Becoming Naomi Leon

Becoming Naomi Leon. Pam Munoz Ryan; Scholastic, 2004.
Grade Level: 6-8
Hardcover ISBN: 0439269695 $ 16.95
Paperback ISBN: 0439803772 $ 4.99

Synopsis:

Half-Mexican Naomi Soledad, 11, and her younger disabled brother, Owen, have been brought up by their tough, loving great-grandmother in a California trailer park, and they feel at home in the multiracial community. When their alcoholic mom reappears after seven years hoping to take Naomi (not Owen) back, Gram is determined not to let that happen. A quiet life in Lemon Tree, California, becomes a runaway journey to find an estranged father in exotic Oaxaca, Mexico.

General Review:

Naomi's tale is one of becoming, of finding one's heritage, of discovering one's true talent while overcoming the odds of abandonment, anxiety, and disappointment. This is also a story of strength, devotion and the search for family. All of the characters are well drawn, and readers will share Naomi's fear about her future. A moving book about family dynamics.

Themes: Names, Journeys, Freedom, Goals, Family, Mexican-Americans

Author Information:

www.pammunozryan.com

Discussion Questions: Standard 3, Benchmark 3

1. Why does Naomi speak so softly? Does she act differently in school than she does at home? Why is it so easy for her to make friends with Blanca?
2. What makes life in Lemon Tree so special to Naomi and Owen?
3. Which are the important friendships portrayed in the story? What does friendship mean to people and how does it affect their lives?
4. Look carefully at the names of the chapters. Why does the author name each chapter a group of animals? How do the collective nouns describe the animals? How do they relate to what is happening in each chapter?
5. At the end of the book, Mr. Marble says that Naomi has grown from a mouse to a lion. What did he mean by that? In addition to Naomi, which other characters in the book change and grow to understand themselves better?

Activities:

1. Go to the soap carving website and try your hand at carving a soap animal. www.ivory.com/fun.htm Standard 5, Benchmark 3.

2. Interview a character from the book. Write at least ten questions that will give the character the opportunity to discuss his/her thoughts and feelings about his/her role in the story. However you choose to present you interview is up to you. Standard 1, Benchmark 3.

3. Write a feature article (with a headline) that tells the story of the book as it might be found on the front page of a newspaper in the town where the story takes place. Standard 5, Benchmark 3.

4. Find the top 10 web sites a character in the book would most frequently visit. Include 2-3 sentences for each on why the character likes each of the sites. Standard 2, Benchmark 1.

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