Esperanza Rising
Written by Pam Munoz Ryan, Illustrated by Joe Cepeda
Scholastic Publishing, Copyright 2016
Historical Fiction
Plot Summary:
Esperanza loved her life. She lived on a beautiful ranch in Mexico with her Mama, Papa, and Abuelita. She wore fancy dresses, and lived in a mansion! One day, her father was tragically killed by bandits. This event threw Esperanza's life into chaos. Esperanza and her mother are forced to move to America, where they believe they will be safe. However, it is 1930; and in America, the Great Depression rages on around them. Will Esperanza and her mother make it in America? Read Esperanza Rising to follow this inspiring story of true grit and hard work coming from a life that gave you everything.
Illustrations: This book was illustrated by Joe Cepeda. This book is a chapter book, so there are not many illustrations. But, the ones included portray the Mexican heritage that Esperanza comes from, with beautiful images of mountains and gardens in the background; and colors such as yellow, red, and blue being the main palette used. The cover art illustrates Esperanza literally "rising," which could point to how she was ripped from her old life so quickly, and how she rises above the challenges presented before her as she starts her life in America.
I would use this book in a 6th grade social studies lesson. This book has many historical events embedded in the story, such as the Great Depression, that I could use to give relevance to what really happened in America during that time. This book also gives perspective from the viewpoint of people living in Mexico during that time, so it gives my students an insight to what was happening in both countries. The theme of this book centers around hard work to get what you need, and want. My students would benefit from learning about this theme, because the value of hard work is important, and it is a necessary life skill.
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