book data
264 ratings, 4.40 average rating, 81 reviews
(more data...)
edit
published
April 15th 2006
by Marshall Cavendish
binding
Hardcover, 242 pages
setting
Poland
isbn
076145277X
(isbn13: 9780761452775)
description
In 1939, the Germans invaded the town of Lodz, Poland, and moved the Jewish population into a small part of the city called a ghetto. As the war prog...more
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »
friend reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 372)
recommends it for:
Abigail A.
Like some other true WWII stories written for children, this has been published as fiction; I'm not sure why.
I thought at first that the style was really going to annoy me (I wouldn't really call it free verse, myself, so much as just breaking up the lines), but after a couple of pages I got used to it. The voice is very believable as that of a child growing throughout the book from 4 years to 9 years. The story is simply told, but really stunning, especially in the second half. There's n...more
I thought at first that the style was really going to annoy me (I wouldn't really call it free verse, myself, so much as just breaking up the lines), but after a couple of pages I got used to it. The voice is very believable as that of a child growing throughout the book from 4 years to 9 years. The story is simply told, but really stunning, especially in the second half. There's n...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
3 comments
Read in September, 2007
A novel written in the form of a prose poem from the point of view of one of the 12 children that survived the Lodz Ghetto during the Holocaust. Sylvia was 4 when she entered the Ghetto and 10 when the Ghetto was liberated. The story is told by Sylvia, and we see the world of the ghetto through her eyes as she grows up. Yellow Star is an amazingly well written book that deals with a difficult subject in an age appropriate way, yet doesn't dilute the horrors of the situation.
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in November, 2008
recommends it for:
anyone over the age of 10
I used to read just about every book on the Holocaust that I could find. I was fascinated by what mankind was capable of, in terms of how cruel and evil we can become, and also how we can survive the worst and live to smile again. At some point I became too saturated by the horribleness of it all and quit reading anything about the holocaust, and so was a bit wary about reading this book. The Yellow Star tells the story of one of the only 12 surviving children of the 270,000 Jews who lived in th...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2008
I generally don't read Holocaust literature, but I picked this one up in the children's book area. It is a quick read (took me a little over an hour). I liked it because it was written from the perspective of a young girl and it chronicles her family's time in a Polish Ghetto for Jews (many were sent here before concentration camps--I didn't know that). It is based on a true story (this young woman was one of only 12 children who survived the ghetto (only 800 adults survived). They estimate ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
Thank you Jamie for recommending this very important book! And congratulations to author Jennifer Roy on a job well done! Jennifer is related to Syvia who is the center of the book.
Set in a ghetto in Poland during the occupation of the Nazis, this heartbreaking story told from the view of a survivor is a great reality check for any reader. I would recommend this book to emotionally mature middle schoolers on up. The human resilience and creativity in spite of all odds is purely amazing. The...more
Set in a ghetto in Poland during the occupation of the Nazis, this heartbreaking story told from the view of a survivor is a great reality check for any reader. I would recommend this book to emotionally mature middle schoolers on up. The human resilience and creativity in spite of all odds is purely amazing. The...more
Read in November, 2007
This is a fantastic Holocaust novel. The author wrote from the perspective of her aunt, who was one of 12 children to survive the Lodz ghetto in Poland. Her aunt was four and a half when she entered the ghetto, and ten when the liberation troops reached them. Roy has an amazing way of making the most simple statements incredibly gripping. The novel is written in poetic prose:
I wish I could
rip the star off
(carefully, stitch by stitch, so as not to ruin
my lovely coat),
because yellow is me...more
I wish I could
rip the star off
(carefully, stitch by stitch, so as not to ruin
my lovely coat),
because yellow is me...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
recommended to Debbie by:
Jessica Doylerecommends it for: anyone looking for a moving Holocaust story
The author retells her Aunt Syvia's story of surviving in the Lodz Ghetto during WWII. The book is based on Syvia's true story, although the author has fictionalized some events. Told in a series of vignettes that are vivid and poetic, the story begins during the fall of 1939 and ends with the liberation of Lodz in 1945.
Each of the book's five sections starts with a short factual introduction that puts Syvia's story into a historical context. Then, told in first person, each of Syvia's sh...more
Each of the book's five sections starts with a short factual introduction that puts Syvia's story into a historical context. Then, told in first person, each of Syvia's sh...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2008
This book hit me hard. In a way similar to The Book Thief. It is written in verse, so it goes very fast. The fact that it is based on a real person makes the book even more powerful.
The story is about a young girl (she's 6 at the beginning of the book) who survived the Lodz ghetto during WWII in Poland. Only 12 children survived the Lodz ghetto and Syvia, was one of them.
The story was told so well, with the innocence of a child. I just couldn't put it down and as she finally leaves ...more
The story is about a young girl (she's 6 at the beginning of the book) who survived the Lodz ghetto during WWII in Poland. Only 12 children survived the Lodz ghetto and Syvia, was one of them.
The story was told so well, with the innocence of a child. I just couldn't put it down and as she finally leaves ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
Sara and Sarah
I picked this book up on my lunch today because I'd finished most of my grading and ended up having a few extra minutes to read. I could barely put it down. I read it at dinner, and then brought it with me to my library job which I normally don't read there. I just finished it. Reading about the Holocaust is something that I've always found fascinating and quite unbelievable that something like that could actually happen. And while some people say it is time to get over it and move on, I fe...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2008
Holocaust literature is hard to read, period. When it is actually based on real events and centered around children, its almost too hard for me to even pick up. This one was no exception. It is a beautifully written recounting of the life of Syvia Perlmutter, who was 4 when she and her family were sent to the Lodz ghetto in Poland. This could be a powerful introduction to the subject for children, particularly since our narrator is so young. I found the audio version to be wonderfully read, but ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2008
recommended to Lilly by:
I picked it out of my school's bookfair on my own.recommends it for: any one who is interested in history and the holocost
I loved this book. It was really great. It only took me two days to read it, but that was because I couldn't put it down. I have always enjoyed stories of the holocost, but this one can only be compared to "Number the Stars" by Lowis Lowery. I'm really glad I read it. I love this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was about the a girl that survived the holocost. It is written in first person, but the book was written by the niece of the girl who lived. It starts when she is five and en...more
It was about the a girl that survived the holocost. It is written in first person, but the book was written by the niece of the girl who lived. It starts when she is five and en...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in October, 2008
recommends it for:
family/friends
Well, this book taught me to value and cherish every moment of life. During the holocaust, only twelve children lived. Twelve is a surprising number out of so many children in the ghetto's. Yellow Star is a life teaching lesson. It also teaches you about the history of the world, and the facts of the holocaust. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn about life lessons, or just about the holocaust.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
who enjoy reading stories of the Holocaust
This was a super fast read. It's a story of a Holocaust survivor - one of 12 children who survived in this specific ghetto. It's really an amazing tale of luck and intelligence. This child's father is amazingly calm and observant in a situation that would leave the best of us shaking in our boots. I definitely recommend it to those, especially those who enjoy reading tales of the Holocaust.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
recommended to Michelle by:
Rebeccarecommends it for: older children and adults
Wow. This book was so good. I am still wiping tears away. The Devil's Arithmetic has always been my favorite book about the holocaust, but Yellow Star is right up there with it. I liked the first person account from the point of view of a young child. It was also fascinating knowing that it was about a real survivor's experience. I could not put it down. I will definitely share it with my children.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in October, 2007
This book is an amazing true story of a child in the Lodz, Poland ghetto. At the beginning of the second world war 270,000 people were forced into the ghetto. At the end of the war there were only 800 survivors and twelve of them were children. Sylvia Perlmutter was one of the twelve. This is an amazing story for the whole family (probalby ages 8 and up). It is very touching.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
everyone
This is one of the most moving books I've read. I picked it up while waiting for my children during a visit to the library, opened to the middle and started reading. I couldn't put it down. When I got to the end, still waiting for my children to finish looking for books, I turned back to the beginning to see what I'd missed and read straight through to the end again.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
If ever there was a case for 3 1/2 stars this would be it. It didn’t hit me emotionally like many of the holocaust books or books in verse I would give 4 stars to, but in some ways, that may make this book easier to read for many kids. The author is telling her aunt’s holocaust story and the introduction and the author’s notes add to the very personal story.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
This book was amazing! Everyone should read this book! It changed my life. I really respect holocaust victims more. It made me cry at the end because it was so sad through the whole book and the end was so happy. I don't cry in a lot of movies or books. Only the few really touching ones. This was a fast read so everyone should take 2 hours and read this.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
YA - Adult
Written in first person - Sylvia Perlmutter told her story to her niece, Jennifer Roy and she wrote her story. Great story about the Holocaust from a child's perspective - first hand account. Mothers were forced to choose which child to save and which to send away, children were forced to stay in hiding for months at a time and the starvation that they endured.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
I didn't really like the prose format of the book. Once I got in to the flow, it was quick and easy to read, but it somehow took away from the overall experience.
However, the story is really fascinating. Syvia's father was truly willing to risk all for his family and it's amazing what he was able to accomplish.
3.5 stars
However, the story is really fascinating. Syvia's father was truly willing to risk all for his family and it's amazing what he was able to accomplish.
3.5 stars
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
to-read
(on 93 people's shelves)
currently-reading (on 18 people's shelves)
holocaust (on 8 people's shelves)
historical-fiction (on 7 people's shelves)
young-adult (on 6 people's shelves)
poetry (on 4 people's shelves)
truman-award-nominee-waw-2008-2009 (on 2 people's shelves)
war (on 2 people's shelves)
fiction (on 2 people's shelves)
children-s-books (on 2 people's shelves)
More shelves...
currently-reading (on 18 people's shelves)
holocaust (on 8 people's shelves)
historical-fiction (on 7 people's shelves)
young-adult (on 6 people's shelves)
poetry (on 4 people's shelves)
truman-award-nominee-waw-2008-2009 (on 2 people's shelves)
war (on 2 people's shelves)
fiction (on 2 people's shelves)
children-s-books (on 2 people's shelves)
More shelves...
groups with this book
