
Esperanza Rising
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Narrated by:
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Trini Alvarado
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By:
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Pam Munoz Ryan
About this listen
Esperanza Ortega possesses all the treasures a young girl could want: fancy dresses; a beautiful home filled with servants in the bountiful region of Aguascalientes, Mexico; and the promise of one day rising to Mama's position and presiding over all of El Rancho de las Rosas.
But a sudden tragedy shatters that dream, forcing Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. There they confront the challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great Depression. When Mama falls ill from Valley Fever and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must relinquish her hold on the past and learn to embrace a future ripe with the riches of family and community.
Pam Munoz Ryan eloquently portrays the Mexican workers' plight in this abundant and passionate novel that gives voice to those who have historically been denied one.
©2000 Pam Munoz Ryan (P)2001 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, An Imprint of Random House Audio Publishing GroupListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Rich in history and culture, this novel is all the more successful in the audio format." (AudioFile Magazine)
"Ryan writes movingly in clear, poetic language that children will sink into."(Booklist)
Featured Article: 12 Outstanding Audiobooks for Tweens
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With the depression bearing down on her family, there isn't much that Cassie Logan can count on anymore. But there is one thing that hasn't changed - the whispering trees outside her window. Cassie's trees, which have stood for centuries, are a great source of comfort to her. But they are also worth a lot of money. With Cassie's daddy gone to lay tracks for the railroad, it seems like no one can stop Mr. Andersen from forcing Big Ma to sell their valuable trees. How can Cassie sit by and watch them disappear?
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Beautiful show of brooking no refusal!
- By Missy on 06-14-23
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Bridge to Terabithia
- By: Katherine Paterson
- Narrated by: Robert Sean Leonard
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie's house, where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and a tragedy occurs.
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Not sure why they banned this book all the same...
- By Exec. Chef 'Special K' on 03-03-13
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Bud, Not Buddy
- By: Christopher Paul Curtis
- Narrated by: James Avery
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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It’s 1936, in Flint Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but Bud’s got a few things going for him. 1. He has his own suitcase full of special things. 2. He’s the author of Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself. 3. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: flyers advertising Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!! Bud’s got an idea that those flyers will lead him to his father.
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Great Family Audio
- By Dionne on 02-21-09
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The Night Diary
- By: Veera Hiranandani
- Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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It's 1947, and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. The divide has created much tension between Hindus and Muslims, and hundreds of thousands are killed crossing borders. Half-Muslim, half-Hindu twelve-year-old Nisha doesn't know where she belongs or what her country is anymore. When Papa decides it's too dangerous to stay in what is now Pakistan, Nisha and her family become refugees and embark first by train but later on foot to reach her new home.
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Captivating
- By Christy on 01-29-19
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Inside Out and Back Again
- By: Thanhha Lai
- Narrated by: Doan Ly
- Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Written in rich, free-verse poems, this moving tale follows a young Vietnamese girl as she leaves her war-torn homeland for America in 1975. With Saigon about to fall to the communists, 10-year-old Hà, her mother, and brothers are forced to flee their beloved city and head to the United States. But living in a new country isn’t easy for Hà, and she finds adapting to its strange customs ever challenging.
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Shouldn't be a children's book
- By SJC on 07-24-12
By: Thanhha Lai
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Dreamers
- By: Yuyi Morales
- Narrated by: Adriana Sananes
- Length: 14 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1994, 25-year-old Yuyi Morales traveled from her home in Yelapa, Mexico, to the San Francisco Bay Area with her two-month-old son, Kelly, in order to secure permanent residency in this country. Her passage was not easy, and she spoke no English whatsoever. But due in large measure to help and guidance provided by area children's librarians, she learned English the same way her young son learned to read. In spare, lyrical verse, Yuyi has created a lasting testament to the journeys, both physical and metaphorical, that she and Kelly have taken together in the intervening years.
By: Yuyi Morales
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Moon Over Manifest
- By: Clare Vanderpool
- Narrated by: Jenna Lamia, Cassandra Campbell, Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was. Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it's just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos.
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AWESOME book! LOVED it!
- By Rae on 06-23-11
By: Clare Vanderpool
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The First Rule of Punk
- By: Celia C. Pérez
- Narrated by: Victoria Villarreal
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school—you can’t fix it with duct tape like you would your Chuck Taylors. On Day One, twelve-year-old Malú (María Luisa, if you want to annoy her) inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School’s queen bee, violates the school’s dress code with her punk rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mom in the process. Her dad, who now lives a thousand miles away, says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk: be yourself.
By: Celia C. Pérez
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The Sign of the Beaver
- By: Elizabeth George Speare
- Narrated by: Greg Schaffert
- Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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At just 12 years old, Matt must face serious challenges in the Maine wilderness while awaiting his father's return to their cabin. When he is saved from a terrifying bee swarm attack by an Indian chief and his grandson Attean, Matt gains a valuable friend in the young Indian boy.
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Good story, dubious dialog, irritating music
- By Paul Hubbard on 08-05-12
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Before We Were Free
- By: Julia Alvarez
- Narrated by: Julia Alvarez
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Anita de la Torre never questioned her freedom living in the Dominican Republic. But by her 12th birthday in 1960, most of her relatives have emigrated to the United States, her Tío Toni has disappeared without a trace, and the government’s secret police terrorize her remaining family because of their suspected opposition of el Trujillo’s dictatorship.
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Talented Author Left Much To Be Expected Narrating
- By Lily on 01-08-18
By: Julia Alvarez
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
- By: Scott O'Dell
- Narrated by: Christina Moore
- Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Karana, a Ghalas-at Indian, lives peacefully on the island with her tribe until the arrival of a Russian otter-hunting ship. In spite of the deal the Aleutian hunters make with her father, the Ghalas-at chief, in the end they prove treacherous, killing most of the tribe. Karana's younger brother, Ramo, is all that is left of her family. Fearful of the Aleuts' return, the remaining Indians decide to move to another island, and are offered safe passage by some friendly ships. But as Karana boards the ship to leave the island forever, she is unable to find Ramo.
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Childhood favorite
- By tray on 02-03-25
By: Scott O'Dell
What listeners say about Esperanza Rising
Highly rated for:
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- Elizabeth
- 03-09-16
Outstanding!
I loved this book and hated for it to end! You can't help but fall in love with the characters, especially Esperanza.
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12 people found this helpful
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- Mary
- 12-13-11
I love this book!
Where does Esperanza Rising rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
The best!
What was one of the most memorable moments of Esperanza Rising?
Haven't finished reading it yet.
Have you listened to any of Trini Alvarado’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, i'm reading it with students.
Any additional comments?
This is a great book
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1 person found this helpful
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- Trevin Burchard
- 03-27-19
Should be required reading!
This book should be required reading in school. The story is so relevant and beautiful! I was tearing up throughout the whole thing. Then to discover it was based on a true story...just wow.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Evelyn
- 10-03-16
its a great book
i liked the book i recommend it you should read this book you will love it.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Taisha Reed
- 04-11-15
Amazing
I loved this book. I only read it because it was assigned for my Children Lit class, but I'd read it again just for fun. Amazing story and the way it was read made the story easy to keep up with and nice to lay in bed and listen to. it's nice to hear the correct pronunciation of these Spanish words.
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- Lauty
- 07-06-18
Amazing
Great
It was just amazing I love the book and I would recommend it. I enjoyed the hole book and hope you read it to.
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- Victoria
- 01-08-20
100% would recommend
Loved the book it was very well narrated i loved the ending it made me so happy
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- Rachel Manuel
- 12-03-19
A Beautiful Story
I originally bought this to use as part of a language arts lesson for 5th graders. They really got a lot out of hearing it, especially from a narrator so authentic. They read a chapter the night before class and I used this to solidify the story.
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- Kindle Customer
- 01-14-21
Loved it!
This was a great read! This is a good book for middle school students its very diverse and it can relate to present day issues as well!!
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- #idiotking
- 12-04-21
I am so glad I read this book. The perspective, characters, and description of scenery really tied the story together. I didn’t understand some of the story, but then again I am 12 so otherwise I really enjoyed it.
9/10
would read again
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