Title: Esperanza Rising
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
ISBN: 9780439120425
Characters: Esperanza
Published: Oct., 2000
Genre: historical fiction
Reading Level: 5th grade
Interest Level: 5th-8th grade
Plot Summary: Esperanza is the daughter of a wealthy rose plantation owner in Mexico. It's not long after the Mexican revolution and tensions between wealthy land owners and poor workers is high. Esperanza lives a pampered life until one day her father is killed by Mexican rebels. Her corrupt uncles soon take over the plantation and Esperanza and her mother must flee to the US. Esperanza and her mother have left their life of wealth for a life of poverty, working as migrant workers in California. Life isn't easy in California and Esperanza finds herself out of place and struggling to adapt to her new life.
Review: Esperanza's story is uplifting. Esperanza is a girl who lives in luxury and is forced to start over in another country. Esperanza struggles with things such as how to sweep, which seem silly but it's from Esperanza's viewpoint the reader can see that this new lifestyle is a tough transition. Ryan weaves a touching story of loss and starting over. It also shows how family can get you through tough times. Esperanza's love for her grandmother is touching. The story also shows the difficulty that migrant farm workers went through in California. While soem of the historical information may not be known to younger readers it's a great introduction to this part of American history.
Reader's Annotation: Esperanza lived a beautiful life of family, love and roses. Then her whole world shatters. Can Esperanza rise again?
Main Themes: poverty, diversity, loss, immigrants, migrant farm workers, California
Read alikes: Any Small Goodness by Tony Johnston and Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Why for Tweens? Tweens will connect with Esperanza as she struggles to find herself in a new country. Esperanza's love for her family is relatable to tweens. They will also enjoy the historical aspect of this story and may want to learn more about migrant workers.
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