Southwest Children's Literature

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Becoming Naomi León

A group of six students in Ms. Hunt's Pre-Advanced Placement Language Arts class at Emily Grey Junior High School in Tucson, Arizona conducted a literature circle for Becoming Naomi León. They communicated by using a Wikispace and discussed the themes, characters, setting, and vocabulary of this book. Here is a sample of the students' thoughts that were shared with the group.


The Significance of Setting
"I think Las Vegas reflects Skyla and Clive very well. When you think of Las Vegas you think of casinos, a crowded city, and a very, very crazy place. In my opinion, that's NOT the best place to raise a fragile child who barely knows the people she would be living with. Naomi is so used to a safe and calm environment with Owen and Gram. Las Vegas would be such a drastic change for her. Also, with Skyla in the condition she is in now with her drinking problem, do you think a rowdy city like Las Vegas is the best place for her?"
Rachel

Definitions of Family
"I think I would also feel weird calling a stranger "Mom." Mom is a word for someone special that takes care of you and accepts you and loves you for who you are! For example, some people don't even call their stepparents Mom and Dad, and they know them pretty well! If I was Naomi, I would be more comfortable calling Gram "Mom" than Skyla."
Rachel

Unconditional Love
"I think she is being really mean to Owen. She should love him as he son, no matter what he looks like! So what if one leg is shorter than the other or that he has an obsession for scotch tape! Skyla needs to accept Owen for who he is."
Willow

Ulterior Motives
"In Sklya's opinion she really isn't their "mom". She only wants Naomi so she can be friends with Clive's daughter. She doesn't really "want" her otherwise."
Robert

"I think it's unfair how Skyla is buying Naomi all these cool fashionable clothes and nothing for Owen. When he finally got the bike he wanted really bad it wasn't even from her, it was from her boyfriend, Clive. I wish she could appreciate Owen more."
Emes

"A lot of stepparents do that to kids, bribing them into liking them."
Bailey