Read this when
Esperanza Rising
Rich girl on a ranch one day. Farm camp the next. 🌹 Esperanza Rising is starting over when everything you counted on is gone.
Who it's for
Esperanza goes from a pampered childhood on a Mexican ranch to farm-labor camps in 1930s California after her father's death, so readers facing sudden loss of status, money or home see their shock and grief mirrored.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Esperanza Rising is a 2000 historical novel for young readers by Pam Muñoz Ryan, published by Scholastic. In 1930, Esperanza lives a privileged life on her family's ranch in Aguascalientes, Mexico, until her father is killed on the eve of her thirteenth birthday.
Where to find it
In print (Scholastic) and widely available in libraries, including Libby/Hoopla. An audiobook exists; check your library.
Before you start
Heads up: A father's murder, off-page.
Age: Ages 9+
Do not say, "It is morning," and dismiss it with a name of yesterday. See it for the first time as a new-born child that has no name.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 235
