Becoming Naomi Leon — Pam Munoz Ryan

"Things I Am Good At"
1) Soap carving, 2) Worrying, and 3) Making Lists

Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw has a lot to deal with--like having the "funniest last name in the universe," 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. Luckily, with Gram and her little brother, Owen, life at Avocado Acres Trailer Rancho is happy and peaceful. That is, until Naomi and Owen's mother reappears after seven years, stirring up all sorts of questions--and a whole lot of trouble. Soon Naomi finds herself on a whirlwind journey in a last-ditch effort to keep her family together. But will positive thinking be enough to save them?