Esperanza Rising

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Esperanza Rising. Scholastic Inc, 2000. 255p.

Esperanza Rising is an engaging and emotionally-charged book about a privileged pre-teen girl who grew up in Mexico, now faced with major grief and change in her life. The book opens with her father murdered (very non-graphically—we don’t get too many details other than who-dunnit), leaving her, her mother, her Abuelita (grandmother), and the servants in her house, who are treated like family. After her father dies, her evil uncle tries to take control of their property, forcing her mother and closest servants to flee to Mexico (her grandmother injures her ankle, and so is left behind until she can heal enough to follow). Now a “peasant” in America, Esperanza is forced to pop her privileged bubble and face the disparity around her that she’s been blind to her whole life. The rest of the book shows how Esperanza gradually grows and matures into a giving, inciteful, hard-working, and loving daughter. As she leads her new life in America, the novel sensitively touches on some juicy issues, including illegal immigration, treatment of minorities in the States and workers’ unions, alongside issues of poverty, racism, and grief, and perseverance. It’s a novel with clear messages of good deeds and generosity, and a little romance as well—probably geared a little more towards young girls than boys, though teachable lessons for both.

It’s an extremely teachable book, I would definitely consider teaching it in a middle school classroom. The content is probably a little too juvenile for high school. It was a fairly easy read, I’d place it at an average 6^th grade level, with some great vocabulary words sprinkled in (“despondent” made an appearance!!!). Very well written. Definitely appropriate for middle school, definitely has a lot to talk about! A good read!