Esperanza Rising offers a unique glimpse into Mexican immigration during the Great Depression by placing the reader in the mind of Esperanza, a sympathetic main character facing a very difficult future after a charmed childhood.
Students might already be familiar with some of Muñoz Ryan’s other work, including 2016 Newbery honor book, Echo, but one of her most relevant books to the themes in Esperanza Rising is Becoming Naomi León, about a half-Mexican girl growing up in California and her short story, “First Crossing,” in the anthology First Crossing: Stories About Teen Immigrants. Students might also be familiar with The Crossing by Gary Paulsen, about a boy crossing the border from...
