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Pam Muñoz Ryan
Pam Munoz
Pam Munoz
Born (1951-12-25) December 25, 1951 (age 73)
Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Occupation Writer
Nationality American
Alma mater San Diego State University
Genre Children's and young adult
Notable works Esperanza Rising
Echo

Pam Muñoz Ryan (born December 25, 1951) is a famous American author. She writes many books for children and young adults. Her stories often share different cultures and experiences.

About Pam Muñoz Ryan

Pam Muñoz Ryan was born in Bakersfield, California. She has a mixed background. Her family includes Mexican, Basque, Italian, and Oklahoman heritage. This rich background often inspires her stories.

Pam has written over forty books for young readers. These include picture books, easy-to-read books, and novels for middle schoolers and teens. She has won many important awards for her writing. These include the Human and Civil Rights Award from the NEA. She also received the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award for her multicultural books. In 2018, she was nominated for the International Hans Christian Andersen Award. This award honors authors who have made a lasting contribution to children's literature.

One of her most famous books is Esperanza Rising. This book was even turned into a play! It has been performed in many places across the United States.

Pam's Early Life and Journey to Writing

Pamela Jeanne Banducci was born on December 25, 1951. Her last name was later changed to Bell before she started school. This was to match her parents' names, Hope Bell and Donald Bell.

As a child, Pam loved reading. She often rode her bike to the library instead of playing outside. She also took music lessons for a short time. She learned to play both the piano and the violin.

Pam attended McKinley Elementary and Longfellow Elementary schools. She then went to Washington Jr. High and Bakersfield High School. After that, she studied at Bakersfield Community College. She earned her bachelor's degree from San Diego State University.

In 1975, she married James Ryan. Pam worked as an early childhood teacher for three years. This was before she and James started their family. After her four children were born, she became a director of an early childhood program. She also went back to school. She earned her master's degree in Post-Secondary Education. She planned to teach Children's Literature in college.

After finishing her graduate studies, Pam became very interested in writing. Her agent, Kendra Marcus, encouraged her to include her family name, Muñoz, in her author signature. This was to show her Mexican heritage.

Awards and Recognitions

Pam Muñoz Ryan has received many awards for her wonderful books. Here are some of them:

Awards for Echo

Awards for The Dreamer

(Illustrated by Peter Sís)

Awards for Becoming Naomi León

Awards for When Marian Sang

(Illustrated by Brian Selznick)

  • 2004 Norman Sugarman Award for Distinguished Biography
  • 2003 Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
  • 2003 Flora Stieglitz Straus Award-Bank Street College

Awards for Riding Freedom

(Illustrated by Brian Selznick)

  • 2000 Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award
  • 2000 Arkansas Simon Young Reader Honor
  • 1998 Parenting Magazine’s Reading Magic Award

Awards for Esperanza Rising

  • 2001 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
  • 2001 Southern California Judy Lopez Award
  • 2001 Arizona Young Adult Book Award

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Pam Muñoz Ryan para niños

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