Recommendations based on Esperanza Risingby Pam Muñoz Ryan

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Becoming Naomi León

    by Pam Muñoz Ryan
    Naomi León's journey to find her true identity and reunite with her family. A heartwarming story of love, courage, and self-discovery.

    Naomi Outlaw is a Hispanic girl who lives a carefree (if not lonely) life with her great-grandmother, Mary Outlaw, and deformed younger brother, Owen, in the fictional town of Lemon Tree, California. ... (Wikipedia)

  2. The Tale of Despereaux

    by Kate DiCamillo
    An epic adventure of an unlikely hero, on a quest to save his kingdom and restore justice.

    A noble mouse named Despereaux saves a princess named Princess Pea. Book one tells a story about a small, sickly mouse named Despereaux who was born in a castle with his eyes open. Despereaux, unlike ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Walk Two Moons

    by Sharon Creech
    A young girl embarks on a road trip with her grandparents to find her missing mother, while reflecting on her own life and relationships.

    The novel is narrated by a 13-year-old girl named Salamanca (Sal). Sal's mother has recently left Sal's father, and Sal's grandparents are taking her on a cross-country car trip to Lewiston, Idaho to ... (Wikipedia)

  4. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963

    by Christopher Paul Curtis
    The Watson family travels from Michigan to Alabama during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, experiencing racism and tragedy.

    The Newbery Honor-winning American classic, The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963 , celebrates 20 years with this anniversary edition featuring a special letter from Christopher Paul Curtis and an ... (Goodreads)

  5. Rules

    by Cynthia Lord
    A young girl's attempt to make peace with her family's dynamic and her autistic brother.

    This Newbery Honor Book is a heartfelt and witty story about feeling different and finding acceptance–beyond the rules. Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible ... (Goodreads)

  6. Bud, Not Buddy

    by Christopher Paul Curtis
    A young boy searches for his father during the Great Depression, encountering adventure and unexpected kindness along the way.

    The story opens with Bud being placed with a new foster family, the Amoses'. Bud soon meets Todd Amos, their 12-year-old son, who teases him mercilessly and calls him Buddy. After a fight with Todd, ... (Wikipedia)

  7. Out of My Mind

    by Sharon M. Draper
    A young girl with cerebral palsy struggles to overcome obstacles and prove her ability.

    Melody Brooks is a girl who was born with cerebral palsy . Also, who is ten years old. Her parents have done everything they can to help her live a normal life, but life is often frustrating for ... (Wikipedia)

  8. Freak the Mighty

    by Rodman Philbrick
    The story of two unlikely friends, united by a shared sense of bravery and courage.

    The novel is set in a version of Portsmouth, New Hampshire . , In the beginning of the book, Maxwell Kane is a young boy with low self-esteem . He lives with his grandfather, Grim, and grandmother, ... (Wikipedia)

  9. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

    by Sherman Alexie
    A young Native American boy's struggles to survive in a difficult world.

    The book follows a fourteen-year-old boy living with his family on the Spokane Indian Reservation near Wellpinit, Washington for a school year. It is told in episodic diary style, moving from the ... (Wikipedia)

  10. The Wanderer

    by Sharon Creech
    A young girl travels with her mother to different places, making new friends and discovering the beauty of life.

    The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in. Sophie hears the sea calling, promising adventure as she sets sail for England with her three uncles and ... (Goodreads)

  11. Gathering Blue

    by Lois Lowry
    A young girl's story of struggle and resilience in a post-apocalyptic world.

    In her strongest work to date, Lois Lowry once again creates a mysterious but plausible future world. It is a society ruled by savagery and deceit that shuns and discards the weak. Left orphaned and ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Invention of Hugo Cabret

    by Brian Selznick
    An orphaned boy's journey to unravel the secrets of a mechanical man and find his place in the world.

    In 1930s Paris, young Hugo Cabret and his father repair an automaton at the museum where his father works. When Hugo's father dies in a fire, his uncle brings him to live and work at the train ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

    by Ellen Levine
    A slave's courageous escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

    A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mails himself to freedom by a Jane Addams Peace Award-winning author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist. Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

    by Kate DiCamillo
    Edward, a china rabbit, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning the power of love.

    Edward Tulane is a china rabbit given to a ten-year-old girl named Abilene , by her grandmother in the 1930s. He enjoys a pleasant but vain life with his young mistress, who treats him with the ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Frindle

    by Andrew Clements
    A boy's simple idea revolutionizes the English language, sparking a debate among teachers and students.

    Nicholas "Nick" Allen is a class clown who has been formulating creative schemes throughout grade school . At the start of fifth grade in 1987, he is unhappy because his English teacher is the ... (Wikipedia)

  16. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

    by Jon Scieszka
    A humorous reimagining of the classic fairy tale, as told from the wolf's side of the story.

    You thought you knew the story of the “The Three Little Pigs”… You thought wrong. In this hysterical and clever fracture fairy tale picture book that twists point of view and perspective, young ... (Goodreads)

  17. Because of Winn-Dixie

    by Kate DiCamillo
    A girl's journey of self-discovery and healing, as she finds friendship in an unlikely companion.

    Kate DiCamillo's beloved, best-selling debut novel is now available in a paperback digest edition. Kate DiCamillo's first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper—a ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Arrival

    by Shaun Tan
    A thought-provoking story of a man's journey to an unknown land in search of a new home.

    In a heartbreaking parting, a man gives his wife and daughter a last kiss and boards a steamship to cross the ocean. He's embarking on the most painful yet important journey of his life—he's leaving ... (Goodreads)

  19. Maniac Magee

    by Jerry Spinelli
    A young orphan boy, Jeffrey Lionel Magee, becomes a legend in a racially divided town by bringing people together through his incredible feats of athleticism and kindness.

    Jeffrey Lionel Magee's parents were killed in a trolley accident when a drunk driver crashed and sunk it into the river in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania , orphaning him at age three. After living with his ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Home of the Brave

    by Katherine Applegate
    A young Sudanese refugee struggles to adapt to life in America after fleeing his war-torn homeland.

    Kek comes from Africa. In America he sees snow for the first time, and feels its sting. He's never walked on ice, and he falls. He wonders if the people in this new place will be like the winter – ... (Goodreads)

  21. Elijah of Buxton

    by Christopher Paul Curtis
    A young boy's adventures in a pre-Civil War free-town, learning the true meaning of freedom.

    Newbery Medalist and CSK Award winner Christopher Paul Curtis's debut middle-grade/young-YA novel for Scholastic features his trademark humor, compelling storytelling, and unique narrative voice. ... (Goodreads)

  22. Homeless Bird

    by Gloria Whelan
    A young girl's story of courage and resilience in the face of adversity.

    Like many girls her age in the India of her time period, thirteen-year-old-Koly is getting married. Full of hope and courage, she leaves home forever. But Koly's story takes a terrible turn when in ... (Goodreads)

  23. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

    by Avi
    A young girl's adventures on the high seas, fighting for justice and freedom.

    The story starts in the early summer of 1832, as thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle prepares to take a voyage from Liverpool , England, to her family's home in Providence, Rhode Island . Her upper ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Salt to the Sea

    by Ruta Sepetys
    Vivid tale of a group of refugees struggling to survive in WWII Europe.

    New York Times, Bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal! ,"Masterfully crafted",—,The Wall Street Journal,For readers of, Between Shades of Gray, and, All the Light We Cannot See, Ruta Sepetys, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. The House on Mango Street

    by Sandra Cisneros
    A young girl navigates life in a poor Latino neighborhood, dreaming of a better future and finding her voice through writing.

    The bestselling coming-of-age classic, acclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught in schools and universities alike, and translated around the world from the winner of the 2018 ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. Go Ask Alice

    by Beatrice Sparks
    A teenage girl's diary chronicling her journey into drug addiction and eventual redemption.

    In 1968, a 15-year-old girl begins keeping a diary, in which she records her thoughts and concerns about issues such as crushes, weight loss, sexuality, social acceptance, and relating to her ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food

    by Stan Berenstain
    Mama Bear helps her cubs learn about healthy eating habits and the dangers of too much junk food.

    Mama Bear lays down the law when she notices that Papa and the cubs are getting too chubby. With the help of Dr. Grizzly's slide show on how the body works, the Bear family makes a healthful ... (Goodreads)

  28. Ruby Holler

    by Sharon Creech
    Twins find adventure and love with an eccentric couple in a magical place called Ruby Holler.

    The story starts in the Boxton Creek Home, an 'orphanage' run by the Trepids - a strict and dishonest husband and wife. An imaginative thirteen-year-old boy named Dallas and his sassy and bold twin ... (Wikipedia)

  29. The Ordinary Princess

    by M.M. Kaye
    A young princess who rejects her royal identity and embarks on an adventure to find her own special destiny.

    Along with Wit, Charm, Health, and Courage, Princess Amy of Phantasmorania receives a special fairy christening gift: Ordinariness. Unlike her six beautiful sisters, she has brown hair and freckles, ... (Goodreads)

  30. Out of the Dust

    by Karen Hesse
    A poetic story of a young girl's endurance through a time of great hardship.

    When Billie Jo is just fourteen she must endure heart-wrenching ordeals that no child should have to face. The quiet strength she displays while dealing with unspeakable loss is as surprising as it ... (Goodreads)