Becoming Naomi Leon is written by Pam Munoz Ryan and published by Scholastic Inc. in 2004. It is realistic fiction and also a multi-cultural novel.
This is the story of a little girl named Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw. A little girl who lives in a trailer names Baby Beluga with her Great-grandmother, Gram and her little brother Owen. Naomi is a quiet girl who likes to makes lists and worry. She is also very talented at soap carving which she learned from her neighbor Bernardo. Naomi’s story is about her finding her family and finding her voice. One day Naomi’s mother shows up at their door and decides to get to know her children after 7 years of no contact. Gram is hesitant to let her get close because of her wild past and unstable personality. Naomi’s mother, who is now calling herself Skyla quickly sets about buying Naomi all kinds of fancy things and it is soon apparent that she has no interest in Naomi’s little brother Owen. Owen was born with physical deformities and because of these Skyla is not interested in him being associated with her at all. Soon Skyla shows her violent and unstable side and Gram, Owe and Naomi are forced to run away to Mexico in Baby Beluga to escape Skyla’s temper and determination to take Naomi with her to Las Vegas. While in Mexico, Naomi learns how to live a little. She gets to experience the radish carving contest that resembles her talent for soap carving and best of all, she gets to meet her father. She finds love from a man she does not remember and in that love she finds her culture, her background, and her voice. Naomi Leon goes back to California a changed little girl and when she, Owe and Gram have to defend their family against Skyla, she is able to revel in her new found voice and keep the home she has always known. I love the line in the final chapter when Naomi is talking about her father when she says, “Imagine all that love floating in the air, waiting to land on someone’s life!” This story was touching and emotional in all kinds of ways. Owen is a sunny little boy despite his physical deformities and despite the fact that he is picked on at school and even despite the fact that his mother does not want anything to do with him. This little boy stays positive and never sways in believing that better days will come and that their lives are wonderful. Gram is this amazing Great-grandmother caring for 2 kids that are not even blood related to her. She is fierce, kind and sweet. Naomi is a shy little girl who has no idea who she is and by the end of the book knows where she has come from and where she wants to go. Skyla is a maddening woman who embodies all kinds of negative images of mothers that many children have to deal with. She is absent, an alcoholic, sweet and sugary one minute and then violent and mean as a snake the next. Naomi and Owen want her love so desperately and she just has no idea how to love a child. Skyla has mental problems from her alcohol abuse and is rightfully kept from gaining custody of her children in the end. The vast differences between Skyla and Naomi and Owen’s father, Santiago are astounding. Skyla is a delusional alcoholic, while Santiago is a sweet, kind, caring, honest man, who only wants to love his children in any way he can. While Skyla disappeared to find her life, Santiago continued to send money to Gram and named his fishing boat after his estranged children. I really loved this book and everything it stands for. I thought the language really pulled you into the story and I think the level of intensity is perfect for an upper elementary class.
This book would be great to start talking about other cultures, especially the Mexican culture. The Festival of the Radishes is a real event in Mexico and would be really cool for a 4th or 5th grader. Also soap carving is a really cool idea for kids. Obviously plastic knives would need to be used, but an art lesson could easily stem from this book as well as a social studies lesson. Also a lesson on abuse and why it is unacceptable would be great to discuss with this book. There are a lot of lesson opportunities with this novel. Keeping yourself open for your students to talk to is key, but opening up this subject may encourage kids to open up about things going on in their home lives. All in all I thought this was an excellent book.
This is the story of a little girl named Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw. A little girl who lives in a trailer names Baby Beluga with her Great-grandmother, Gram and her little brother Owen. Naomi is a quiet girl who likes to makes lists and worry. She is also very talented at soap carving which she learned from her neighbor Bernardo. Naomi’s story is about her finding her family and finding her voice. One day Naomi’s mother shows up at their door and decides to get to know her children after 7 years of no contact. Gram is hesitant to let her get close because of her wild past and unstable personality. Naomi’s mother, who is now calling herself Skyla quickly sets about buying Naomi all kinds of fancy things and it is soon apparent that she has no interest in Naomi’s little brother Owen. Owen was born with physical deformities and because of these Skyla is not interested in him being associated with her at all. Soon Skyla shows her violent and unstable side and Gram, Owe and Naomi are forced to run away to Mexico in Baby Beluga to escape Skyla’s temper and determination to take Naomi with her to Las Vegas. While in Mexico, Naomi learns how to live a little. She gets to experience the radish carving contest that resembles her talent for soap carving and best of all, she gets to meet her father. She finds love from a man she does not remember and in that love she finds her culture, her background, and her voice. Naomi Leon goes back to California a changed little girl and when she, Owe and Gram have to defend their family against Skyla, she is able to revel in her new found voice and keep the home she has always known. I love the line in the final chapter when Naomi is talking about her father when she says, “Imagine all that love floating in the air, waiting to land on someone’s life!” This story was touching and emotional in all kinds of ways. Owen is a sunny little boy despite his physical deformities and despite the fact that he is picked on at school and even despite the fact that his mother does not want anything to do with him. This little boy stays positive and never sways in believing that better days will come and that their lives are wonderful. Gram is this amazing Great-grandmother caring for 2 kids that are not even blood related to her. She is fierce, kind and sweet. Naomi is a shy little girl who has no idea who she is and by the end of the book knows where she has come from and where she wants to go. Skyla is a maddening woman who embodies all kinds of negative images of mothers that many children have to deal with. She is absent, an alcoholic, sweet and sugary one minute and then violent and mean as a snake the next. Naomi and Owen want her love so desperately and she just has no idea how to love a child. Skyla has mental problems from her alcohol abuse and is rightfully kept from gaining custody of her children in the end. The vast differences between Skyla and Naomi and Owen’s father, Santiago are astounding. Skyla is a delusional alcoholic, while Santiago is a sweet, kind, caring, honest man, who only wants to love his children in any way he can. While Skyla disappeared to find her life, Santiago continued to send money to Gram and named his fishing boat after his estranged children. I really loved this book and everything it stands for. I thought the language really pulled you into the story and I think the level of intensity is perfect for an upper elementary class.
This book would be great to start talking about other cultures, especially the Mexican culture. The Festival of the Radishes is a real event in Mexico and would be really cool for a 4th or 5th grader. Also soap carving is a really cool idea for kids. Obviously plastic knives would need to be used, but an art lesson could easily stem from this book as well as a social studies lesson. Also a lesson on abuse and why it is unacceptable would be great to discuss with this book. There are a lot of lesson opportunities with this novel. Keeping yourself open for your students to talk to is key, but opening up this subject may encourage kids to open up about things going on in their home lives. All in all I thought this was an excellent book.
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