I am required to do a children's literature review that involves three author studies for my Developmental Reading class. Originally, I picked Maya Angelou for the author of the two novels I must include, but her writing seemed a little above-level in terms of difficulty of text as well as content for K-6 readers. So I instead picked Pam Muñoz Ryan, who wrote Esperanza Rising and Becoming Naomi León. I'm currently reading Esperanza Rising, which begins in Mexico in 1924 right before the Great Depression, and right before the harvest of the grapes from Esperanza's family vineyard that always coincides with her birthday. Her father is tragically killed by a group of bandits on the eve of her 13th birthday. But more tradgedy follows for Esperanza and her family; her power-hungry uncle sets fire to their ranch home and vineyards when her mother refuses to marry him, and left with nothing, they must flee to America. One quote resonated with me so far:
Abuelita squeezed Esperanza's hand. "Do not be afraid to start over. When I was your age, I left Spain with my mother, father, and sisters. A Mexican official had offered my father a job here in Mexico. So we came. We had to take several ships and the journey lasted months. When we arrived, nothing was as promised. There were many hard times. But life was also exciting. And we had each other. Esperanza, do you remember the story of the phoenix, the lovely young bird that is reborn from its own ashes?"
Esperanza nodded. Abuelita had read it to her many times from a book of myths.
"We are like the phoenix," said Abuelita. "Rising again, with a new life ahead of us."
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