Esperanza thought she\"d always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico - she\"d always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers....

Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw has had a lot to contend with in her young life, her name for one. Then there are her clothes (sewn in polyester by Gram), her difficulty speaking up, and her status at school as \\\"nobody special.\\\" But according to Gram, most problems can be overcome with positive thinking....