The Devil's Arithmetic -

Jane Yolen, children’s book author whose ‘The Devil’s Arithmetic’ became a Holocaust classic, dies at 87

June 12, 2026June 12, 2026Jesse Orine

Jane Yolen was already an award-winning author and illustrator of more than 100 titles for young readers when her editor suggested she write a Jewish children’s book. At first, she resisted the idea. Sure, she was Jewish. But she didn’t grow up in a religiously observant family, and she insisted she didn’t know enough about […]

Texas school district yanks YA Holocaust novel ‘The Devil’s Arithmetic’ after using AI to detect ‘DEI content’

October 3, 2025October 3, 2025Jesse Orine

A school district in central Texas has removed “The Devil’s Arithmetic,” a classic young-adult novel dealing with the Holocaust, after reviewing books for material that could violate a new state law forbidding “DEI” classroom content. The novel was one of dozens to be removed after Leander Independent School District, in a suburb of Austin, undertook […]