Pam Muñoz Ryan

Pam Muñoz Ryan (born 25 December 1951) is an American Latina author. She grew up with half her family from Mexico, and the other half from Oklahoma. Her ethnicity is varied. She admits to being Spanish, Mexican, Basque, Italian, and Oklahoman. [ [http://www.teachingk-8.com/archives/author_interview/pam_muoz_ryan_a_confluence_of_rivers_by_katherine_pierpont_senior_editor.html Pam Muñoz Ryan: "A Confluence of Rivers" By Katherine Pierpont, Senior Editor from Teaching K-8 ] ] Having a big family, there were always uncles, aunts, and grandparents around, so she was used to a noisy house.

Growing up in San Joaquin Valley, California, she recalled the sweltering summer days. "My house didn't have air conditioning so I rode my bike to the local library. I read books in the cool air; a relief from the heat." Fact|date=February 2007

Pam Muñoz Ryan knew very young that she wanted a career that centered around books. She thought that meant being a teacher and then an administrator. [ [http://www.pammunozryan.com/bio.html Pam Muñoz Ryan: Biography ] ] She was finally encouraged by a professor while in graduate school and began writing. "It took me a number or years to make that leap of faith," she states when commenting on becoming a full-time writer. That came in 1994 after she published her first picture book that differed so much from the writing she had done for adults. [ [http://www.teachingk-8.com/archives/author_interview/pam_muoz_ryan_a_confluence_of_rivers_by_katherine_pierpont_senior_editor.html Author Interview]

She is now the author of the bestselling books "Esperanza Rising" and "Becoming Naomi Leon". Her other novels include "Riding Freedom" about Charley Parkhurst, which has won numerous awards, and "Paint the Wind". She has also written several picture books.

The inspiration for "Esperanza" came from her grandmother. An immigrant from Mexico, she battled inter-family complications and the death of her father. She faced the appalling prejudice that was considered the norm at the time against her Hispanic heritage.

"Becoming Naomi Leon" came from a 1997 visit to the Mexican city of Oaxaca to an annual Christmas time event called "The Night of the Radishes". In the novel, the side plots revolve around Naomi's school: Buena Vista Elementary. The playground teasing to Naomi's handicapped and crippled brother and Naomi's encounter to Mimi Messmaker whispering "Trailer Trash" as she is passing by is realistic and sends a slight wake-up call to the reader. Naomi's mother is another tag of social issue where Naomi sees Mrs. Leon (or Ms. Skyla Jones as she likes to be called by her maiden name) sneaks bottles of booze, slaps her across the face, and openly calls Owen a bad bargain by pointing out his odd habits and pinched, croaky voice.

Ryan comments that she enjoys little-known facts about celebrities. She believes that her strong female protagonists have stories that deserve to be told. Two of her muses are Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart, and in "Amelia And Eleanor Go For A Ride", illustrated by Brian Selznick, she tells one such story, based on a true event. [ [http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/ryan Reading Rockets : A video interview with Pam Muñoz Ryan ] ]

External links

* [http://www.pammunozryan.com Author's Web Site]

References