Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

This moving book, set at the time of the Great Depression, shows what life was like for many Mexican immigrants. It tells the story of a young teenager named Esperanza who is born to wealth and privilege on a ranch in Mexico. Disaster hits and she is forced to move to America with her mother and find jobs working in the fields. She's not used to manual labor and the lack of respect she receives, but when her mother gets sick and Esperanza begins to understand her new life, she rises to the challenges and impresses everyone. 262 pgs (plus a few more with notes from the author, a recipe, and a craft idea), pb. ~Rachel