Spring 2019, Wild Readers 5 discussion

After reading Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan, my heart was happy. I’ve never been a reader because of various experiences throughout my school years. This book was the first book I’ve read front to back in a very long time, and I happy to say I enjoyed it! This book is very family focused. Naomi and her younger brother were separated from their mother due to the bad decisions their mother was making. This led to the siblings moving in with their great grandmother. I thought the bond they developed with their great grandmother was so cute. I can totally relate, I am huge family girl! My grandparents are my number one supporters and a big part of what makes me who I am. This book also takes you on the journey of Naomi finding out who she is as a person. When a traumatic experience such as being separated from your own mother happens, it causes you to grow up a lot faster than other children your age. This reveals Naomi’s transition into a mature young teen who turns into a role model for her brother. Naomi goes through a series of life events in the book, some good and some bad. Naomi didn’t let the experiences she faced get the best of her. She took those experiences and brushed them off. She didn’t let what happened to her define who she is, she was in control of who she was and what she wanted to be. This book also reveals what it means to be family. Mary, the great grandmother strives to help Naomi find and meet her real father, Santiago. This book has a lot of ups and down but ends on a wonderful note.I truly recommend this book to readers. This book was a great book to transition back into my reading phase. It was cute and revealed family values and self progress, which are two things I support and enjoy.