New ebooks From Canadian Indies
Description
Ice cream!You scream!
Sammy has learned to live by his wits on the voyage from Poland to the Jewish immigrant community that is to be his new home in New York City. It is here he discovers that the vibrant, noisy streets of New York are alive with challenge - even more of a challenge than his new school. Will it be Sammy's wits, or his beautiful singing voice that will keep him out of trouble in the games of stickball in the rough-and-tumble streets?
Rona Arato has written a humorous, life-affirming story about a young boy standing up for himself in the midst of peer pressure from a local gang, prejudice against new immigrants, and his own desire to be accepted for who he is.
About the Author
Rona Arato
RONA ARATO is a former teacher and an award-winning author of over fifteen books for children and young adults, including fiction, non-fiction, and historical fiction. Her books have won numerous awards including the Norma Fleck Award for best Canadian children's non-fiction book of 2014, the Red Cedar, Red Maple, and Rocky Mountain Awards (for The Last Train), and the 2011 Golden Oak Award (for Courage and Compassion: Ten Canadians that Made a Difference). Her book, The Ship to Nowhere, was designated a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Older Children by the Association of Jewish Libraries. Rona is a frequent speaker at schools and community organizations. Rona lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Contributor Notes
Rona Arato was born in New York and raised in Los Angeles. Some of her happiest memories are of her children sitting in a circle at bedtime as she spun tales of imaginary people and flying dragons. Rona's books include Fossils Clues to Ancient Life, and World of Water. Her book Making a Difference- A Canadian Heroes Book will be published in 2007. Ice Cream Town was inspired by Rona's father's tales of his childhood as a new immigrant and by her memories of her own early years in New York.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 8 to 11
- Grade:
- 3 to 6
Editorial Review
"Ice Cream Town is a delightful novel for young readers, filled with the adventures of the new kid on the block struggling to adjust to the New World. It's a fine introduction to immigrant life in the early part of the 20th century, touching upon the inferior living accommodations in the tenements and the poor working conditions. Arato, with humour and wit, depicts the inferiority complex suffered by many newcomers who desperately tried to blend in with the American-born population. . . Ice Cream Town is a pleasurable, inspiring read with historical value."
-- Jewish Tribune
"Rona Arato's first novel for young children is to be applauded."
Recommended.
-- CM Magazine
"This is a feel-good tale about values, and offers a window on a time and place without the typical teen-lit "gritty realism" which is so often more gritty than real."
-- Victoria Times-Colonist
"Readers of historical fiction - perhaps especially those who recognize aspects of their own family history in Sammy's experience - will appreciate the details of the book's setting and its portrait of growing up where "everything is upside down."
-- Booklist
"This is a richly detailed, solid piece of historical fiction that gives insight into the early-20th-century immigrant experience."
-- The School Library Journal
"Experienced readers of the Sydney Taylor books will get a grittier and more realistic side of immigrant life from child's point of view."
-- Jewish Book World (US)
