Anita of Rancho Del Mar

by Elaine F. O'Brien, Francine Rudesill (Illustrator)

Depicts life on a Spanish land-grant ranch in California in the 1830s through the adventures of young Anita and the Lorenzana family

171 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1990

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read-aloud if you’re interested in covering Early California history with your students! Would be an appropriate read for a sixth grader but I read aloud to my sixth, third, and first grader. I really enjoyed this. The flow of the story is great. There is no shortage of interesting events to capture the listener’s interest. It will be especially interesting if you have ties to either Ventura County or San Diego (the Rancho is in modern-day V.C. but Anita and her family take a trip to S.D.) Descriptions of the padres and the Spanish missions, the ranchos and its vaqueros, an Irishman who becomes a tutor to Anita’s family, and the Chumash Native American tribe present in the area, all combine to not only make a wonderful story but also showcase the melting-pot that early California began as.

[Michele Ganzevoort · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as an audiobook. I almost stopped it twice in the beginning. I wasn’t too sure as I am not familiar with Latino art or culture. It was a good read with some funny twists. Overall entertaining!

[Gabrielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

weird book about somebodys life a rancho

[Keely · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's great for pre-teens