This award-winning multicultural novel is loosely based on the life of the author's Mexican grandmother. 13-year-old Esperanza's world is turned upside down when her beloved father dies. She is forced to leave her privileged life in Mexico for one of manual labor and hardships in California. During this difficult journey and transition, Esperanza is forced to deal with illness, survival and life in a strange new place. This story is set during the Great Depression and touches on migrant worker struggles for rights and equality. In the end, Esperanza learns you don't need money or expensive things to be rich in life. As a reader, I felt this book was very inspirational. Major themes I found were not being afraid to start over and embracing the peaks and valleys in each of our lives. I thought it was great that many Spanish words, phrases and customs were included and explained in detail. The author does a fantastic job of using metaphors and imagery throughout this novel to connect with the reader. As a teacher, I would absolutely use this book in my classroom, especially for older grades. This novel could be paired with a history lesson about the Great Depression or a geography lesson about this region in North America. Students could draw maps of Esperanza's route to California or write journal entries as if their families were fleeing to a new country. They could write about the important items they would want to bring on a journey like this. In addition, it might be helpful to set aside class time to further discuss the cultural vocabulary, customs and stereotypes mentioned in the story.
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