Random Thoughts and Musings

If you are a parent or mentor to a young girl (and, really, some young boys too - depends on if they are open-minded about having a girl be the main character in a story!), I think you will enjoy reading Pam Munoz Ryan’s Esperanza Rising to/with her. My sister (a teacher who has focused on English as a second language classes) sent the book to me on the agreement that I would read it WITH my Tween. I one-upped this bargain, and read it to my Tween AND my grandparents (who were originally from Mexico) on the day before Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. All of us loved the book, and even though my voice lost some of its strength by the end of the night, we completed it in one day (we took a two-hour bread to watch my grandparents’ two nightly Telenovelas, and another two hours for meals and meal preparations).

Esperanza Ortega is a happily spoiled child who lives affluently in her little Mexican town. Tragedy strikes her family, and she and her mother flee. They come to a migrant camp, where Mrs. Ortega falls ill. Esperanza has to dig deep within herself to become stronger, and get past her childish and sometimes spoiled ways to help take care of her family.

The story does not focus on anything horribly depressive, nor does it smooth over too many rough edges. It is a beautiful, heartwarming blend of tough spirit and hard work. If you want a few hours to bond with the young lady in your life, pick up this book from your local library (or purchase it here) and sit down to read it together. I have read it with a few different girls, ages 7-15, and with my grandparents (who completely enjoyed the ties to their first homeland).

Fun fact: Esperanza Ortega is from Aguascalientes, Mexico … and so are my grandparents!

Go, read. Enjoy! And be sure to come back and tell me (or text/call/email/etc) what you think!

xoxo