Esperanza Rising

by Pam Munoz Ryan

From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. Moving from a Mexican ranch to the company labor camps of California, Ryan's lyrical novel manages the contradictory: a story of migration and movement deeply rooted in the earth. When 14-year-old Esperanza's father is killed, she and her mother must emigrate to the U.S., where a family of former ranch workers has helped them find jobs in the agricultural labor camps. Coming from such privilege, Esperanza is ill prepared for the hard work and difficult conditions she now faces. She quickly learns household chores, though, and when her mother falls ill, she works packing produce until she makes enough money to bring her beloved abuelita to the U.S.. Set during the Great Depression, the story weaves cultural, economic, and political unrest into Esperanza's poignant tale of growing up: she witnesses strikes, government sweeps, and deep injustice while finding strength and love in her family and romance with a childhood friend. The symbolism is heavy-handed, as when Esperanza ominously pricks her finger on a rose thorne just before her father is killed. But Ryan writes movingly in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the books offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved.

General Information

http://home.jps.net/~gailhd/crossing/esperanza/student.htm Teacher’s Unit

http://suzyred.com/2002esperanza.html Helpful links

**About the Author**

This book is written by Pam Munoz Ryan. Here is a link to her official website for your perusal.

http://www.pammunozryan.com/

http://www.pammunozryan.com/familyph.html Photos of the REAL Esperanza!

http://www.ala.org/news/v8n2/2002purabelpre.html ALA announcement regarding 2002 Pura Belpre’ Award winners

**Mexican History**

http://teacher.scholastic.com/glokid/mexico/portrait.htm (Mexico)History and general background info

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/articles/0,6709,176084,00.html (Mexico) Time for Kids site

http://www.demon.co.uk/mexuk/meet_mex/ Meet Mexico!

http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/history/html/rev/home.html Mexican revolution

http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/history/panchovilla1.html History of Pancho Villa

**Great Depression**

http://www.albany.edu/projren/1997_98/student_projects/museum/history/before/greatdep.htm Reasons for the Great Depression—simplified

http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/depression/photoessay.htm Lots of actual photographs from the Depression

http://newdeal.feri.org/eleanor/index.htm Dear Mrs. Roosevelt--Letters from children during the Great Depression

http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/cherries.html Songs of the Great Depression

**Migrant Camps & Valley Fever**

Isabel shares with Esperanza the experiences she had while living in a tent. "Last year we worked for another farm in El Centro in the Imperial Valley, not too far  from the border. We lived in a tent with a dirt floor and had to carry water. We cooked outside." (p. 89) Later in the story, Esperanza's mother contracts Valley Fever. The doctor explained it as "a disease of the lungs that is caused by dust spores. Sometimes, when people move to this area and aren't used to the air here, the dust spores get into their lungs and cause infection."  Learn more about the conditions in these Migrant Camps by clicking on these website links.

http://vfce.arl.arizona.edu/ Valley Fever information (Migrant Camps)

http://www.cyesis.org/webinstruction/grapesofwrath/pictures2.htm Photos of family life in Migrant Camps

**Crocheting**

At the beginning of the story, Esperanza's Abuelita teaches her some new crocheting techniques. On page 12, "Come, mi nieta, my granddaughter," said Abuelita, holding up yarn and crochet hooks. "I am starting a new blanket and will teach you the zigzag." "Now watch. Ten stitches up to the top of the mountain. Add one stitch. Nine stitches down to the bottom of the valley. Skip one."  Throughout the story, crocheting seems to take one's mind off of thw orries at hand. Try your own hand at the skillful pastime by checking out the links below.

http://www.crochet.org/lessons/lesson.html Crochet lessons for left and right-handed learners!

http://www.crochetcabana.com/learning_to_crochet.htm

**Spanish Proverbs**

Throughout the book, various characters (particularly Abuelita) offer wise statements included to make us think.  On page 14, Abuelita thoughfully says, "No hay rosa sin espinas. There is no rose without thorns." Later, Miguel reminds Esperanza that "Full bellies and Spanish blood go hand in hand."  The following website links list many more of these wise proverbs for you to think about.

http://www.spanishpronto.com/spanishpronto/spanishsayings.html

http://cogweb.ucla.edu/Discourse/Proverbs/Spanish.html

http://creativeproverbs.com/mx01.htm

**Our Lady of Guadalupe**

In several places within the story, "Our Lady of Guadalupe" is mentioned.  On page 66, a beggar woman is clutching a picture of her. On page 123, Esperanza's new friends create a small shrine for spotlighting the statue of this legendary woman. Find out more about her at the following links.

http://www.sancta.org/intro.html Our Lady of Guadalupe history

http://members.tripod.com/~Saints2B/ourlady.html

http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Dec1999/feature2.asp#F5

Back to Web Resource Home