Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
reviewed by Valerie
In most books, the poor, but incredibly kind main character goes from rags to riches. In this case, Esperanza goes from riches to rags as a tragedy hits her family in Mexico and she is forced to flee to America. She must mature quickly and change almost everything about her, as she is expected to take on jobs and housework.
Esperanza Rising was a pretty good book. It had a fairy tale style to it which, of course, ended in a lesson and a happily ever after. This book was based on a true story and the plot and characters were all very realistic. However, I didn't really like the character, Esperanza, and how she was portrayed because despite her growth, she had a lot of childish qualities that sometimes disrupted the flow of the book.
Generally, this is not something that I would read again but it was worth reading once. It would make a great discussion book for school or book reports.
Librarian's Note: We also have both the CD version and the Spanish edition, Esperanza Renace.