Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
Ryan, Pam Munoz. 2004. Becoming Naomi Leon. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 0-439-26969-5.
Becoming Naomi Leon is the compelling story of a once content, and somewhat mousy, 5th grade girl's search for identity, pride and inner strength. When Naomi's long-absent mother unexpectedly knocks on the door of Baby Beluga (the family's airstream trailer) and turns her sheltered life upside down, both the old and new questions are irrepressible. Though Gram says it's best to leave the past in the past, Naomi's new friend Blanca believes that asking lots of questions gets lots of answers. Naomi yearns for information concerning her distant father, in Oaxaca City, Mexico, and her incongruous mother, all the while dealing with long pent up feelings of rejection. Through events beyond her control, Naomi is set on a difficult path that propels her into self-discovery. By the end of her journey, each one of Naomi's names - Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw - match a portion of her new-found identity and the puzzle pieces of her life have come together to form a complete picture. Becoming "Naomi the Lion," she is the same on the outside, but now very different on the inside. Munoz has woven a story of circumstances, cultures, family strength, and unconditional love into a heart-warming, and sometimes heart-wrenching, search for truth that unravels cleanly and assuredly.
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