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Becoming Naomi Leon (by Pam Munoz Ryan)

common sense media says

A family flees a mean mother in this rich novel.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Naomi's mother is a mean, abusive alcoholic who abandons her children for seven years, then wants custody of Naomi so she can get government support and free babysitting for her boyfriend's daughter, but has no interest in her son because he is mildly handicapped.

Violence: Naomi's mother slaps her hard, and threatens to hurt her and her grandmother.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Naomi's mother is an alcoholic, and drinks while driving.

More on Becoming Naomi Leon

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the dilemma Naomi and her grandmother find themselves in. Why would judges tend to favor mothers, even when they abandon their children? Why does Naomi find it so hard to speak up?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Naomi and her little brother, Owen, live with their great-grandmother in a trailer park. Their mother left them years ago and hasn't been heard from since. Naomi has selective mutism as a result of the traumas she endured with her mother, and Owen has birth defects. But despite these troubles, Gram has created for them a relatively secure, happy life.

Then their mother reappears, a not-so-recovering alcoholic with a scary tattoo-artist boyfriend, and wants to take Naomi (but not Owen) off to Las Vegas so she can take care of the boyfriend's daughter and they can get child support from the government. So a friend hitches their trailer his pickup, and they take off for Mexico to try to find Naomi's and Owen's father, a fisherman and woodcarver whom they have never known.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Naomi, Owen, and Gram are appealing characters. Naomi worries, keeps lists of things that interest her, and hangs out in the school library with other social outcasts and the eccentric librarian. Owen is relentlessly optimistic and cheerful, and his rather lopsided appearance masks intelligence and a good heart. Gram works hard and believes in the power of positive thinking, and she has managed to make their meager existence seem rich and cozy.

The only character who doesn't ring true is the children's mother, Skyla, who seems to have no redeeming qualities at all. She is maliciously selfish, scheming, devious, alcoholic, abusive, and just plain mean, and shows not the slightest sign of affection for anyone, much less her children or her grandmother. While this certainly enhances the reader's sympathy for already sympathetic characters, it does make Skyla a rather cardboard villain, and lessens the complexity of the situation. But the author makes up for this with the richness of the scenes in Mexico, which spring to vivid life after the pale California scenes. They seem to be shot through a warmer filter, and will make readers long for a trip to Mexico.

Book themes & details

Book Details
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publication date: February 21, 2006
Number of pages: 246
Hardcover price: $16.95
Read Aloud: 9
Read Alone: 10

This review was written by Matt Berman
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

carebear2345
teen, 15 years old
 
love it i can relate to it cuz my dad is a acholilic

miachick123
teen, 14 years old
 
My teacher recommended this book and I loved it! :)
My teacher and I have simular reading likings. She recommended this book to me and I read it non stop! It was a great book! You must read this book! :)

maya52999
kid, 12 years old
 
I loved it ! It teaches you alot about the things in life for some people. I think anyone would love to read such a loving caring book!

mangoluver
kid, 13 years old
 
Becoming Naomi Leon..
First of all, there is not too much drinking, but a mother does have a drinking problem, but I think the book is educational and that it does have a positive message buried deep down under...

 
great follow - up book for Esperanza Rising
It was a great book that i think any age kid can read. It has the great story of how the mom left the children with her gram but when she comes to take them back they run to Mexico to try and find the father of the children. It was a great book and could not put it down.

sseguin
parent of 9 and 11 year old
 
Here's what I think of Becoming Naomi Leon
Becoming Naomi Leon is a very good book. Basically it is about a girl who's Mom leaves her for seven years then comes back to claim her daughter but not her son. She doesn't want her son because he is handicapped. Parents need to watch out for Naomi's mother because she is an alcoholic and sometimes she gets very mean and abusive. She is trying to use the government to get her daughter for free babysitting. dd age 9

papascrep
teen, 16 years old
 
One of the Best!!
Becoming Naomi Leon is a great teen book. Especially for girls. The story kept my attention the entire time! 1 read it in 2 days! The vocab is not dificult, so anyone can read it.. kids and adults alike!

ford1231
kid, 11 years old
 
we read it in class!!!!!
this is a really awsome book everybody should read it

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