Bibliographic Information:
Roy, J. R. (2006). Yellow star. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish.
Readability Level: 6.1
Audience Level: Grades 6-8
Suggested Delivery: independent or group read
Summary: "In thoughtful, vividly descriptive, almost poetic prose, Roy retells the true story of her Aunt Syvia's experiences in the Lodz Ghetto during the Nazi occupation of Poland. The slightly fictionalized story, re-created from her aunt's taped narrative, is related by Syvia herself as a series of titled vignettes that cover the period from fall, 1939, when she is four years old, until January 1945–each one recounting a particular detail-filled memory in the child's life (a happy-colored yellow star sewn on her favorite orange coat; a hole in the cemetery where she hides overnight with her Papa). The book is divided into five chronological sections–each with a short factual introduction to the period covered. An appended author's note tells what happened to Syvia's family after the war. A time line of World War II, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, is also included. This gripping and very readable narrative, filled with the astute observations of a young child, brings to life the Jewish ghetto experience in a unique and memorable way. This book is a standout in the genre of Holocaust literature."
–Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Roy, J. R. (2006). Yellow star. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish.
Readability Level: 6.1
Audience Level: Grades 6-8
Suggested Delivery: independent or group read
Summary: "In thoughtful, vividly descriptive, almost poetic prose, Roy retells the true story of her Aunt Syvia's experiences in the Lodz Ghetto during the Nazi occupation of Poland. The slightly fictionalized story, re-created from her aunt's taped narrative, is related by Syvia herself as a series of titled vignettes that cover the period from fall, 1939, when she is four years old, until January 1945–each one recounting a particular detail-filled memory in the child's life (a happy-colored yellow star sewn on her favorite orange coat; a hole in the cemetery where she hides overnight with her Papa). The book is divided into five chronological sections–each with a short factual introduction to the period covered. An appended author's note tells what happened to Syvia's family after the war. A time line of World War II, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, is also included. This gripping and very readable narrative, filled with the astute observations of a young child, brings to life the Jewish ghetto experience in a unique and memorable way. This book is a standout in the genre of Holocaust literature."
–Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Curriculum Connections:
Taken from Jenniferroy.com
Taken from Jenniferroy.com
- Discuss free verse. How is it different from rhyming poetry or a narrative? Discuss the uses of punctuation, grammar, complete sentences vs. fragments, paragraphs, etc. Analyze One Verse Choose a verse, and answer the questions: • What is the title and page number? • What is the verse about? • What does the title mean? • How does the verse make you feel? Why? • What words did you like? Why? • What else would you like to tell about the verse?
- Write a story from the point of view of Syvia’s doll, the dog across the street, the wire fence, etc.
- Interview a Holocaust survivor of a family member of a survivor