Pam Munoz Ryan

Biography of Pam Munoz Ryan

Websites about Pam Munoz Rya
n
Esperanza Rising
Becoming Naomi Leon
Paint the Wind
Activities/Common Theme
s
Resources

Main By Liz Futch

 Author Bio
Pam Munoz Ryan was born on December 11, 1951. She was raised in
Bakersfield, California. She is of Mexican, Spanish, Basque, Italian, and
Oklahomian heritage. She was raised surrounded by a large extended family. Ryan often
spent time with her grandmothers eating traditional Mexican fare with one and American
cuisine with the other.
Pam’s love of reading came from spending long hot summers indoors at the local library.
There she felt she could escape into new worlds and live out the lives of the characters she
read about by using her imagination.
Pam attended college and became a bilingual teacher. She left her teaching job to raise her
family. When going back to school to obtain a Master’s degree, a professor suggested she
consider writing professionally . She began her writing career by helping a friend with an
adult manuscript. This led her to eventually write her own children’s manuscript. Her first
children’s book is called One Hundred is a Family.

Today Pam continues to write full-time. When she is not writing, she enjoys traveling,
reading, going to the movies, getting together with family, and horse-back riding.
 Author’s Books
Pam Munoz Ryan has written over 25 children’s books.
A partial list is provided below.
•Paint the Wind, 2007
•Nacho and Lolita, 2005
•There was no snow on Christmas Eve, 2005
•Becoming Naomi Leon, 2005
•Esperanza Rising, 2002
•Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride, 1999
•Riding Freedom, 1999
•Mud is Cake, 2002
•When Marian Sang, 2002
•Mice and Beans, 2005
•A Box of Friends, 2002 •How do You Raise a Raisin, 2003
•Hello Ocean, 2001 •The Flag We Love, 2006
•A Pinky is a Baby Mouse, 1999 •California Here We Come, 1997
•One Hundred is a Family, 1996 •The Crayon Counting Book,1996
 Websites

Websites with Information on Pam Munoz Ryan:

•Pam Munoz Ryan
This is the author’s official website.

•Kidsreads.com
An interview with Pam Munoz Ryan which includes biographical information.

•Scholastic.com
Scholastic book website containing author biographical information on Pam
Munoz Ryan.
 Videos

The following video is an interview of Pam Munoz Ryan from

Reading Rockets.

In addition to the above interview, another interview of Pam Munoz

Ryan can be find at Scholastic Video.
 Esperanza Rising
Esperanza Ortega was a privileged young Mexican girl growing up
on her family’s ranch and vineyard in Aguascalientes, Mexico in the early
1920’s. The day before Esperanza’s thirteenth birthday, her father was
murdered by bandits. Esperanza’s corrupt uncles became owners of the
ranch because women could not own land. The uncles threatened to destroy all that her
father had worked so hard to establish unless Ramona, Esperanza’s beautiful mother,
agrees to marry Tia Luis. Tia Luis is a powerful and corrupt banker and the step-brother of
Esperanza’s father. When Esperanza’s mother refuses to marry Tio Luis, the house,
vineyards, and Papa’s beloved rose garden are set on fire. Esperanza and her mother escape
to the train station by riding in a secret compartment of a wagon that holds fruit. The train
takes them to America where they were hopeful to begin a new life. Helping them and
providing a pillar of strength are Hortensia, Alfonso, and Miguel, former servants of the
Ortega family. Upon their arrival in America, Esperanza is confronted with a life that is
vastly different from the one she lived in Aguascalientes. She is no longer a privileged
child and she and her mother become migrant farm workers. When her mother becomes ill,
Esperanza works to help pay for her mother’s medical bills and to bring Abuelita, her
grandmother, to be with them in California. Esperanza faces many trials and tribulations
but never loses faith as she learns to rise and embrace the new life she has been given.
 Esperanza Rising
Views Relative to the Author:
Pam Munoz Ryan wrote the character of Esperanza based loosely on her
grandmother. The story parallels her grandmother’s immigration to the
United States. Ryan also interviewed individuals that lived in the
same migration camp as her grandmother to get a feel for what life was like. Ryan also
conducted research of the Mexican migration camps at the local history room of the Beale
Library in Bakersfield, California. Her favorite part of the story is when Esperanza gave
her beloved doll, the last gift from her father before his death, to her camp-mate Isabel. The
author feels that this was a turning point for Esperanza indicating she was leaving the old
behind and embracing her new life.

Ryan chose not to label the chapters in a traditional method. Instead of labeling the
chapters as Chapter One, Chapter Two, etc., Ryan names the chapters after fruits and
vegetables. Each chapter coincides with a particular growing and/or picking season in
Mexico and California.
 Esperanza Rising

Picture of Mrs. Ryan’s Picture of Mrs. Ryan’s

grandparents, Jesus and grandmother, Esperanza
Esperanza (Ortega)
Munoz. The character
of Miguel was based
loosely on Jesus.
 Esperanza Rising

My Response:
Esperanza Rising is a heartbreaking yet inspirational story.
I enjoyed how the author followed Esperanza’s journey
throughout the story by naming the chapters after the growing
seasons. I also feel as though I learned a lot of historical
information regarding Mexican immigrants through the eyes of
Esperanza and those that surrounded her.

One of my favorite parts of the book was when Miguel and his
father had planted the small rose garden from Papa’s seeds. This
was one of the things Papa loved so dearly in Mexico and a way
for Esperanza to connect with him even though he was no longer
with them.

The character of Esperanza proves to be an excellent role model

for young readers. She is strong and rises to the challenges around
her with the love for her family and hope for a brighter future.
 Esperanza Rising

Awards:
•Pura Belpre’ Award
•2001 ALA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults
•Smithsonian Best Books 2000
•Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Books 2000
•L.A. Times Best Books of 2000
•Excellence in a Work of Fiction Award 2001 Children's Literature Council of
Southern California 
•2001 Judy Goddard/Libraries Limited Arizona Young Adult Author Award
•Jane Addams Children's Book Award, Women's International League for Peace
and Freedom
 Paint the Wind
Paint the wind is a beautiful story based around the relationship of a girl,
Maya, and a wild ‘ghost’ horse, Artesmia. Maya’s parents were killed in
a car accident when she was a little girl of just four years old. She was
sent to live with her very strict and eccentric grandmother in California.
Grandmother blamed Maya’s mom for the death of her beloved son. Maya lived an
extremely sheltered and protected life. She was never allowed to play outdoors or leave the
house unless it was to go to school. The only thing Maya had to remember her mother by
was a box of plastic horses. When Maya’s grandmother died suddenly of a stroke, Maya is
sent to live with her mother’s family in Wyoming. In Wyoming, she encounters a
completely different life-style and learns of the love her mother had for horses. She learns
to love and be loved by her Grandpa, Aunt Vi, great uncle Fig, and cousin Payton. While
spending the summer at Sweetwater, the summer ranch by the river, she learns to ride and
take care of horses. While trying to save Artesmia from being captured by wranglers, she
encounters a disaster that could have killed her. The beautiful Artesmia comes to her rescue
and the two share a special bond. Maya later comes to realize that to love Artesmia, as her
mother once did, she must let her return to the wild.
 Paint the Wind
Views Relative to the Author:
As a young girl, Ryan loved Marguerite Henry’s King of the Wind and was
in awe of the collection of Breyer horses that her friends had. In
preparation for writing this book, Ryan took hundreds of horse-back
riding lessons with a top-notch trainer and spent eight days camping in a Teepee. The
settings described in the book are ones the author herself had experienced while riding.

My Response:
In addition to just enjoying the story as it interweaved the lives of Maya and Artemisia, I
enjoyed learning information about horses. This is a great horse story for readers of all
ages. The story is told in an alternating narrative of the two main characters, Maya and
Artemisia. While tragic at times, I felt that this story was inspirational and left me feeling
exhilarated and anxious to continue reading to find out what would happen next. I also
found that I was able to hear the voice of the horses and draw compassion for Artemisia, a
wild paint mare, as she dealt with some very human issues such as the loss of a foal. The
setting came to life with the vivid descriptions of the Sweetwater area in Wyoming.
 Paint the Wind
Lesson Ideas:
Students learn about wild horse conservation efforts and what can be
done to preserve this part of American heritage.

Through-out the story, the wild horse pack is continually running from being captured by
preying animals and humans. If captured by horse wranglers, the horses would often be
auctioned off and broke to become work horses. Horses that were not adopted would be
sold to dog food companies for meat.

•Return to Freedom is an organization dedicated to preserving the freedom of wild horses.

•Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center is dedicated to preserving the Pryor Mountain
mustangs of Wyoming and teaching about this horses Spanish roots.
•The Bureau of Land Management is an agency that removes wild horses and places them
into adoption. This agency claims to not sell the horses to slaughterhouses.
•The Cloud Foundation is dedicated to preserving wild horses on public lands and
protecting the wild herds in the Arrowhead Mountains of Montana.
 Becoming Naomi Leon

Becoming Naomi Leon is a story about a girl named Naomi Soledad

Leon Outlaw. In addition to making lists of ‘Splendid Words’ and ‘Things
I Am Good At’, Naomi has a talent for carving soap into animal figures.
Naomi and her brother, Owen, live with their great-grandmother, Gram,
in a small trailer. The trailer is nested in what was once an avocado farm.
Naomi’s mother is an alcoholic and gave up parental rights to Naomi and Owen, but
suddenly reappears after being gone for seven years. The mother, Skyla (Terry), comes
back into their life with an ulterior motive. Skyla focuses all her attention on Naomi and
treats Owen, who has a physical handicap, as an outsider. Naomi soon learns that Skyla has
returned to take her from Gram in the attempt to turn her into a babysitter and as a means
of gaining financial aid from the state. Gram concocts a plan to officially adopt the
children, but must first find Naomi and Owens's father in a small village in Mexico. Gram,
with the help of her dear friends and neighbors, loads up the trailer and sets off with the
children to Mexico. While in Mexico, Naomi and Owen become invested in Mexican
culture. Naomi realizes that without the authorization of a father she barely remembers, she
may be sent to live with her mom. While living in Mexico, Naomi learns about her
Mexican heritage. It is here that she learns she has inherited her soap carving talent from
her father.
 Becoming Naomi Leon
Views Relative to Author:
Pam Munoz Ryan was inspired to write Becoming Naomi Leon after
reading a one sentence about Oaxacan wood carving. She then went to
the village of Oaxaca City, Mexico, and attended the radish carving
festival called La Noche de los Rabanos. Ryan uses animal metaphors,
such as ‘A Drey of Squirrels’, to create the chapter labels.
My Response:
This is another great story by Ryan that weaves factual information into a heart-warming
story. I found it interesting to learn about the different celebrations and festivals the occur
in Mexico. I was instantly suspicious of Skyla, Naomi’s mother, when she reappeared out
of nowhere after seven years. I was happy to see that Naomi and her grandmother were
very cautious and skeptical yet ready to open their hearts to Skyla. I also liked the way
Ryan included the character of Owen into the story. Even though Owen suffered obvious
physical deformities, he was a bright and vivacious child. It was nice to see how much
Naomi cared for her brother. My favorite part was when Naomi carved the beautiful lion
figure and helped her friends win the radish carving award. Naomi is a strong role model
and shows that perseverance and love of family and friends can overcome even the worst of
situations.
 Becoming Naomi Leon

Awards:
•2006 Pura Belpre’ Honor Book
•Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award
•International Reading Assoc. Notable Book for a Global Society
•American Library Association Notable Book
•American Library Association Schneider Award
•New York Public Library's Top 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
•NECBA’s Top Ten Fall Children’s Books (Northeast Children's Booksellers'
Association)
•2004 Parents’ Choice Silver Honor
•2004 Américas Award Commended Title
•Booksense Book of the Year Honor (American Booksellers' Association)
a CCBC Choices 2005
•NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts
 Activities/Common Themes

Throughout all three books, several themes emerged. Those themes

can be compared and contrasted using a Venn Diagram or another
type of graphic organizer.
Names
In all three stories, names were significant in telling a story about the character.
What is the significance of the name Esperanza? (Esperanza was the name of
Ryan’s own grandmother.)
What is the meaning behind the name Naomi Leon?(Leon is Spanish for lion.
Naomi carves a radish lion head and helps her friends win an award for best display.)
Why do the horses have such unusual names in Paint the Wind? (Each horse is
Named after a famous artist; art is a undercurrent throughout the book.)

Journey
Journeys are a central theme in all three books.
Esperanza and her mother journey from Mexico to California.
Naomi Leon and her family travel to Mexico.
Maya travels from her home in California to a very different life in Wyoming.
 Activities/Common Themes

Freedom
All three books deal with the issue of freedom. In their search for freedom, all the characters
have help from close family and/or friends.
Esperanza and her mother run to freedom from her uncles.
Naomi and her brother run for freedom from their alcoholic mother.
Maya seeks freedom from an extremely sheltered life, and Artesmia runs from captivity by
the wranglers.

Family
The families of all three main characters also have a common thread.
How do the mothers or mother figures of Esperanza, Naomi, and Maya compare?
How do the fathers or father figures compare between the three main characters?
 Whom does Esperanza, Naomi, and Maya count on most for family support?

Ideas adapted from:

"Discussion Guide to the Novels of Pam Munoz Ryan | Scholastic.com." Teaching Resources, Children's Book
Recommendations, and Student Activities | Scholastic.com. 18 July 2009 <
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1431&FullBreadCrumb=%3Ca+href%3D%22%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch.jsp
%3Fquery%3DDiscussion+Guide+for+Esperanza+Rising%26c1%3DCONTENT30%26c17%3D0%26c2%3Dfalse%22%3EAll
+Results+%3C%2Fa%3E
>.
 Resources
• "Discussion Guide to the Novels of Pam Munoz Ryan | Scholastic.com." Teaching Resources, Children's Book
Recommendations, and Student Activities | Scholastic.com. 18 July 2009 <
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1431&FullBreadCrumb=%3Ca+href%3D%22%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch.jsp%3Fqu
ery%3DDiscussion+Guide+for+Esperanza+Rising%26c1%3DCONTENT30%26c17%3D0%26c2%3Dfalse%22%3EAll+Results+%3
C%2Fa%3E
>.

•"DOI: BLM: Wild Horses and Burros." DOI: BLM: National Home Page. 18 July 2009
<http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro.html>.
 
•"Kidsreads.com - Author Profile: Pam Munoz Ryan." Kidsreads.com. 18 July 2009
<http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-ryan-pam-munoz.asp>.
 
•"Pam Muñoz Ryan: Children's Author." Pam Muñoz Ryan: Children's Author. 18 July 2009
<http://www.pammunozryan.com/index.html>.
 
•"Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center, Lovell Wyoming." Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center, Lovell Wyoming.
18 July 2009 <http://www.pryormustangs.org/index.shtml>.
 
•"Reading Rockets: A video interview with Pam Munoz Ryan." Reading Rockets: Reading Comprehension & Language
Arts Teaching Strategies for Kids. 18 July 2009 <http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/ryan>.
 
•Ryan, Pam Munoz. Becoming Naomi Leon. New York: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2005.
 
•Ryan, Pam Munoz. Esperanza Rising. Sterling Heights: Blue Sky Press, 2002.
 
•Ryan, Pam Munoz. Paint The Wind. New York: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2009.
 
•"Scholastic Videos." Teaching Resources, Children's Book Recommendations, and Student Activities | Scholastic.com.
18 July 2009 <http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/video.jsp?pID=1640183585&bcpid=1640183585&bclid
=1683701961&bctid=1688353619>.