Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan is an incredible story of a girl going from having everything to struggling to survive. Esperanza is a girl whose father owns a large farm in Mexico. They have a lot of money and have servants who take care of them until one day her father is killed by thieves. Esperanza and her mother have to flea to America with her servants to survive leaving her grandmother behind. They work on a camp site where they live in small cabins and work in fields. One day her mother gets very sick and is forced to work more to keep her mother alive. All she wants is to have her family back together and her mother healthy again.

This story can be used in upper elementary school and middle school. It is a great read and teaches important Spanish words along the way. Children can learn that even when people have a lot of money it can easily be taken away and that working your hardest can make a big difference in your life. They can learn from Esperanza and how hard she worked to keep her family going. Many children could relate to this story because some have families that are in a similar position. Parents can read this book to children at home to help them learn that not everyone is fortunate and many people have to work hard to get where they are.