From a California labor camp during the Great Depression to 19th-century stables to the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, Pam Muñoz Ryan's books take place in a variety of settings. But they tend to converge around one common theme: strong female characters. Incorporate Esperanza Rising, Riding Freedom, When Marian Sang, Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride, and Becoming Naomi León into a unit on female protagonists or women's history.

Of course, Pam Muñoz Ryan's books will appeal to all of your students. Focus on her exciting plot and engaging narrative, particularly in Esperanza Rising and Riding Freedom.

How to Join the Bulletin Board Discussion
On January 23, return to the Pam Muñoz Ryan Gateway Page. A link to "Join the Discussion" will be available.

After the board closes on February 3, you may submit your questions in advance of the moderated chat. A selection of these questions will be used during the interview. To submit your questions, return to the Pam Muñoz Ryan Gateway Page. A link to "Submit Chat Questions" will be available.

How to Join the Chat
Some school district filters prevent classrooms from entering chat rooms, so you may need to ask the district or your school's technical support staff to change the filter setting before this moderated chat. The web address for the chat will be: http://community.scholastic.com/scholastic/chat?chat.id=pam_munoz_ryan.

Please also note that if you are using a Mac, you will not be able to join the chat through Firefox. Instead, please use a different Web browser, such as Safari. If you are using a PC, you should be able to join the chat through any Web browser.

On March 15, the day of the chat, return to the Pam Muñoz Ryan Gateway Page. A link to "Join the Chat" will be available. Follow that link to enter the chat room.

During the chat, type questions for Pam Muñoz Ryan into the text box at the bottom of the chat screen. To submit your questions, click the "Send" button. Due to high volume, not all questions will be answered.

Free Resources
Support your reading of Pam Muñoz Ryan's books with these resources:

• Esperanza Rising
  • Discussion Guide
  • Teaching Plan
  • Esperanza Rising in Flashlight Readers (includes Teacher's Guide)

• Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride
  • Teaching Plan

In the Teacher Store
Build your Pam Muñoz Ryan collection with these titles, available in Scholastic's Teacher Store Online.

Esperanza Rising
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
When Esperanza and Mama are forced to flee from their home in Mexico to a Mexican farm labor camp in California, they must adjust to a life without the fancy dresses and servants to which they were accustomed on Rancho de las Rosas. Now they must confront the challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great Depression.
Grades 4–9

Riding Freedom
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
The fictionalized account of a little-known heroine, Charlotte Parkhurst, a young girl in the 1800s, who is determined to become a top-notch horse rider, but is stymied because she is a woman. She comes up with a plan so clever and so secretive that almost no one figures it out. Later she becomes a legendary stagecoach driver, and the first woman ever to vote.
Grades 3–6
Paperback

Becoming Naomi León
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
The biggest problem Naomi has is her extra-long name. But then everything starts to go haywire. Her quiet life with Gram is shattered when her mom shows up - and wants Naomi with her. Will a search for Naomi's father in Mexico help her situation, or just make it more complicated?
Grades 4–7
Hardcover