Becoming Naomi León

Becoming Naomi León

Pam Muñoz Ryan

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

Becoming Naomi León

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