| Title | : | Becoming Naomi León |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0439269970 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780439269971 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 246 |
| Publication | : | First published September 1, 2004 |
| Awards | : | Schneider Family Book Award Middle School Book (2005), Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (2006), California Young Readers Medal Middle School/Junior High (2007), Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award (2005), Pura Belpré Award Narrative (2006), Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (2007) |
Becoming Naomi León Reviews
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Apparently, I have a new favorite author:
Pam Munoz Ryan.
You guys know how much I enjoyed--no, ADORED--"Echo" a month or so ago? Well, "Becoming Naomi Leon" is every bit as good. And I am one happy reader right now. *blissful sigh*
This book is fantastic, the way it gives a window into a young child's mind and lets you truly SEE everything as it appears to her perspective. You feel like you're ten years old again when you're reading it, honestly. Everything that scares Naomi, scares you; and everything that makes her happy, makes you happy too.
It's such a beautiful story, too, because it's all about a child (Naomi) who suffers from anxiety and confidence issues due to her AWFUL mother's neglectful/abusive treatment of her, and how she eventually finds the strength to overcome those fears and speak up for herself, loud and clear. She's one brave little girl, is Naomi Leon--"a mouse with a lioness' voice." I want to be like her :-)
Also, can I just say I love Santiago? Like, SO MUCH???? Because I do. -
I came into this book thinking I'd be underwhelmed. I have read another Pam Muñoz YA and thought it just okay but BECOMING NAOMI LEON was captivating and beautiful.
Naomi lives with her great grandmother and her brother (he has a slight physical handicap) in San Diego, California in a mobile home after her mother and father have been nonexistent for 7 years of her life. Her grandmother is an amazing caregiver even though they don't have much.
Then Naomi's alcoholic mother and scary boyfriend show up to take Naomi away without her brother. The story goes to Oaxaca, MX to find her father at El Festival de Los Rabanos (The Festival of the Radishes.)
In Mexico Naomi starts to find her inner Leon (Lion) and finds that she is truly loved.
Beautiful story with culture and history. Enjoyed it immensely. -
Wow! This book was intense and a lot of things were happening with the characters. I wanted to keep finding out what was going to happen with Naomi. The main character, Naomi has a strong bond with her disabled brother and grandmother. The two children have been living with the grandmother for a long time. One day, her alcoholic mom reappears after seven years with her boyfriend. The mother was hoping to take Naomi and not the brother to collect welfare. The grandmother was very upset to hear about this and made sure it didn't happen. The family decides to drive across the border to Mexico to search for the father. After reading this story, I was disgusted with the mother. Whatever happen to being a good role model to your children? The mother was buying all these ravishing gifts, such as, bikes and fancy clothes. What these kids need is not gifts but LOVE from their MOTHER! I couldn't believe she had put these kids through this! The grandmother was the best primary guardian for these children. The grandmother was loving and caring and protected the children from bad things happening to them. I was very proud of Naomi for standing up for herself to her mother and the court.
Overall I enjoyed this story because as a reader I was able to share Naomi's fear about her future. As I was reading, I imagined myself as Naomi. I felt the pain that she had to go through with her mother. I thought about how I would feel if I didn't see my mother in seven years. Naomi had real changed and grew to understand herself better. -
Naomi and her younger brother, Owen, live with their Gram, who is raising them in a small trailer in Lemon Tree, California. The children face many hurdles throughout their young lives, leaving Naomi shy and unsure of herself, while Owen remains positive and happy, despite his physical disabilities. Naomi takes to soap carving as a hobby and a way of expressing herself. Unexpectedly, their mom re-enters their lives, along with a new boyfriend and his younger daughter. At first, Naomi and Owen are excited, until mom shows signs of alcohol use and instability. Naomi suspects ulterior motives when mom plans to take Naomi to Las Vegas to live, while leaving Owen behind. Refusing to let this happen, Gram packs up the trailer and the children and sets off to Mexico to find the their father. Once Naomi meets her father, who is also a carver, she begins to find her identity and discover who she really is inside. Naomi’s story is one of courage, as she struggles to find her voice when she needs it most. This touching tale is warm, inspiring, and sprinkled with Mexican culture. In classrooms, it could be used as a choice for literature circles, or to enrich the study of Mexican culture and heritage. It is appropriate for grades 4 through 7.
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Becoming Naomi Leon - review
One of her favorite sayings was that the good and the bad of any situation were sometimes the same.
My thoughts dived into a jumble in the middle of my mind, wrestled around until they were wadded into a fisted knot, and attached themselves to my brain like a burr matted in a long-haired dog.
I always thought the biggest problem in my life was my name, Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw, but little did I know that it was the least of my troubles, or that someday I would live up to it.
When Naomi was 4 and her brother was 1, their mother left them with their grandmother. Seven years later, the mother (Skyla) shows up on their doorstep wanting to "get to know her children". But, she has other motives. A chain of events sends Naomi, Owen, and Gram on a trip to Mexico where Naomi discovers more about her Mexican heritage and finds something unexpected.
This is a lovely story. The characters are likable. I enjoyed reading about Naomi's journey and how she reasoned things out in her head. Her devotion to her brother is admirable. She doesn't let anyone stop her when she needs something.
The book is culturally authentic and contains many examples of Spanish words and Mexican culture. Readers, especially girls, will enjoy reading about Naomi's determination and her adventures. The ending doesn't take the easy way out and is pretty realistic, as opposed to being too perfect and happy.
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Pam Munoz Ryan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I had read ‘Esperanza Rising’ at the beginning of this year, and how fitting that at the end of this year, I read ‘Becoming Naomi Leon!’ What I liked about Ryan’s books is that it’s unlike the regular fluff YA you get to read about. Most YA is rooted in the US. Most YA features a dark, brooding boy or girl. Most YA then explores the dark, brooding boy or girl’s sexuality before they all fall in love with each other. I know there are gems to be found in YA despite all this. But well.
Ryan differs from the standard plot. She brings forth an alternative YA, if I may call it that. You could also classify this book as a children’s book. She goes back and forth through issues of race, culture, and parenting. Her characters struggle as indeed YA characters do. But in between, she shows different aspects of another culture. I loved reading about Mexico’s quaint radish-carving festival. I loved the gentle narrator in Naomi. Ok. I love reading Pam Munoz Ryan. I should stop writing this review and go read some more. -
I really loved this book! The dialogue was great, especially the quirky way that Gram speaks. I loved Naomi's character and the closeness of her and her brother, a diagnosed "funny looking kid." The story was good, although a little too neatly solved. I do feel inspired by Naomi the Lion's ability to stand up and tell her story so that her and her brother and her Gram can stay together when her messed up mom tries to take her away. The characters and the setting made the novel great.
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Naomi's gram and brother are terrific characters, and I admired the way this story showed the warmth and strength of an alternative family structure. My frustration with this book is that Skyla was almost too evil to be believed. She was more of a caricature than a character.
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I really don't like the review, the stars, or my own reaction I'm designating to this book. I especially don't like that I'm giving up on it after...well, after not too many pages. Maybe I'm a little burnt out after reading something as fantastic as Burial Rites, or maybe I've finally subconsciously made the switch to adult fiction. Whatever the case, this book really grated on my nerves.
The book stars Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw, a fifth grader who lives with her great-grandmother and physically disabled little brother in a trailer park. I thought the book was charming and original and cute and dimensional-all those lovely things. Then Skyla was introduced.
Skyla is Naomi and Owen's (her brother) absentee mother, who shows up literally on their doorstep after years of abandonment. What I really didn't like about Skyla, and eventually her boyfriend Clive, who is also introduced, is that they're so one-dimensional. The author tries so hard-too hard-to make them the "bad guys" that she resorts to piling bad quality after bad quality onto both of them, when in all actuality, it's not necessary and it's really just annoying. I'm supposed to already hate Skyla for leaving her kids; Mrs. Ryan, there's really no need to convince me otherwise!
And yet the effect was so grating I found myself starting to root for Skyla! Yes, the absentee mother who is quickly discovered to be an alcoholic! I just couldn't help it; I felt bad for her treatment by the author. Instead of maybe making her somewhat redeemable and generally flawed, like an ACTUAL HUMAN BEING, Mrs. Ryan decides against it. There's multiple scenes where Skyla is shown piling gifts into Naomi's lap and giving none to Owen, proving how ebil she is by doing so! What?!?! How DARE she not give presents to her other child??? Instead of maybe treating it where she BOTH gives them presents and turn it into some naive little quality of hers, thinking that she could win her children's love, they make her ableist on top of all the levels of evil she already possessed!!!!
I'll end with a pop culture reference before I stroke out from the stupidity of it all. In Once Upon a Time, that show you sometimes hear about on ABC, there's this character. The premise is complicated but I'll just say that in "one world", this character is known as the Evil Queen. At first introduction, this Evil Queen-named Regina-is pure evil. But as you delve deeper into her character, you see she's got lots of baggage, including her own set of mommy issues, that eventually turned her dark. I know this is a children's novel and not a prime time television show, but...how hard could that have been?? How hard??
Final verdict? Barely two stars. Sorry. -
I liked the book how she changed her name and how it was nice of her mom returning back for Naoimi and buying her clothes and doing braids on her hair. How her mom bought Owen a byicle and her mom wanted to take Naoimi to Las Vegas so that she can take care of Clive's daughter. Naomi going to Oaxa to go find her dad she going to El Mercado,a pinaple lolipop La Posada,going to Aunt Teresa's house,doing the carving, finding his dad and meeting him for the first time and finding him in the Posada, and doing the carving for the Posada so they could win and they won 2 place. The court and her grandmother staying with Naoimi and Owen and Naoimi telling the Judge all what Skyla did to her.
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This was a really good read. I loved Naomi as a character and following her through her struggles with her family. My favorite quote from the book is "How many others were walking around and not even knowing that someone far away cared for them? Imagine all that love floating in the air, waiting to land on someone's life!"
SENSITIVITY WARNING: Maybe some language, some abuse (mostly verbal) -
March mother/daughter bookclub
a great children's book that deals with something hard. Your parents not being the "perfect" people. This one deals with alcoholism. It's very well done. I can't wait to talk to a group of little girls at the bookclub. -
I really enjoyed this book! It would make a great addition to a book club for middle school girls. Told through the lens of Naomi, it takes readers on a journey of both finding out the past and setting up the future. Great read!
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Read it in library school; totally loved it. I think I cried at the end, too.
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It was another required book. I liked it...not loved, but it was a different sort of book than I was used too, so I'm happy that I did read it.
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This was a fantastic book! I loved all the twists and turns. It was like riding a roller coaster! I think it was great because it showed me how grateful I am to have wonderful parents to look up to. This book was great. I loved it!
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I loved this book!! Its a book about coming into yourself and discovering your bravery. I love how this book is all about family and how family looks different for everyone.
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Summary
It’s not easy growing up with the name Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw, but she doesn’t let the kids teasing her get the best of her. Naomi is a shy girl who kids at her school refer to her as “nobody special”. Naomi lives with her great-grandmother who she calls gram and her younger brother Owen in Avacado Acres. Not only does Naomi have a hard time with other kids picking on her, but her brother has it even worse because he has a health condition which makes his face look abnormal. Naomi thinks that the only things she is good at is soap carving, worrying and making lists but little does she know that her last name Leon will truly be what she becomes by the end of the book.
When Naomi and Owen’s mother unexpectedly pays a visit to her children things begin to turn for the worse. Skyla, their mother, tries to be a mother again and is buying things for the children and taking them places to make it seem like she hasn’t been away for over 7 years. This isn’t tricking gram and she is not letting her guard down. Things all start to change when Skyla announces that she plans on taking Naomi with her and her new husband to Las Vagas to live with them. Naomi, Owen and Gram are devastated and will do anything to stop this from happening. The one thing that can stop Skyla from taking Naomi for good is by finding their father and having him testify against Skyla, but is the family up for the challenge on finding their long lost father all the way in Mexico?
Response
This book is such a great book for children and adults to read. As an adult I found this book to be so uplifting. This is a genuine story of a young woman trying to make sense of her life and why her parents are not in it like normal kids. She struggles with the same struggles kids face in today’s schools, which is bullying. She is trying to find herself and become a stronger person. This book could relate to so many people and help students realize that even if they are that shy person that they can become a strong individual and stand up for what they believe in. I think that this is the message of the book. To be who you are and fight for what you want and what you believe in and what is in the best interest of yourself.
Classroom Connection
One idea that you can use for the classroom came from the book itself. Soap carving is a big topic discussed in the book so the directions on how to exactly do a soap carving is listed on the back of the book. Since this is a book for older children I don’t think there is a problem with the complexity of the project. Another activity which came from teachingbooks.net is have the students make a review of their own. By doing this, the students could better understand the book because they are writing about it using what they taught of the book and not just reading what someone else had to say about it.
Text Complexity
This book has an unknown Lexile/GR level is V. -
I love this book. The first book I read by Pam Munoz Ryan was Esperanza Rising which I was assigned to read by my team at school for a contest held near the end of the year to answer questions about the books on a pre-determined list. Something to encourage kids to read. Hell yeah we read, there were MEDALS.
Anyways. I love this book. Esperanza Rising was approached with a groan and a sigh, but Ryan's style of writing hooked me into the story quickly. And the same happened in Becoming Naomi Leon.
Naomi Leon is a great girl. She's innocent in a way, but she still knows what's happening around her. She's protective of her younger brother, Owen, who has a shorter leg than the other and therefore teased a lot at school. Naomi also has a unique hobby: Soap carving. It was an interesting little bit added to her character, and made her all the more real... Naomi also worried a lot, if I remember, a little neurotic and perfectionist, but that's okay. She still loves her tiny family all the same
Naomi lives in a trailer home in California with her great grandmother, who is a fiesty old broad, not taking lip from anyone and supply the two siblings with the love and kindness they never received from their missing father and vagrant mother, Skyla. But then Naomi and Owen receive a surprise: Naomi's mother just pops out of nowhere and wants to whisk Naomi away with her new boyfriend, Clive, to live in Vegas with her. Of course Naomi refuses, because she doesn't want to leave Owen behind (and great-grandma of course) and because she knows that her mother only needs her to babysit Clive's daughter Sapphire (that's not her real name by the way, Clive was just a jerk who changed it on his own whim). Great-Gram argues with Skyla, saying she would do anything and fight for custody of Naomi and Owen. Then before Skyla can do anything, Naomi and Owen are whisked away down to Mexico to hide from the harpy Skyla and Clive. It becomes quite an adventure for everyone, and I was into it too, hoping that Skyla wouldn't catch up to the kids and Great-Gram, because she stayed out of their lives long enough, why should she be allowed back into her kids' lives after being basically abandoned to do whatever she wants?
All in all, this is a good read. I'd recommend it to people who want a brave girl who sticks by her family (which seems to be a common theme in Pam Munoz Ryan's books so far...) and has a happy ending. -
This book makes you think about all the troubles some children have to deal with on a daily basis. Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw lives with her Grandmother because her mom is an alcoholic and her father lives in Mexico. Both parents have not had contact with Naomi or her brother Owen for years. She and her brother are happy with their Grandmother, who has always taken very good care of them. Trouble begins when their mother comes back to claim only Naomi because she needs someone to watch her boyfriends child. She wants to take Naomi with her and her boyfriend to Las Vegas ripping her away from everything she knows and cares about. Her grandmother fights back in order to help the children stay with her and the stable life they have grown accustom to.
The conflict the children felt in wishing for an ideal mom and then only to be disappointed when she would not follow through was heart-breaking. I loved the strong grandmother character and her friends who would go to any lengths to keep the children together and safe. This book reminded me of "The Tiger Rising" by Kate DiCamillo. Both stories deal with children having to overcome the loss of parents and the pain that follows. The main characters in both books have a love for carving that they both learned from a parent. This talent helps them deal with their pain and heartache. A good activity for students would be a comparison of both books and how carving and family help them deal with anger and upset at the lose of a parent. -
Pura Belpre Honor Book 2006
This book tells the story of Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw and her brother Owen. They live with their great-grandmother, who they call Gram. Naomi has trouble speaking up is school and is teased because of her last name, and Owen has some kind of disability, that is not identified, but it seems to be a physical one because he is said to be very smart and can beat everyone at checkers with very few moves. They are basically happy with their lives until their mother shows up one day, wanting to be a part of their lives. She shows favoritism to Naomi, and soon it is apparent that she wants Naomi to come live with her and her boyfriend in Las Vegas and not Owen. Gram is suspicious so they take off and go to Mexico to find the children’s father. He helps Naomi see who she is and he helps them fight their mother in court for custody.
One interesting aspect of this book is the chapter titles are all different groups of animals, most of which are touched on in some way in that chapter. It is like Esperanza Rising where the chapters were all fruit and vegetable crops.
The story line about the juvenile custody system seemed a little bit unrealistic with a seemingly easy happy ending. (I know from experience, it doesn’t always go this way.) The author seemed to rush this part rather than giving a realistic explanation and finding ways to prove the mother unfit.
This book is good for grades 5-8.
It could be used in literature circles, for discussion of disabilities, and the foster care/adoption system. -
Personal Reaction:
I absolutely loved this book! I think it's a book that really belongs in the classroom because it has problems that children really do deal with. Living with grandparents, parents with drinking problems, abusive parents, low income, being different and disabilities. This book has a strong theme of being brave and standing up for yourself and never giving up. This book also shines a wonderful light on the Mexican culture, the characters actually travel to Oaxaca, Mexico for a radish carving festival. I looked this up, and this is a real event. When I started reading this book, I didn't want to put it down.
Purpose:
This is a good book for 5th and 6th grade girls. I don't think most boys would be too interested in this story, it comes from a girls point of view, although the problems in the story are very real to both boys and girls.
Great book for independent reading.
This is the perfect book to give a really good book talk, there is really strong suspense that would be a perfect cliffhanger.
This book would also be good for a book for a book conference, I think it would create really good conversations.
Something really interesting that the main character, Naomi, does is make lists about everything. She has "Splendid Words" lists, "Weird Names" lists, "Things She Knows About Her Dad" lists and many others. If I were to read this book aloud I would have the students make different lists of their own like Naomi. It's a good way to put your thoughts on paper, organize your ideas and reflect. I think students would think it was fun. -
This book was amazing!! I loved the characters and the style in which it was told. It seemed like I was READING a MOVIE. What could be better? :P
Naomi was a really neat heroine. She doesn't talk much, but she loves her brother and grandmother very much and would do anything for them. I really like how she carves soap, something she got from her father. The scene where she accidentally cuts the sculpture so that the dog loses a leg and her father tells her not to worry about it, that that is what makes it special, is SUCH A GOOD SCENE. I really like her father - her mother, Skyla, though, is quite horrible. And so is Skyla's boyfriend Clive - insensitive schemer! *glares*
There are some really neat side characters, like nice Mr. Marble, who lets Naomi and her friends eat their lunches in the library, and Naomi's grandmother, who always says to think positive. The dialogue is great, too - not too much, just enough, moving the story along.
AND THE END OH MY GOODNESS. Not gonna spoil it . . . but it is seriously AWESOME. If I were someone who cries over books, I definitely would've for this one. I would definitely recommend this book - just not to younger children, as there are definitely some "adult" issues. For example, Naomi's mother has a serious drinking problem - Naomi's brother has a deformity that he is bullied about at school - etc. But, if you can take it, this book is an incredible read. -
Becoming Naomi Leon is the story of Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw, a young Hispanic girl who lives her great-grandmother and younger brother Owen. The three live happily in a trailer park in “Baby Beluga,” their trailer home. Owen, her brother was born with some medical difficulties. Naomi lives a carefree life in Avocado Acres Trailer Rancho. She loves to go to school and to eat lunch in the library. Naomi also makes lists about everything she encounters. Life is good for Naomi and her family until the day her mother returns to her life. Naomi must come to terms with a mother who has never been there for her before, and who has been in and out of rehab for drinking problems. Naomi desperately wants to believe that her mother has changed and wants Naomi. However, she quickly learns that her mother has ulterior motives and wants to take Naomi away from her beloved Gram and Owen. The family flees their comfy home to go to Oaxaca, Mexico to find her father. In Mexico, Naomi is exposed to her Mexican heritage and learns about life, honesty, love and the true meaning of family. Readers will mesmerized by Naomi’s adventurous and positive look on life, even in the face of difficulty.
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I loved this book. The author does a great job with a plot that seems standard at the outset and taking us in a fresh direction that elevates our concern for the characters. Naomi de Soledad Leon Outlaw encounters her mother for the first time she can remember, and it leads to more than just your typical family renunion. Naomi ends up on a journey--literally and figuratively--as she tries to live up to her name. Mom has a new boyfriend, and wants to get reconnected with Naomi, even though Naomi and her brother Owen have only known their great-grandmother (Gram) as their primary caregiver for their entire life. I loved Ryan's choice of setting and her use of the wood-carving theme in Naomi's life. The extended family in the trailer park where she lives play an important role in helping Gram make the best choices for Naomi and Owen. The cultural elements are woven gracefully into the story, so that instead of seeming foreign, they seem colorful and alluring. I would recommend this book to all readers ages 9-12, not just girls. The excitement that builds as the plot develops would keep boys interested, and the eventual climax at a holiday festival offers lots of discussion points for all children.
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This is a powerful story about family, acceptance, culture and empowerment. Naomi lives a happy life full of love with her Grandmother and her brother, Owen, who is an intelligent boy who is coping with a physically disability. Naomi has a fragmented memory of being rescued by her father and little knowledge of her mother. The novel starts with her mother, Skyla, returning with a boyfriend and inserting herself into the children's lives by showering them with gifts and making promises. Skyla soon makes it clear that she is planning to take Naomi with her to live with her new boyfriend, but she has no intention of being a mother to Owen, by whom she is embarrassed. Naomi is terrified, especially after her mother shows her true colors, and grandma takes the kids on a journey in hopes of locating their father in Mexico. Along the way, Naomi learns about Mexico, a culture that she has never known, and the family tradition of the Leons. Touching, suspensful, heart-wrenching and triumphant, this is a story that would be appropriate for middle school students. One of the best aspects is that the story remains hopeful without falling victim to a 'hollywood ending."
I read this in a digital format. -
Half-Mexican Noami Leon and her younger brother Owen live with their Gram in a trailer in Lemon Tree, California. Although Naomi has difficulty speaking up, she leads a reasonable happy life, carving soap sculptures and comforted by the only family she knows. When her mother reappears after seven years of being away, Naomi is forced to find herself and deal with the many questions she has about her heritage and past. In a quest to stay with her brother and Gram, Naomi travels to Mexico to find her biological father. Through her journey, the reader learns about aspects of the Mexican culture including Las Posadas, the art of wood carving, knowledge of beginning Spanish vocabulary, and traditional village life. Young readers (age 9-12) will enjoy this heart warming story of a young girl who finds her voice as she reconnects with the loving and supportive father she never knew she had. Becoming Naomi Leon would be a successful book club choice highlighting discussions on adoption, Mexican/American heritage, and finding oneself.
Becoming Naomi Leon won the Americans Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature.
