*"This book is a
standout in the genre of holocaust literature." STARRED
REVIEW
—
School
Library Journal,
July
2006
*"...will add much to
the school Holocaust curriculum. Readers older than the target audience,
including some adults, will find them excellent if harrowing reads to think
about and talk about as the words bring the history right into the present.
Hovering in the background is a stunned child’s question about the
perpetrators: "What makes them do it?" That elemental issue is our
focus even now." STARRED
REVIEW
—Booklist,
April 15,
2006
*"The novel is filled
with searing incidents of cruelty and deprivation, love, luck and resilience.
But what sets it apart is the lyricism of the narrative, and Syvia’s
credible childlike voice, maturing with each chapter, as she gains further
understanding of the events around her. ... Nearly every detail – a pear
Syvia bravely plucks from a tree in the ghetto, a rag doll she makes when her
family must sell her own beloved doll – underscores the wedded paradox of
hope and fear, joy and pain." STARRED
REVIEW
—Publishers
Weekly,
March 20,
2006
"Social studies
teachers and general readers will find the author’s note, time line, and
brief historical details prefacing each of the five parts of the book
invaluable. This book is an essential purchase for school, public, and classroom
libraries."
—VOYA,
June
2006
"Jennifer Roy’s
Yellow
Star
brings to life the times
of the Holocaust, using free verse to tell of one of only twelve children to
survive the Polish ghetto when the Germans invaded. The free verse format to
describe experiences may not appeal right away, but the vivid descriptions grow
on
you."
—Children’s
Bookwatch,
June
2006
"Readers searching for
an accessible Holocaust novel will be absorbed by this haunting story based on
true
events."
—The
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s
Books,
May
2006
"Although there is a
plethora of Holocaust materials and personal accounts, I would recommend this
book for Grade 5 and up, and for any library that collects Holocaust
materials. It captures a child’s perspective eloquently."
—AJL
Newsletter Children’s Book Reviews,
May/June
2006
"Poetry blends fact and
fiction in a powerful format that helps make this incomprehensible event in
history comprehensible for children. The fictionalized story is given context by
brief nonfiction chapter introductions and is personalized by vivid characters
who speak to a young-adult
audience."
—Kirkus
Reviews,
April 15,
2006
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