![Becoming Naomi León](https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/3273/thumbnail.jpg)
Becoming Naomi León
Publisher
Scholastic Paperbacks
Publication Year
2005
ISBN
9780439269971
Pages
272 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
Naomi Soledad León Outlaw has had a lot to contend with in her young life, her name for one. Then there are her clothes (sewn in polyester by Gram), her difficulty speaking up, and her status at school as "nobody special." But according to Gram's self-prophecies, most problems can be overcome with positive thinking. Luckily, Naomi also has her carving to strengthen her spirit. And life with Gram and her little brother, Owen, is happy and peaceful. That is, until their mother reappears for the first time in seven years, stirring up all sorts of questions and challenging Naomi to discover who she really is.
Grade Level
3-5; 6-8
Lexile Measure
830L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; Health & Disability; Legal guardianship / Kinship care; Parental rights termination; Separation; Physical disability; separated parents; losing your father; grandparents raising grandchildren; Rheumatology (legs are unequal lengths); facial deformity
Main Character
female child
Race/Ethnicities
Hispanic / Latinx
Awards
Tomàs Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, 2005, Winner
Southern California Booksellers Association Book Award, 2005, Nominee
Skipping Stones Honor Award, 2005, Winner, Multicultural And International
Schneider Family Book Award, 2005, Winner, Middle School
Pura Belpre Award, 2006, Honor Book, Narrative
Parents' Choice Award, 2004, Silver, Fiction
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2004, Honorable Mention, Your Vote to Win the Newbery
Book Sense Book of the Year Award, 2005, Honor Book, Children's Literature
Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2004, Commended
Keywords
grandma; animal cravings; festival; trailer; brother; school; Mexico
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Ryan, Pam Muñoz, "Becoming Naomi León" (2005). Diverse Families. 2274.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/2274