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evermore84 's review for:
Becoming Naomi León
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Becoming Naomi Leon is a wonderful story of a young girl who searches for her identity and finds her voice.
Half-Mexican Naomi and her younger disabled brother, Owen, live with their loving great-grandmother in the trailer park that they call home. When Naomi is 11, her mother returns, and they barely recognize her. However, her mother (who now wants to be called by a new name - "Skyla") expects to pick up where they left off with no hard feelings. At first, Naomi is overjoyed with the attention and gifts from her mother, but soon she starts to notice the way Owen is left out. And when her mother misses a parent-teacher conference and then becomes angry at Owen's doctor visit, Naomi starts to realize her mother's true nature. When Skyla threatens to take Naomi back (but not Owen), Naomi's great-grandmother packs up the children and takes them to Mexico in search of their long-lost father in the hope that he can help settle the custody issues. What will happen to Naomi if she has to go live with her mother? What if her father decides that he wants her now after all these years?
This book gives insight into the life of a Mexican-American girl who learns more about her Mexican heritage. I think Naomi's friend Blanca put it best when she said, "Ask lots of questions and you'll get lots of answers. You deserve to know about your own life. Right?" (p. 55) Children of all backgrounds can enjoy learning about people who are different than them, too. Becoming Naomi Leon includes many rich details about Oaxaca, Mexico and the language, culture, and traditions of Mexico's people. Also, families today do not always reflect the traditional idea of a family. Many children are being raised by grandparents, great grandparents, or other relatives. They may identify with Naomi as her family goes through a bitter custody battle.
Through Naomi's search for her father and her Mexican-American identity, she finds her voice. People were always asking Naomi to speak up, and she finds her voice in a courageous way. Read Becoming Naomi Leon for an inspiring story of a girl finding her place in the world.
Half-Mexican Naomi and her younger disabled brother, Owen, live with their loving great-grandmother in the trailer park that they call home. When Naomi is 11, her mother returns, and they barely recognize her. However, her mother (who now wants to be called by a new name - "Skyla") expects to pick up where they left off with no hard feelings. At first, Naomi is overjoyed with the attention and gifts from her mother, but soon she starts to notice the way Owen is left out. And when her mother misses a parent-teacher conference and then becomes angry at Owen's doctor visit, Naomi starts to realize her mother's true nature. When Skyla threatens to take Naomi back (but not Owen), Naomi's great-grandmother packs up the children and takes them to Mexico in search of their long-lost father in the hope that he can help settle the custody issues. What will happen to Naomi if she has to go live with her mother? What if her father decides that he wants her now after all these years?
This book gives insight into the life of a Mexican-American girl who learns more about her Mexican heritage. I think Naomi's friend Blanca put it best when she said, "Ask lots of questions and you'll get lots of answers. You deserve to know about your own life. Right?" (p. 55) Children of all backgrounds can enjoy learning about people who are different than them, too. Becoming Naomi Leon includes many rich details about Oaxaca, Mexico and the language, culture, and traditions of Mexico's people. Also, families today do not always reflect the traditional idea of a family. Many children are being raised by grandparents, great grandparents, or other relatives. They may identify with Naomi as her family goes through a bitter custody battle.
Through Naomi's search for her father and her Mexican-American identity, she finds her voice. People were always asking Naomi to speak up, and she finds her voice in a courageous way. Read Becoming Naomi Leon for an inspiring story of a girl finding her place in the world.