Becoming Naomi Leon

Part 1, Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. Soap carving, worrying, and making lists (Chapter 1)

2. In Lemon Tree, California, in an airstream trailer called Baby Beluga, amid a grove of avocado trees (Chapter 1)

3. Gram leaves the house with rollers in her hair, and the women miss their 744th episode of Wheel of Fortune. (Chapter 3)

Short Answer

1. The second surprise visitor is Skyla. She is unwelcome because she dropped the children off with Gram seven years ago, claiming she could not handle two kids by herself. Even though Skyla has not seen her children in all that time, she only gives Naomi a distant hug, which Naomi finds disappointing because it is not clear that she actually missed her. (Chapter 2)

2. When she first came to live with Gram, Naomi showed signs of trauma. For example, she “slipped into being silent,” and her hands always trembled. Gram suggested that Naomi needed to do something with her hands to calm her nerves and her mind, and Benardo, who did woodworking as a hobby, introduced carving to Naomi. Because knives were dangerous, Naomi started soap carving with a bent paper clip and worked her way up to a paring knife. (Chapter 1)

Part 1, Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. She might take the children away. (Chapter 4)

2. Clive (Chapter 5)

3. A new girl named Blanca Paloma (Chapter 6)

4. In the library, with Naomi’s lunch bunch (Chapter 6)

Short Answer

1. She remembers her mother abandoning her in Mexico and later arriving at the church storm shelter, only to take them to Lemon Tree and leave them with Gram. (Chapter 4)

2. Gram talks a lot about the power of positive thinking, which she seems to have forgotten in this situation. If Gram worries, then something must really be wrong. (Chapter 4)

3. She asks a lot of questions and quickly fits right in. (Chapter 6)

Part 1, Chapters 7-9

Reading Check

1. That her mother has been to rehab and that her father wanted custody of her and Owen but Skyla denied it (Chapter 7)

2. Clive and Skyla want to take Naomi and move to Las Vegas so she can watch Sapphire, Clive’s daughter. (Chapter 9)

Short Answer

1. Skyla uses Clive's money to buy the gifts; she is trying to buy Naomi’s affection. She hopes the gifts will make Naomi like Clive. (Chapters 7-8)

2. The swirl of color in her memory is not a dream but a mobile containing colorful carvings made by their father, Santiago. (Chapter 9)

3. She responds openly and honestly. She tells the children everything, including that she just learned much of what Naomi overheard and that she hoped Skyla had changed. (Chapter 8)

Part 1, Chapters 10-11

Reading Check

1. She drinks in the bathroom and yells at the doctors for not being able to “fix” Owen, who they say is not broken. (Chapter 10)

2. Naomi pretends to go along with the plan, and then they run to Bernardo and Fabiola’s house. (Chapter 11)

3. On the Baby Beluga, which is attached to a truck, on their way to Oaxaca for the holidays (Chapter 11)

Short Answer

1. Skyla is drunk, and she says that the children embarrass her. She yells when Naomi defies her orders to pack a bag for Las Vegas. (Chapter 10)

2. Gram’s private errands include scheduling a hearing for full custody of Naomi and her brother and meeting with a lawyer to get temporary legal guardianship. (Chapter 11)

Part 2, Chapters 12-14

Reading Check

1. The home is nestled behind walls and surrounded by trees. It makes use of outdoor space as living space, which Naomi finds quite comfortable. She also gets to carve. (Chapter 12)

2. His favorite holiday is Las Posadas, he carves animalitos, and she looks just like him. (Chapter 14)

Short Answer

1. It helps them both stay calm during the ride. (Chapter 12)

2. The word “sleuth” is synonymous for “detective” when used as a noun and for “investigate” when used as a verb. The family uses detective skills, mainly asking questions, to find the children’s father, Santiago León. (Chapter 13)

Part 2, Chapters 15-16

Reading Check

1. A tree full of animalitos, topped with a lion (Chapter 16)

2. Three days (Chapter 16)

Short Answer

1. The ritual that brings Naomi both joy and sadness during Las Posadas involves people walking from house to house in much the same way that the Holy Mother and Joseph walked from inn to inn in an effort to find shelter. ​​(Chapter 15)

2. Naomi stubbornly remains hopeful and chooses to believe in The Power of Positive Thinking. For her, this may be an act of desperation because the time to find her father is running out. (Chapter 16)

Part 2, Chapters 17-19

Reading Check

1. Second place in the free design category (Chapter 17)

2. He takes tourists fishing. (Chapter 18)

3. A girl with a lion’s head (Chapter 19)

Short Answer

1. Santiago feels proud and is relieved that the 100-year-long León family tradition has not been broken. (Chapter 18)

2. Santiago helps his children in many ways: He writes a letter of support to the court, he teaches Naomi how to handle mistakes both in life and in carving, and he shows them love and delight through artistic expression. (Chapter 19)

Part 2, Chapter 20-Epilogue

Reading Check

1. She reveals that she does not intend to care for Owen. (Chapter 20)

2. The library (Chapter 21)

Short Answer

1. The mediator asks them “a million questions” about their general wellness, including what Gram feeds them, how often they take baths, and whether they have had head lice. (Chapter 20)

2. She is more confident and speaks louder. (Chapter 21)