Pam Munoz Ryan
Scholastic , 2004
5th grade and older
Fiction, Realistic, Multicultural
What's in a name? "A rosy by any other name would is still a rose"(Howard Trachtman, I believe).
The first thing that Naomi is worried about is her name, Naomi Soledad León Outlaw. Naomi, Owen and Gram live in Baby Beluga, a Airstream trailer. Gram was an expert
at naming things for exactly what they looked like. They lived in Lemon Tree, CA but this upset Gram because
there was not one "citrus" in sight. The Spray'n Play was one of their favorite places to go, it was a
car wash-deli-playground combination. Now Owen could fool people based on the way he looked, they thought
he was in lower grades because his head tilted to one side and was bent down to his shoulder, also one of his
legs was sorter than the other so he walked funny but, he got the best grades in his class. Gram had always told
them that if they had positive thinking that you could make things happen, she called it "self-prophecy". One of
the things that Naomi is best at is making lists and she had a list for just about everything! I wonder why she
always had these lists, sort of therapeutic I would guess. I think it might help her deal with things, especially the
things that she does not understand or want to remember or even perhaps control in a sense. You find out later
in the story that she had many problems when she came to live with Gram those 7 years ago, I wonder if while
seeing the counselor they suggest that she keep list of things to help her deal with the world around her. You
could get your students to start to make list of anything, something that is important to them, the project
could run the rest of the school year and you could revisit the idea behind the list and have to children think
about everything they put into the list and why they put it there. If it were me, I would not tell them, but it
would be a confidential thing that they would not have to turn in. The things that Naomi makes list about tend
to be things that just about every child worries about or thinks about from time to time. Her example could
help the children in your class room to deal with things in their lives.
Naomi eats lunch in the library, even though according to the rules this is not allowed, but the librarian, Mr.
Marble, allows the few students that are there to eat at the tables. Naomi loves to read and find things to add to
her lists and things that would make good new lists and Mr. Marble would help her out with finding this info.
You find out that Gram is not their grandmother, but actually their great-grandmother. This does not effect
the children at all nor does it seem to bother Gram. To me it seemed that at first people gossiped about it but
they stopped after they realized that it was the best thing for everyone involved. I also love how this is part of
the story, there are children everywhere, and probably in the everyday classroom, that live with their aunts and
uncles, grandparents, who know. I love that it makes it seem almost "normal" and it is not a negative thing at all
that they live there. It could make a child feel better about the situation that they live in. They also live in a
trailer park in one of the smallest ones there, and they do not care one bit about it, they are very happy living in
Baby Beluga! I am sure that every year there will be a student that had this kind of living situation, not exactly
the same but something similar for sure, yet again making the not feel so bad about it. When they first came to
live with Gram, Naomi was not talking and her hands shook all of the time, she did not remember what had
caused it but Gram had a solution, just like she did for everything. Gram tried to keep Naomi's hands busy at all
times, as well as her mind. So Naomi started to carve bars of soap and it appeared to help tremendously! One
day after Owen had finished his homework he walked over to Naomi and asked her how she knew what to carve
in the soap, "I imagine what's inside and take away what I don't need". We find later that this is exactly what her
father said about carving as well. I love that Naomi already has this preconceived notion about her carving and
how she comes up with what to do even before she ever meets her dad.
All of the sudden on day, completely out of the blue their mother turns up at their doorstep! Terri Lynn came
right up to them and half expected them to remember her. She had changed her name to Skyla Jones since her
boyfriend, Clive told her he did not like Terri Lynn. One thing that struck me as very, very odd about this part
of the book was how she hugged Naomi for the first time in seven years and the only way I know how to show
how it happened is to just use exactly what Naomi says. "I walked over to Skyla and she put her hands on my
shoulders, keeping me at arm's length. She did that sort of leaning-in type of hug, with a quick cheek-to-cheek
touch. It was not the I-haven't-seen-you-in-seven-years type of hug that I would have expected." I wondered
why she would hug her children like this when it was the first time in so long but later I read the real reason why
she wanted to come back and get her children, or Naomi. One of the first things that Skyla noticed about Owen
was the fact that he had a piece of clear tape on his shirt, she tried to pull it off but was quickly stopped by a yell
from Gram and Naomi. They explained how it was a comfort thing he does. Yet another thing that I do not
understand why it happened and even after finishing the book I am still not sure why he does this... Naomi
quickly figured out that the return of their mother was going to be a life-changing experience. There were two
reasons why Naomi came to this conclusion, 1) Gram and Fabiola were going to miss Wheel of Fortune for the
first time in 743 nights in a row and 2) Gram marched out of the trailer with her curlers still in her hair, a thing
she never does.
The reason that they had the name Outlaw attached to their names was for Gram, she wanted to form some sort
of family structure since they were going to be living with her. It was never done legally but just to make her
and the children feel better. At least that's what I think.
Right off the bat Skyla did not fit what Naomi had pictured a mother to look like, but she did have a memory of
her father and Mexico. She remembered him saving them from a flooded motel room and taking them to the
church to be safe durning the storm, she remembered his shirt tasting salting and smelling of soap. To help get
her mind off of the storm, her dad carved and elephant out of soap and gave it to her. She feel asleep and never
saw him again.
What would be going through your head if you saw your mother for the first time since you were a baby? Do
you think you would be excited or scared or something else?
Skyla went shopping and bought Naomi some clothes since Gram had always made her clothes, but she did not
get anything for Owen, but he did not seem to mind. Skyla also did her hair and did a French Braid, Naomi
loved it! The next day she wore her hair in the braid and the new clothes that her mother had gotten for her.
The same day a new student came to their class, Blanca Paloma, and she sticks to Naomi right away. On the
playground, Blanca comes up to Naomi and starts speaking Spanish, she had assumed since Naomi looked
Mexican that she must speak Spanish, but she did not. Naomi feared that this would cause her to lose Blanca as
a friend but she was proven wrong. Blanca attached herself to Naomi and they spent the rest of the day
together, she even went to eat lunch in the library. She was quite different from Naomi, very outspoken and
always asking questions. At this point I am scared and excited for her. I fear that Blanca will end up not being
friends with Naomi or that they will become great friends. I hoped the latter was correct, and sure enough I
was right! So excited for her, her first real friend. Naomi thought that it was her new look that brought her
good luck, she had her mother to thank for that, so she thought.
Skyla promised that she was going to go with the children to their parent-teacher conferences which made both
of the extremely excited. This part always really worried me because Skyla had not really proven that she could
be reliable to do such important things. Well the day came for their meetings and Naomi and Owen, along with
Blanca and her mother, waited for Skyla to come. Naomi and Blanca wanted their mothers to meet. Finally
Blanca's mother had to go to work at 2:30, which was the time Naomi was supposed to be meeting with her
teacher. They wait and wait and wait, finally at 5 Ms. Morimoto found them and took them into the office to
where Ms. Dominguez tried to call Gram. They finally got a hold of her and she came to pick them up. Trying to
cheer them up, Gram took them to the Spray'n Wash, but it did not make Naomi feel better. Why do you think
this did not cheer her up when this was her favorite place to go? Would it have cheered you up if you had been
in that situation? This is what I had feared and predicted would happen, I can not believe that a mother could
do something like this to her own children. Espiecially since she just got there and was wanting to spend time
with them and even volunteered to go to the meetings. I am really afraid that this happens in the world today
I just do not know what I would do or feel if this sort of thing happened to me. I feel that I would lose a lot of
trust in my "mother" and I hope that I would not have a desire to see her again. Although I understand why the
children did still feel a connection to her. I am able to sympathize with Naomi because of the way that Ryan
writes her thoughts in the sentences, you come to be one mind with her some of the time. It is really hard for
me to understand and feel what it would feel like to be in that situation but I can almost grasp what it would be
like just from Naomi's thoughts.
After asking Gram several questions about what Naomi had over heard about her mother, she discovered that
their father had been sending them money several times a year. Naomi became very frustrated at this, she does
not understand why "grown-ups" feel the need to keep things from children, why they think that they can not
handle the information. Naomi exclaimed how she could have written him letters but Gram told her that she
had tried several times but they always came back and never reached him. It was impossible to find out where
he was living since he never gave his return address.
Three nights later Skyla turns up again at the trailer, she wanted them to come and see what she had brought
with her. She acted like nothing happened, something Naomi did not understand, and got everyone to come
out to see what she had gotten. Her excuse for not coming back for so long was that she and Clive had gone to
Palm Springs for a long weekend. Then she told them that she had invited him over for Thanksgiving dinner.
Finally they saw what she had gotten this time, a bike! One of the expensive one, according to Naomi, just what
every kid would want, especially Owen. It is not possible that she did this just out of the kindness of her heart,
she did this to make up for her running off and not going to the meetings. She was trying to buy them off with
stuff, and it worked on Owen for sure. All he had wanted was a bike to ride and sure as shit that's what she got
him. Everyone was to happy and excited to be angry at her any longer. However when Naomi tried to thank
her for what she had done, Skyla snapped at her and told her that she needed to speak up and that when she
met Clive she would talk louder and thank him for everything he had paid for. Naomi did not understand what
had just happened, she feared that she was in trouble, she was full of all different questions. What had just
happened was very troubling to her.
Well Thanksgiving came around and so did Clive and he was broad and thick, wearing a leather jacket with his
hair pulled back into a ponytail. Everyone started arriving, including Lulu (Fabiola's dog) which set off Clive
from the start, so she had to be taken home. All of the sudden Skyla hits everybody with the notion that she
and Clive want to take Naomi with them to live in Las Vegas to live with them and Clives daughter, Sapphire.
Everyone rejects to the idea from the get go, and Naomi's hands start to shake. Gram gets her to help take the
dishes to the kitchen to try and distract her from what had just happened. After pissing everyone off throughly
they end up leaving as soon as dinner is over. Would you want to go and live with Clive and the mother you just
meet for the first time in 7 years? Every thing that Skyla does just amazes me more and more, I just can't even
begin to fathom have such ideas and presenting them in front of all the guest. To top it off the only reason they
appeared to want her was so that she could basically babysit Sapphire. Despicable.
Well it is time for Owen to go to his doctors appointment but Gram is going to have to cancel because she had to
work on a wedding dress that is going to be picked up the following day and needs major work. So being the
mother trying to win over children, Skyla offers to take him, along with Naomi, to the doctors. Well while they
are there she starts to freak out, yells at Naomi for talking to quietly and then runs to the bathroom, coming
back smelling of Gram's rum cake. When the Dr's tell Skyla that there is nothing to be done until Owen is an
adolesent, she starts to freak out and yells at the doctors, and she ends up storming out of the hospital and
drove too fast all the way home. Well once they got there Naomi was supposed to call Gram and tell them that
they were back, but Skyla tells her to drop the phone and to sit down. She yells at them both for embarassing
her at the doctors office and tells Owen that he is going to have to stop putting tape on his shirts, and just
continued to yell at her about everything. Well Naomi finally gets up the courage to talk back to Skyla and it
makes her so mad that she slapped her across the cheek, leaving a perfect imprint of her hand. They finally
manage to get away and run towards Fabiola's house. When they get there she bursts into tears,understandably
and Owen recounts the story. An argument ensues between the adults and Skyla threatens to go to court to try
and get her children back. It is so hard for me to imagine acting like that towards a child. I know that Skyla had
many problems but I still can not even begin to imagine hurting my own child, not that i have any but still... You
feel so sorry for Naomi, you can feel her pain and her anger at her mother, and it is all rightfully so.
One morning Naomi wakes up and thinks that there is an earthquake and freaks out and wakes her brother up,
she continues to yell for Gram until, they figure out that it is not in fact an earthquake but the trailer going
down the highway. They find out that they are going to Mexico for the famous La Noche de los Rabanos, they
will miss two extra weeks of their Christmas vacation but Gram had already called their teachers to let them
know what was going on. Before they left Gram had gotten temporary Gaurdianship from the judge in town.
Do you think this is a smart thing on Gram's part? What do you think the reason she did this was? I think this is
a brilliant idea on Gram's behalf, it should help to protect the children from their mother.
When they arrive in Mexico they go to the house of Fabiola's sister. After being introduced to the family
everyone hugs them. This was not something they were accustomed to since they did not know each other and
in Lemon Tree this did not happen. After being there for a while and getting to know everyone, the family
started to think about what they were going to carve for the festival, it was only 12 days away. She felt happy to
be in Mexico, relieved. The main reason that they made the trip to Mexico was in hopes of finding their father,
to see if he would help them deal with Skyla. They caught wind that the cheese lady that worked in the market
had married a Leon, so they went down to the market to talk to her. She had indeed married a Leon, so they
exchanged number and she told them that she would inquire about their father from her husband and call them
and let them know what she found out. Throughout the story when they get to Mexico, Ryan starts to use real
Spanish words to identify things, she always tells the reader what the word means. "We walked through the
uneven streets of Barrio Jalatlaco to el mercado, the market." Also with some words she spells out how to
pronounce the word: "Quseillo." "Keh-sill-owe". This helps children to learn new words in a different language
it helps to submerge the reader into a different culture, just making this a great multi-cultural book! The cheese
lady calls and tells them that she in fact has not information on Santiago, their father. The children, including
Ruben (Graciela's son) start to call people in the phone book who have the last name of Leon. Well one Sunday
they finally get a call back but, Graciela is the one that answers the phone. The adults discover what they have
been up to and have to pay them back since the phone call was long distance and cost quite a bit of money. The
plus side was that they found someone who knew their father, it was their great aunt Teresa.
They go and visit her and she shows them a picture of Santiago when he was a boy, he looked exactly like Naomi
and even she could tell. The find out that for the past 100 years a Leon has entered in the carving festival and
that their father had come to everyone except one. So Teresa predicted, with much confidence, that he would
come this year as well. Hearing all of this would be an exhilerating feeling! One can just feel the excitment that
Naomi and Owen feel at the prospect of meeting their father and getting help from him so that she does not
have to go and live with Skyla and Clive. I love how Ryan gives more of the Mexican culture with each passing
chapter, you learn a little something around every bend.
Finally the festival and its festivities begin! One night they go on a walk around town that is a Christmas
tradition for them. It makes a range of emotions occur for Naomi, she is so happy that she realizes why her dad
loves the festival so much! She just can not wait to see him. The men finally decide what they are going to carve
and announce it one morning to the family. It is going to be a huge "tree" with all sorts of animals hanging off
of it as if they were the leaves and on top is going to be a lion, the king of beasts. They had been inspired by the
soap carvings that Naomi had been doing. Another example of integrating the Spanish language into this book
is when Naomi is asked if she wants to go to the market or stay home and help the men carve, "Aqui" said
Naomi. "Here." Graciela rolled her eyes. "Bueno, como quieras. As you wish." A little while later the truck
appears with the radishes and they begin to carve at once, even Naomi started to carve animals for them. Owen
and Ruben were assigned the job of misting the radishes so that they would not dry out. The last day of carving
Naomi is given a big radish and is told that she is to carve the lion for the top of the structure, she knew at once
that this was a huge honor.
The day of the festival they ride into town in the truck and unload everything at their table, then Bernardo went
to go walk with the women down to the festival. She told Bernardo that she wanted to stay and help set every-
thing up. He tells her that she cannot, she must go and look at all the other tables and inquire about her father.
They found many people who knew him, but none of them had seen him recently. They were almost back to
their table and saw a huge crowd around it. Finally the judges came around and scored everything, then the
party began and everyone relaxed. Finally came the time for the judges to announce who were the winners of
the year. When it got to their category there were so shocked to find out that they had made 2nd place! They
had never gotten in the top three before! After everything was over and they started heading home, a man
came up to congratulate Bernardo, but suddenly he turned around and started running, Gram told Naomi that
that was Santiago. Naomi started to run after him but could not catch up and had to return to Gram. It is good
luck to get a piece of one of the winning categories and to try to cheer Naomi up she is given the Lion that she
had carved.
When they got home they heard a rustle in the trees and realized that there was no wind that could be causing
the flowers to fall off of the tree. Then out of no where Santiago come out. Owen ran forward but Naomi was
planted to the ground, she could not move. Owen started jabbering to their father and when he mentioned her
name, Santiago looked up at her. She burst into tears, Santiago picked Owen up and came over the Naomi and
pulled her close into him. She was crying into his chest and she could taste the familiar sea salt on his shirt, and
smell the soap. When they stood up there was not a single dry eye in the whole place. When he found out that
Naomi had participated in carving for the festival, his face lit up with pride. The spent a lot of time together
over the next few days until Naomi, Owen, and Gram had to return so that they could meet with the judge to
see what was to be their fate. Santiago agreed to help them and wrote a letter telling all about their mother and
how he recommended the stay with Gram, also that he wanted to start having visits with them on holidays and
such.
Well once they get back to CA, they must go and meet with the judge. Of course when Skyla walks in she acts as
if she is a wonderful mother who misses her children. After hearing from all of the adults and looking at all of
the letters everyone had written in favor of the children staying the Gram, the judge wanted to speak to Naomi.
When she gets up to the seat next to the judge at first she is not able to say anything, but then she remembers
what she dad told her about being brave. All of the sudden she starts to recount everything that had happened
with Skyla and everything that she had been told. When asked if she wanted to go live with her mother she said
flat out, "No.". She said every word in front of Skyla and Clive. I can't imagine having to do that, sit in front of
your mother and tell a judge that you have no desire to live with her and her boyfriend. She really did take to
heart everything that her father told her, for the first time she spoke out and loud about what she wanted and
how she felt! It must have been such a release for her! I feel like it would have been an exhausting task to do!
One thing that children can take from this is how brave Naomi ends up becoming! She stands up for herself
even against her mother. I hope that a child that I ever encounter never has to go through this but, that is not a
realistic thought, especially in these days, but if the child has read this book it might encourage them to be
brave and stand up for what they want and need!
The judge decided to grant custody to Gram, especially after finding out that Skyla only want to take Naomi and
not Owen as well, the judge did not believe in splitting up siblings that have lived together all of their lives. They
could not have hoped for a better resolution to this disaster in their lives. Naomi when back to school with
many things to tell her new best friend, Blanca. At lunch she met the new library kid and showed Mr. Marble
her soap carvings, he was very impressed by what he saw. He asked her if he could put them in the display for
open house next month. Of course she agreed, seeing how this was a dream of hers, the display was seen by
everyone and they were also so excellent that no one could resist but to look at them every time.
Everything ended in the perfect way to suite Naomi and her family (which does not include Skyla or Clive) and
she was very happy. They went every year to the festival and to visit their father, a promise made that was never
to be broken. Naomi finally grew into her name, which was one of her biggest fears.
In my opinion I think this is an excellent of a multicultural book that I would want all of my classes to read. I
almost cried at some parts. This is the kind of book that you can really get into and really start to feel for the
characters! I honestly had to hold back tears when they first met their father, for real not in the square. I do
not know how Naomi could not have cried. I think Ryan did a superb job writing this book and she is most
definitely going to be an author that I keep in my classroom. Not only do you attach yourself to the characters
but you are also put into a culture that is more than likely different from the one that you grew up in, you learn
things about the culture, they were things that I never knew. I think learning about different cultures is a
quintessential part of a persons life, I think it helps us to break down prejudices at an early age, if they are
exposed to different cultures and types of people when they are younger. The introduction and incorporation
of the Spanish language is done beautifully in the book, it always makes sense and seems appropriate! You can
also see how Naomi and the rest of her family are beginning to pick up on the language, which is oh so very true
if you are submerged in the culture. Over all I can not say ONE bad thing about this book, give me more of her
books to read and I will gladly dive right in!
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