Pam Munoz Ryan

Pam Muñoz Ryan, has written over twenty-five books for
young people including the novel, Esperanza Rising, winner
of the Pura Belpre Medal, the Jane Addams Peace Award, an
ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults, and the Americas
Award Honor Book. Her novel, Riding Freedom has garnered
many awards including the national Willa Cather Award, and
the California Young Reader Medal. Her picture books for
the very young and picture books for older readers, include
the award-winning Amelia and Eleanor Go For A Ride and When
Marian Sang, the recipient of the ALA Sibert Honor and
NCTE's Orbis Pictus Award. She received her Bachelor's and
Master's Degrees at San Diego State University. She now
lives in north San Diego County with her husband and four
children.

Pam Muñoz Ryan was born and raised in California's San
Joaquin Valley. She is the oldest of three sisters and the
oldest of twenty-three cousins on her mother's side. She
grew up with many of her aunts and uncles and grandparents
nearby and considers herself truly American because her
cultural background is an ethnic smorgasbord. She is
Spanish, Mexican, Basque, Italian, and Oklahoman.

During many long, hot valley summers, she spent most of her
time riding her bike to the library. It became her
favorite hang out because her family didn't have a swimming
pool and the library was air-conditioned! That's how she
got hooked on reading and books. After college, she knew
that she wanted to work in a profession that had something
to do with books, and she thought that would be teaching.
She became a teacher, an administrator and then, at the
encouragement of a friend who thought she could write,
began her first book. That's when she finally knew what
she really wanted to do.