Books with author Rona Arato

The Last Train is the harrowing true story about young brothers Paul and Oscar Arato and their mother, Lenke, surviving the Nazi occupation during the final years of World War II.Living in the town of Karcag, Hungary, the Aratos feel insulated from the war — even as it rages all around them. Hungary is allied with Germany to protect its citizens from invasion, but in 1944 Hitler breaks his promise to keep the Nazis out of Hungary.The Nazi occupation forces the family into situations of growing panic and fear: first into a ghetto in their hometown; then a labor camp in Austria; and, finally, to the deadly Bergen Belsen camp deep in the heart of Germany. Separated from their father, 6-year-old Paul and 11-year-old Oscar must care for their increasingly sick mother, all while trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy amid the horrors of the camp.In the spring of 1945, the boys see British planes flying over the camp, and a spark of hope that the war will soon end ignites. And then, they are forced onto a dark, stinking boxcar by the Nazi guards. After four days on the train, the boys are convinced they will be killed, but through a twist of fate, the train is discovered and liberated by a battalion of American soldiers marching through Germany.The book concludes when Paul, now a grown man living in Canada, stumbles upon photographs on the internet of his train being liberated. After writing to the man who posted the pictures, Paul is presented with an opportunity to meet his rescuers at a reunion in New York — but first he must decide if he is prepared to reopen the wounds of his past.

The kingdom Protista includes organisms, most of them microscopic, which have both animal and plant features. With such a diversity of life forms in this grouping, the features of this kingdom are quite varied. This intriguing book shows how this group's unusal members are generally classified according to an absence of a feature, such as the lack of complicated cell structure. Learn about such exotic organisms as algae, dinoflagellates, radiolarians, amoebae, and slime moldsall of them protists. Case histories examine the importance of plankton to the marine food chains, innovative uses of protists by humans, and the role of protists in various diseases.

The Last Train is the harrowing true story about young brothers Paul and Oscar Arato and their mother, Lenke, surviving the Nazi occupation during the final years of World War II.Living in the town of Karcag, Hungary, the Aratos feel insulated from the war — even as it rages all around them. Hungary is allied with Germany to protect its citizens from invasion, but in 1944 Hitler breaks his promise to keep the Nazis out of Hungary.The Nazi occupation forces the family into situations of growing panic and fear: first into a ghetto in their hometown; then a labor camp in Austria; and, finally, to the deadly Bergen Belsen camp deep in the heart of Germany. Separated from their father, 6-year-old Paul and 11-year-old Oscar must care for their increasingly sick mother, all while trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy amid the horrors of the camp.In the spring of 1945, the boys see British planes flying over the camp, and a spark of hope that the war will soon end ignites. And then, they are forced onto a dark, stinking boxcar by the Nazi guards. After four days on the train, the boys are convinced they will be killed, but through a twist of fate, the train is discovered and liberated by a battalion of American soldiers marching through Germany.The book concludes when Paul, now a grown man living in Canada, stumbles upon photographs on the internet of his train being liberated. After writing to the man who posted the pictures, Paul is presented with an opportunity to meet his rescuers at a reunion in New York — but first he must decide if he is prepared to reopen the wounds of his past.

Rachel Fletcher is nine years old when she, her mother and sister are crammed on board the Exodus, a dilapidated vessel smuggling 4500 refugees of the Holocaust to their biblical homeland, Israel, known as Palestine. Since the end of the war, Rachel has been shuffled between a series of displaced persons camps, in many ways still a prisoner. Desperate, the refugees are willing to risk their lives again for a home free from hatred and oppression. But Jewish immigration to Palestine was very limited at this time, and they are surrounded by war ships. Nonetheless, Rachel and the other refugees refuse to give up hope. Their fight, and the world-wide attention it brought, influenced the UN to vote for the creation of the state of Israel. Made famous by the Paul Newman film Exodus, this is the first book for young people about the famous ship.

Rachel Fletcher is eleven years old when she, her mother and sister are crammed on board the Exodus, a dilapidated vessel smuggling 4500 Jewish refugees risking their lives to reach Palestine, their biblical homeland. Despite all they had suffered during the Holocaust, Jewish refugees are still not wanted in many countries. Even a Canadian immigration officer famously said at the time “None is too many” when asked how many refugees Canada would take in. Nonetheless, Rachel and the other refugees refuse to give up hope when war ships surround them. Their fight, and the worldwide attention it brought, influenced the UN to vote for the creation of the state of Israel. Made famous by the Paul Newman film “Exodus”, this is the first book for young people about the ship that helped make history.

In March 2011 the worlds second-largest nuclear disaster occurred on the eastern coast of Japan. A 9.0-magnitude earthquake caused a nearly 50-foot tsunami that flooded the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The devastating tidal wave caused equipment failures that led the nuclear reactors to overheat to the point of meltdown. Dangerous radioactive materials released into the air continue to threaten the health of the ocean and people around the world today. Topics include:

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.

The kingdom Protista includes organisms, most of them microscopic, which have both animal and plant features. With such a diversity of life forms in this grouping, the features of this kingdom are quite varied. This intriguing book shows how this group's unusal members are generally classified according to an absence of a feature, such as the lack of complicated cell structure. Learn about such exotic organisms as algae, dinoflagellates, radiolarians, amoebae, and slime moldsall of them protists. Case histories examine the importance of plankton to the marine food chains, innovative uses of protists by humans, and the role of protists in various diseases.

Treat yourself to a visit to the wackiest restaurant ever!Ten-year-old Shoshi and her eight-year-old brother, Moshe, arrive in New York in 1898 from Russia with their mother and Snigger, the baby dragon that saved them from an attack by Cossack soldiers. Five years earlier, their father had also come to New York to make his fortune, but no one has heard from him since. Through a series of adventures and misadventures, Shoshi and Moshe use their wits to navigate through New York City's Lower East Side, making new friends and even a few foes: Salty, the seaman who helps the family smuggle Snigger through Ellis Island; Aloysius P. Thornswaddle, carnival barker extraordinaire; Dingle Hinglehoffer, pitcher for the Brooklyn Slobbers; and the mysterious Man in the Black Cape. With the help of Snigger, they set out to solve the mystery behind their father's disappearance, helping to free the Lower East Side from the tyrannical rule of gangster Nick the Stick along the way. Mrs. Kaputnik's Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium is a colorful tale that blends history and fantasy with a journey of discovery, adventure, and fun.

CLA Children's Book of the Year Award 2008 longlist CCBC's Best Books for Kids and Teens, 2008 Children's Crown Award 2009 Finalist 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.

This book is intended for ages 7-14. Chalk and amber are two forms of fossils that provide us with clues as to how life has evolved, both in the oceans and on land. Fossils takes a fascinating look at how and where fossils formed, types of fossils, and the history of palaeontology. Remarkable photographs and diagrams give children clues about how Earth's plant and animal life looked millions of years ago. The topics include: the discovery of dinosaur fossils, and the evolution of dinosaurs from reptiles to distinction; the age and location of extraordinary fossil finds, such as the woolly mammoth and fossilised humans; the methods that scientists use to discover, unearth, and date fossils; the damaging effect that burning fossil fuels has on our environment, as well as the dangers of oil and gas leaks; and, how the Leakey family's many fossil and tool discoveries have contributed to the fields of palaeontology and anthropology.

Josiah Hensons life is an epic tale of one mans battle against evil and ignorance. By the time he was six, Josiah had been sold three times. When he was nine, his familys owner beat him for trying to learn to read. In spite of his physical pain and emotional heartache, he never lost the sense of morality that was his bedrock. After his escape, Josiah became an advocate for those still in bondage. As a conductor on the Underground Railroad, he led 118 slaves to safety in Canada. Working for Freedom is the story of a man who proved that one person can make a difference in defending and promoting human rights.