The Devil's Arithmetic

Jane Yolen's powerful historical fiction novel, "The Devil's Arithmetic," transports modern-day Jewish preteen Hannah Stern back to 1942 Poland during the Holocaust. Initially indifferent to her family's past, Hannah suddenly finds herself living as Chaya, a young girl in a shtetl, who is then taken to a concentration camp. Through Chaya's eyes, Hannah endures starvation, forced labor, and the constant threat of death, forming bonds of friendship and witnessing unimaginable cruelty and bravery. The book masterfully uses time travel as a device to make the historical events deeply personal and impactful for young readers, emphasizing the importance of memory, resilience, and understanding one's heritage. It's a profound and often heartbreaking story that offers a vital, age-appropriate introduction to the Holocaust.

Tired of her grandfather's horrific stories of the Holocaust, Hannah learns a lesson about the importance of remembering when she is transported back to Nazi-occupied Poland and is taken to a death camp.