young protagonist is resentful of her family's traditions, has n o awareness of what they have experienced. When she is transported back in

time, she comes to understand why they feel and act the way they do. There is no suggestion that this was "all a dream"- in the tradition of time travel

fantasy, she has actually made this journey, actually experienced this- and

she returns to the present having experienced the necessary epiphany. Of

course people did not wake up from the Nazi experience- but this book was

about trying to explain that experience to a generation that thankfully di d not have to live through it, and was often confused by the fact that those

who had were reluctant to speak. I do believe this book would have gotten

Newbery gold - but that year, Lois Lowry's "Number the Stars"- another Holocaust novel- trumped it.

Grace Oliff, Librarian Ann Blanche Smith E.S 1000 Hillsdale Ave. Hillsdale, N.J. 07642 Library Web Page- http://home.earthlink.net/~david916 Part time Lecturer, Children's and Young Adult Literature Rutgers SCILS William Paterson University


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From: Ruth I. Gordon To: CCBC Net Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 5:46 PM Subject:
 How much...?

Concerning Claudia Pearson's note about truth-telling and the Holocaust; I remind readers of Jane Yolen's book of several years ago in which the girl wakes up from a Holocaust "dream" experience. So...none of it happened-right? Unfair and untruthful and a mean trick.

Ms Yolen should have known very well that people did not wake up from the Nazi experience. And her editor_, publisher and reviewers should also have realized it.

Ruth Gordon, MLS, Ph.D. Sonoma Valley, CA (Big Grandma)


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Received on Sat 19 Nov 2011 11:34:52 AM CST