Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising
by Pam Munoz Ryan

Scholastic, Inc, 2000







Genre:  Historical fiction, Mexican-American literature

Honors:  Pura Belpe Medal, Jane Addams Children's Book Award, Willa Cather Award, Americas Award Honor Book, ALA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year, NY Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, IRA Notable Book for a Global Society, NCSS Notable Book for Young People, Jefferson Cup Award Worthy of Note, Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist, Smithsonian Best Book of the Year, Southern California Judy Lopez Memorial Award, Arizona Young Adult Book Award

Review:  Esperanza lives in Mexico on a huge ranch with her wealthy family. Her father is kind to their servants, but the difference of classes is very distinct. When Esperanza's father is suddenly killed by bandits and their ranch is set on fire by evil politicians, she and her mother escape to the Northern Californian farms. A new yet difficult life awaits Esperanza as she labors daily in the fields. Esperanza finds inner strength when her mother takes ill, and as she endeavors to acclimate to her less than luxurious surroundings.

Opinion:  This book was written with real heart by the author who had direct contact with a similiar background story, making an emotional and poignant book. Being a native Californian myself, I was especially interested in the historical aspects of these early Mexican immigrants and the Northern California farming issues during the times of the Great Depression.

Ideas:  As this book depicts a specific time in California history of Mexican-American immigrants, I believe it would be great as part of a curriculum of California Social Studies. Perhaps this book would also work in a display of Mexican-American related library items during traditional Mexican holidays like Cinco de Mayo.