A Pura Belpre Honor Book

"Engrossing." -- The New York Times

Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw has had a lot to contend with in her young life, her name for one. Then there are her clothes (sewn in polyester by Gram), her difficulty speaking up, & her status at school as "nobody special." But according to Gram's self-prophecies, most problems can be overcome with positive thinking. Luckily, Naomi also has her carving to strengthen her spirit. And life with Gram & her little brother, Owen, is happy & peaceful. That is, until their mother reappears after 7 years of being gone, stirring up all sorts of questions & challenging Naomi to discover who she really is.

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised in the Grades 6-8 category by the Sunshine State Young Reader's Award. It was recognised in the Junior category by the North Carolina Children's Book Award. It also was recognised in the Young Readers category by the Nevada Young Readers' Award. It was recognised in the Grades 6-8 category by the Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award.

This book is aimed at children in secondary school.

There are 246 pages in this book. This book was published 2005 by Scholastic US .

Pam Munoz Ryan is the recipient of the NEA's Human and Civil Rights Award and the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award for multicultural literature. She has written more than thirty books which have garnered, among countless accolades, the Pura Belpre Medal, the Jane Addams Award, and the Schneider Family Award. Pam lives near San Diego. You can visit her at www. pammunozryan. com.