Esperanza Rising

By:
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Illustration of young girl floating above the hills

Instead of celebrating her 13th birthday in her prosperous Mexican home as she expected, Esperanza must adjust to the murder of her father, the loss of her house and wealth, and her new life as a farm worker in California during the Great Depression. This coming-of-age novel is based on the life of the author's grandmother.

Video: Jesse and Esperanza Rising

Bobbi Ciriza Houtchens shares the story of a teenage student who unexpectedly fell in love with Esperanza Rising.

 

Language: Spanish vocabulary featured
Special Populations: Migrant Farmworkers
Culture/Community: Mexican / Mexican American
Heritage & History: Hispanic Heritage and History
Book Awards: Américas Award & Honor Books, Pura Belpré Award & Honor Books
Themes for Middle Grade/YA: Animals and Pets, Nature and the Outdoors, Strong Girls and Women, Summer Stories, Big Responsibilities, Bicultural Kids, Coming of Age, Family and Friends, Food and Cooking, Identity, U.S. History
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Novel
Audiobook: No
Age Level: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Book Series: Migrant Farmworkers: Books for Kids, Tough Topics: Death, Dying, and Grief
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