Esperanza Rising Reading Guide

Esperanza Rising is a beautiful coming of age story. Esperanza, the title character, is living a very privileged life in Mexico when circumstances beyond her family’s control force them to flee the country. They emigrate to the United States, where she is met with constant new challenges and prejudice. Along the way, she learns the importance of perseverance and hope.

This young adult novel is ideal for students in grades 5-6. It could also be a good fit for advanced readers in grade 4. Students in this age group can easily relate to Esperanza’s struggles to find her place in a new setting and to feel confident in her own skin. Scholastic Book Wizard places this book at a guided reading level V or Lexile level 750L.

This reading guide is a great one to use either at the beginning of the year with your whole class or at a point in the year when you are ready to dive deeper into the books you read with your students in small groups. It reviews and deepens understanding of concepts like setting and character while emphasizing important vocabulary, summarizing, and making inferences.

You can buy your copy of Esperanza Rising here.

You can buy your copy of the reading guide here.