Becoming Naomi León

Apr 10, 2008 Michele rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't like Skyla, she is a total retard!

Nov 04, 2009 (NS) Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction

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 ab...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Mrs. Lynch rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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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Feb 02, 2009 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: latino-lit

I picked this book after reading “Esperanza Rising”. I loved it so much I had to read another by Pam Munoz Ryan. Naomi’s story is very different than Esperanza’s. In the beginning of the book, Naomi did not live with anyone that shared her Mexican heritage, except her little brother who was very light skinned. So, in the beginning, with the exception of a few teases by boys in her class, her Mexican heritage was not a central issue. It is not until Naomi meets her mother, who threatens to take h...more

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May 21, 2013 Ruby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was GREAT I didn't want to put it down so I read in one day! I highly recommend a 6th or 7th grade teacher assigning this book for their students to read. The author of this book Pam Munoz Ryan being in the first person narration did a great job of explaining and her word choices were clear and in vivid detail which gave a great picture of what she wanted us to see while reading like where she lived and how “it was surrounded by the largest avocado ranch in Lemon Tree California.” And...more

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May 20, 2013 Steven Buruato rated it 4 of 5 stars

Becoming Naomi Leon

Naomi has a very interesting name which was Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw. The reason it was unique was because she came from a rich culture and a Hispanic culture which normally uses the last names of the mom and dad together, but she also had the last name of her Grams. Naomi lives with her Anglo, "Gram," and her physically disabled brother Owen in a trailer in southern California. Her Anglo-American mother Skyla left Naomi and Owen 7 years ago because all she wanted to do was l...more Becoming Naomi Leon

Naomi has a very interesting name which was Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw. The reason it was unique was because she came from a rich culture and a Hispanic culture which normally uses the last names of the mom and dad together, but she also had the last name of her Grams. Naomi lives with her Anglo, "Gram," and her physically disabled brother Owen in a trailer in southern California. Her Anglo-American mother Skyla left Naomi and Owen 7 years ago because all she wanted to do was live her own life that consisted of drinking and partying. Their father lives in Mexico as a fisherman and carves animals out of wood for extra money. Naomi does the same thing as her father but uses soap instead. Their mother Skyla who still is living her past life, shows up one day and wants to take only Naomi away with her to Arizona with new boyfriend so they could collect "state money." Gram tells Skyla that she can't take them after all this time and that Skyla would have to go to court have them. Gram, Owen, Naomi, and other friends of the family make a run for it to Oaxaca, Mexico to wait until the court trial and find the children's estranged real father so that he could help keep the kids with their Gram. This is where the story of her name comes into play more, Soledad was for Santa Maria Soledad, saint to the town of Oaxaca, Leon comes from her father who's family have been apart of Oaxaca's community for over a hundred years. while they looked for their father, Naomi carved an award winning lion ,which was part of her last name in the title, at a radish festival in Oaxaca, where the only medium used for the art contest at the festival were radishes. There had always been a Leon in the contest and now, Naomi would make sure that continued as well as their new relationship with their father. The book ends the way it should have, with the kids staying with Gram and their father becoming a bigger part of Naomi and Owen's lives.
This is a great book for any reader in the upper primary and on grades. It has rich details of the locations and the plot flows great through the first person point of view which is Naomi herself. It hit so many genres that it would make a great addition to any book collection, especially schools.(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Kelsey Jackowitz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Becoming Naomi Leon is a good entertaining book that I enjoyed reading. The main characters are Naomi, Owen, Skyla and Gram. The book is not intense but is an interesting book overall. Naomi, Owen and Gram live in a trailer park in Lemon Tree, California where Naomi faces the struggle of speaking due to having selective mutism and Owen suffered with birth defects now leaving him as an odd one out. Their great grandma takes care of them, since their mom left years ago due to an alcohol problem sh...more Becoming Naomi Leon is a good entertaining book that I enjoyed reading. The main characters are Naomi, Owen, Skyla and Gram. The book is not intense but is an interesting book overall. Naomi, Owen and Gram live in a trailer park in Lemon Tree, California where Naomi faces the struggle of speaking due to having selective mutism and Owen suffered with birth defects now leaving him as an odd one out. Their great grandma takes care of them, since their mom left years ago due to an alcohol problem she faced as well as having a difficult time taking care of the kids. The father is still alive but not living with the kids since the mom said he could be with them. Their grandma has created a healthy and safe environment for the kids; they go to school and have a happy life living with good neighbors and people around them. The mom reappears in the story where she asks to take a role in the kids’ lives. Gram is on the edge about the idea, because she feels the kids were traumatized by the situation when they were younger. Skyla is the mom’s new name that she goes by; she has a new boyfriend who works as a tattoo artist. Skyla’s boyfriend Clive is moving with Skyla to Las Vegas for his job and offers to bring only Naomi with them to have company for Clive’s daughter Sapphire. The neighbors hear of this idea and hook the trailer that Naomi, Gram and Owen live in to their truck and drive to Mexico where the kid’s father lives to have him sign a letter stating he feels the kids should stay living with the grandma, to keep Naomi from going to Vegas. They all must go and find him, but there are many obstacles faced on the way. I did enjoy the book a lot. There was a lot of detail and it was different than most books in that you found out a lot about certain customs and cultures throughout the story. The only element to the book I didn’t like was the pace at which events happened. It was slow and it dragged on. Otherwise I would read this book again. I would classify this book as realistic fiction as some things were factual in the book, but the story overall is unlikely to happen. I would definitely recommend it to others because of how different it is to a usual book.Becoming Naomi León (less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Marianthi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: print-format, realistic-fiction, gr-5-8, culture, identity

Summary:
This book is about a young girl who lives with her grandmother and her younger brother. She has never met her father or her mother but lives a good life. When her mother pops up one day unexpectedly Naomi's life turns upside down. She is torn between her old life and discovering this new person that she has never met. After spending very little time with her mother she realizes that she was better off never having met her.
After her mother comes into her life, Naomi decides that she want...more Summary:
This book is about a young girl who lives with her grandmother and her younger brother. She has never met her father or her mother but lives a good life. When her mother pops up one day unexpectedly Naomi's life turns upside down. She is torn between her old life and discovering this new person that she has never met. After spending very little time with her mother she realizes that she was better off never having met her.
After her mother comes into her life, Naomi decides that she wants to continue living with her brother and grandmother, but her mother does not want any part of that. Once Naomi tells her mother that she rather stay where she is, the book becomes a wild cross country chase to escape her mother. Along the way Naomi learns about her Mexican culture and even meets someone else very close to her that she has never seen.

Response:
This story has made me feel very scared for Naomi. After her mother wants to take her away from her life for selfish reasons, the book transforms into Naomi trying to escape. I did not like the way her mother was portrayed so badly, almost like a witch, for this is the reason why I was scared for the main character.

This book reminds me of my own life in the way that it portrays how important culture is. I am Greek and culture is very important to my family. I am also very proud of my culture and being Greek, so I was glad that Naomi was able to learn about her culture and who she is.

Classroom Connection:
One this that I thought was an interesting aspect of the book was how Naomi made a list for everything she encountered that was new to her. She must have had dozens of lists for different things. Something cool I thought that a classroom could do was make their own lists of things that they wanted to learn more about, or lists of words they didn't know. This is a great way for students to come together and see what else they can learn!
Another aspect of the book was that Naomi was able to carve soap into things. If your art teacher is interested, the students could even use this book as inspiration in the art room to carve their own animals out of soap!

Lexile:N/A
Guided Reading Leve:V
This interest level for this book is 5th grade through 8th grade. (less)

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Sep 24, 2012 Ciara Alamillo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: print, realistic-fiction, soap-carving, lists, mexico, 5-8

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 thin...more 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.

(less)

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Jul 15, 2012 Meredith Trotter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: multicultural

Publication Date: 2004

Grade/Age: 4th-8th grade

Annotation: Naomi Soledad León Outlaw and her little brother Owen live with their great-grandmother at Avocado Acres Trailer Rancho. Life is fairly happy and peaceful, until Naomi and Owen’s mother reappears after seven years. Naomi soon finds herself on a journey to keep her family together and to discover who she truly is.

Themes: Biculturalism, triumph over adversity, physical disabilities, divorce, absent parents, child abuse, sense of belonging

W...more

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Apr 03, 2012 April Cordon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 13-25

Naomi is a fifth grader whose father is Mexican and mother is American, but she knows neother parent and lives with her great grandma and little brother Owen. Life is happy for Naomi despite being "left-overs" of the school and wearing homemade polyester clothes everyday. Whenever Naomi and Owen's mother arrives out of the blue after 7 years of abandonment, Naomi and Owen are thrilled. But things take a turn for the worse as Skyla starts to drink and she and her boyfriend Clive plan to take Nao...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Vanessa Martinez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Becoming Naomi Leon is a wonderful book. It teaches you life lessons to stand up for yourself and you have the power to do what you want. You never know what the outcome will be until you try. This book is about Naomi Leon and how she lives with her great grandmother with her brother Owen. One day her mother, Skyla, who had left both of them seven years before to her grandma and left, came back and tried to get them back. Owen and Naomi were surprised, they did not know if it was a good thing or...more Becoming Naomi Leon is a wonderful book. It teaches you life lessons to stand up for yourself and you have the power to do what you want. You never know what the outcome will be until you try. This book is about Naomi Leon and how she lives with her great grandmother with her brother Owen. One day her mother, Skyla, who had left both of them seven years before to her grandma and left, came back and tried to get them back. Owen and Naomi were surprised, they did not know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. They found out why Skyla had left, she had drinking problems and she had gone to jail. Skyla wanted to control their lives. She didn't like Owen, she wanted Naomi. Owen was a FLK (Funny Looking Kid) he was born with one leg longer than the other and had unique hobbies, like putting tape all over his clothes. Skyla wanted Naomi to come to Las Vegas with her and Clive, her husband to live with them and to take care of Clive's daughter. One day,Skyla had slapped Naomi and said to stop talking so low and that she was gonna do whatever her mother had told her. While Skyla was not looking, Naomi and Owen ran next door to where Gram (grandma) was working with her friend on a wedding dress and told her all about what Skyla had said. Gram had enough of Skyla's poor mother skills and told Skyla that she should leave. Skyla threatened her and told her shed see her in court. The judge was not gonna deny her, her own children. Gram took the kids to Mexico to find their father and see if he'd help them get custody of the children. The arrived at Oaxaca and started to search for their father. Fabiola, Gram's neighbor's cousin said that Santiago, Naomi's father came to "La Noche de Los Rabanos" where every year, Santiago would enter a piece of art carved out of wood. The day of the festival, she spotted her father and ran to him as he ran away. When they got home, he was there waiting for them, he said he was scared and he was sorry for leaving them and he was so grateful to see his children again. Naomi and Owen spent a couple of days with him carving things out of wood and then the news came from Gram, they had to leave in order to get to the court case on time. Santiago promised to write and it was left at that. When Naomi, Owen and Gram arrived in the courtroom, Skyla had looked like the complete opposite as she did, she stated her case of promising to take care of Naomi and to change her drinking habits. When the court was gonna make a decision to let Skyla take Naomi, Naomi finally spoke up. She used her voice loud and clear and explained to the judge everything that had happened while Skyla was back. Skyla admitted she only wanted Naomi, not Owen and the judge saw that as a wrong doing and she let Owen and Naomi stay with Gram. Becoming Naomi Leon was a wonderful book. I love the fact that at the end Naomi speaks up and stands up for what she wanted and not wanting to be controlled. I would definitely recommend this book my friends an family. It's a wonderful story of confidence and sticking up for yourself. In the book, I was very aggravated with Skyla and how she was treating her children. It's a cheery end and wants to make you say, "Take that Skyla!" for being such a horrible mother and "Yay!" for the great outcome for Naomi and Owen staying with Gram.(less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is going to now be considered a favorite. From the moment these two children and their Gram set foot in the story, I was engaged. I love the fact how Naomi has so much heart and how even in a funny way makes lists for everything. My favorite list of hers was Splendid Words. The story of how her mom was such a deadbeat and just decided to waltz back in after all this time, while still falling back into alcohol was crazy. She only wanted Naomi because she considered Owen, her brother to...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Tiara Patterson added it

I thought this was a great book about overcoming obstacles that suddenly get in your way. One thing I thought the author did great on was how they approached talking about alcoholism or drug addiction. Since this is something that is in many families, I liked that it gave enough information about it to show that it was bad, but not too much to overwhelm the students. For example, the book said Skyla was taking swigs from a plastic bottle while she was driving home from the doctor's office but as...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Aimee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a tale of love and family compassionately told, through remarkable storytelling and characterization. Naomi is a quiet girl, constantly making lists to ease her worries. Her brother was born with a crooked back and neck, oddly sticking tape to his clothes to deal with the stares. She and her brother (Owen) live with their Great Grandmother (Gram) in the Avocado Acres Trailer Rancho. The three of them make an odd family, but Gram works hard to surround them with loving people who support...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Talyn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who want a book with family members reunited and happy endings

Shelves: ya-novels

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....more 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?

(view spoiler)

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.(less)

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Feb 16, 2010 Michelle added it

Shelves: developmental-text-set

Eleven-year-old Naomi and her brother Owen are being raised by their grandmother when suddenly their alcoholic mother comes back into their lives to regain custody of them. To avoid losing them, Gram enlists the help of a neighbor and they set off for Mexico to find their biological father. The search for Naomi’s father becomes a search for her own identity.

This is one of my favorite books for upper elementary children. This story is able to connect with readers on so many different levels. Firs...more

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Oct 01, 2009 NS-Lisa Skrzypczynski rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: multicutural-multiethnic-internatio

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...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Valerie (Valvalval) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites

Do you know what sucker-punches are? They're short books that pack a lot of punch. They can change a person within a matter of pages. They are epic and amazing and beyond awesome.... and Becoming Naomi Leon is one! 5 out of 5 stars!

Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw is a girl of many layers. She's quiet, mousy and boring at first sight. Get to know her, and you'll realize she is actually so much more. She has the heart of a lion. She has a mind of courage. She is so much more than what you expect. She mi...more Do you know what sucker-punches are? They're short books that pack a lot of punch. They can change a person within a matter of pages. They are epic and amazing and beyond awesome.... and Becoming Naomi Leon is one! 5 out of 5 stars!

Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw is a girl of many layers. She's quiet, mousy and boring at first sight. Get to know her, and you'll realize she is actually so much more. She has the heart of a lion. She has a mind of courage. She is so much more than what you expect. She might only be in fifth grade, but she seems so much more mature. She is Naomi, and she is worthy of being called a heroine.

Owen is cute. What else can you expect from a little brother? He is called deformed by his mother, but I call him sweet and precious and optimistic and truly nice. Some brothers are annoying, but this brother is truly not! He has a heart of gold and a smart mind. I love how optimistic he is; he does not let anything or anyone get to him. He truly is nice by the way he thinks about people. While they might make fun of him, he still loves them. He truly loves his enemies.

As for Naomi's mother, I'm just going to say she has issues. I really dislike her to the point where it is almost hating. I honestly can not believe anyone could be as evil as her. She's the villain that at first seems like the good guy. At first I thought she would have a heart of gold, but I was wrong. She is a wretched monster, and everyone should dislike her. She is so selfish and messed up and mean, and did I mention messed up? I hate her to the point that I would probably start yelling stuff to her face...

This story is a quilt. Like a quilt, there are so many layers woven together flawlessly. Every event blends into each other to the point where you can not tell them apart. Every single event is tied to another, and it is done perfectly. I love how it is overwhelming, but not to the point where I get a headache.

The author probably is a poet. Every single word can be a single poem; it's just that beautiful and raw and full of emotion. I felt like crying during some parts, and the writing helped a lot. It is tense and broken and sad. Then it gets cheerful and truly happy and amazingly beautiful. It is a mirage of creativity and wonder. It is a masterpiece.(less)

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Jan 25, 2011 Erica J rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: multicultural-literature

Naomi, along with her brother Owen, were abandoned as children by their biological mother as she floated through life battling alcohol abuse. "Skyla" resurfaces after seven years to claim Naomi with her boyfriend Clive. Skyla has ill intentions for Naomi, and has plans to take her away from her grandmother and brother to live in Las Vegas.I found this read quite compelling. My heart ached throughout the story, I felt as if I were Naomi. As a reader, I feel the author made me understand exactly h...more

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Jan 15, 2009 Viviana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 7th-grade-ir-books-sadelle

Naomi Leon lives in lemon tree with her little bother and her grandma. Naomi's grandma has always been a mother to her since her mom left her. One current day Naomi's mom, Skyla, suddenly appears in their little home. she then wants to take only Naomi with her, to a house she has with her new boyfriend. Grandma doesn't think its a good idea and does everything so Naomi doesn't get taken away. They go to Mexico to hopefully find Naomi's father so he could help them get Skyla to not take Naomi aw...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Q_Jill Burke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction, latino-a-_fiction_chapter-books

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 boyfri...more

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Jan 30, 2010 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mc-literature

Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw is a 5th grader dealing with the quirks of growing up. First, there is her unusual name! Next, the polyester clothing that her grandmother sews for her. And then there is her struggle to speak up. She lives with her grandmother and brother, Owen, in an Airstream trailer in California. She remembers little of her mother and father. One day, a woman named Skylar (which is what she now prefers to go by) comes waltzing in with some grand promises. Skylar is their mother.

Wi...more

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Oct 25, 2009 James Govednik rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

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...more

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Feb 25, 2010 Ch_hayley Medsker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

Pam Munoz Ryan’s Becoming Naomi Leon, has won countless awards for this 2004 novel. It is easy to understand why. Naomi is an 11 year old girl riddled with typical and not so typical insecurities. She is reserved, responsible, thoughtful, and kind-hearted. She eats lunch in the library at school with a select group of students and is an amazing artist. She feels a bit out of place; much of it has to do with her forever inquiry of who she is and where she came from. Naomi struggles with her ident...more Pam Munoz Ryan’s Becoming Naomi Leon, has won countless awards for this 2004 novel. It is easy to understand why. Naomi is an 11 year old girl riddled with typical and not so typical insecurities. She is reserved, responsible, thoughtful, and kind-hearted. She eats lunch in the library at school with a select group of students and is an amazing artist. She feels a bit out of place; much of it has to do with her forever inquiry of who she is and where she came from. Naomi struggles with her identity, being that she is also part Mexican, she looks physically different from her brother, with dark complexion and features. Owen, her brother, is a 2nd grade boy that has a happy disposition. However, he is burdened by some physical disabilities, but has an impressive IQ. Naomi and Owen were left with their Gram at Avocado Acres Trailer Ranch when they were very young. They both have few memories of their real parents, but harness an overwhelming sense of abandonment. Could this be why Naomi struggles to have a voice of her own or explain why Owen has a mild case of OCD? Yet, their Gram cares for them; they are loved by her and their names at their trailer park home in southern California.
One day, Owen and Naomi’s mother unexpectedly returns to the trailer park, Skyla breezes in, acting as if she hadn’t deserted her children years prior. Skyla mysteriously attempts rekindle her relationship with her children, or at least Naomi. Even so, she is still in and out of their lives, coming and going as she pleases. Gram is forced to reveal many family secrets to the children, and how they really came to be in her care. Naomi and Owen become even more conflicted with who they are, and their innate need to have a real mother in their lives. Meanwhile, it is Skyla’s intention to obtain her parental rights, and to only take custody of Naomi. After several weeks, the truth about her reappearance becomes apparent. Clive, Skyla’s new boyfriend, wants Naomi to live with them in Las Vegas and become the permanent baby-sitter for his daughter. The ensuing custody battle forces Gram, Naomi, Owen and a neighbor couple to make a hasty trip to Oacaxa, Mexico to look for Santiago, the children's biological father. They seek answers to their unrelenting questions of where they truly belong, and are in a race with time to keep their family unit together. After an exhausting search, they finally find him at the annual Christmas festival in their ancestral village. Santiago’s situation is revealed as well, he is a father who loved his children, that were swept to the United States; he was denied the chance to maintain relations with them. However, he is a kind, hard-working, and gentle man, who has the best intentions for his children. Even though the children will continue to live with their great-grandmother, this reunion gives them the reassurance of their father's love and support.
Upon returning to their lives at Avacado Acres, the family feels satisfied; conflicts have been resolved and burning questions have been answered. Naomi Leon has found her voice, and is suddenly a confident and strong young woman, who has a new sense of self and security.
Ryan’s ability to develop characters, voice, setting, and conflict is impressive. Her authentic style is unique as well. Dialogue of the characters is so real, the reader feels they are part of the conversation. This book is perfect for students in grades 4-7, especially girls that are struggle to be comfortable in their own skin. Ryan’s novels allow young readers to feel less isolated, relate with the antagonist, and develop an appreciation of themselves and another’s diverse circumstances. Rich discussion can be had with Becoming Naomi Leon, specifically with pre-teen girls that struggle with issues of sense of self, or isolation. Ryan’s award winning novels continue to inspire and provide hope for young readers, leaving them feeling satisfied and content with the world and how it works.
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Oct 03, 2012 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned, audio-book, grandparents, intermediate-kids-book, multicultural, setting, character-development, characters-with-disabilities

This story is about Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw who is not always proud of her name. She lives with her Gram and has difficulty speaking up and not always fitting in. Naomi and her little brother were abandoned by their mother when they were much younger, and hardly remember their father. Owen has a few issues he's had since birth, but he doesn't let them get him down. Naomi has a special talent for carving soap, and even though both kids have some things to overcome, life with Gram in their littl...more

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Jan 06, 2012 C.J. Prince rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw and her brother Owen live with their great grandmother in a trailer in Lemon Tree, California. They don't know their mother who left seven years before. Their lives have a settled if unorthodox routine. Naomi is quiet at school and carves soap sculptures at home. Owen suffers a deformity and needs medical check ups. But they get on fine with their Gram, who sews their clothes, feeds them good food and positive thinking.

When the mother shows up with a boy friend, erratic...more

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Oct 08, 2010 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-literature

Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
family bonds/ courage/ coming of age

This book took me off guard. I expected it to be a heartwarming story much like Esperanza Rising, but it was difficult for me to read at parts because the children are put in such dangerous/harmful situations. Naomi and her brother Owen have been raised by their great-grandmother since their mother dropped them off there as babies. Owen was born with some physical disabilities because of his mother's alcoholism during pregn...more

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May 15, 2010 K. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: girls-bookshelf, kids-tween-age, kids-young-adult

I once had an English professor who told us if she ever wrote "clever" in response to one of our writings, it was not a compliment.

This book began with a lot of clever metaphors that nearly made me put it away. I persevered and it ended up a fairly decent read. It seems like sometimes authors figure things out somewhere in the middle and quit doing the really annoying things like trying to be clever. That was mostly the case here, and it improved the experience greatly.

The story situation was...more

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Jul 24, 2011 J. Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-fiction, disability, fiction, juvenile-fiction, neglect, middle-grade, schnieder-family-book-award, ya-fiction, young-adult, tween-novel, becoming-naomi-leon

Naomi is introduced to her Mexican heritage. As Naomi learns about her culture Ryan Naomi and her disabled, younger brother, Owen have lived with their great grandma, Gram, ever since their mother left them 7 years with no word since. Out of the blue she shows up with her distasteful boyfriend.

At first it seems like she wants to reconnect with her kids, but her true colors are revealed. She wants to take Naomi (not Owen) and collect child welfare. Gram runs with the children to look for Naomi’s...more

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