Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising. Pam Muñoz Ryan. New York: Scholastic Press, 2000. 262 pages. $16.95 (Hardcover). ISBN 0-439-12041-1. Grades 5-9. English with some Spanish.

As Esperanza looked down at her scarred and swollen hands she knew they would never again “look like hands of a wealthy woman from El Rancho de las Rosas.” Less than a year before Esperanza’s life of wealth and prominence in Mexico came crashing down when her Papa was murdered. Forced to flee to the United States, Esperanza and her mom began life over as migrant workers. This new life introduced strikes, poverty, and sickness, but Esperanza learned that although life is hard there is always hope. Pura Belpré and Americás Award winning author Pam Muñoz Ryan masterfully weaves her grandmother’s childhood experiences of growing up in Mexico and United States in the 1930s in to a heartwarming story for all ages. Ryan eloquently confronts the challenges of starting over, poverty, immigration and migrant work life all while emphasizing the importance of culture and hope. Highly Recommended.