RIF's 60th Anniversary Highlighted Book for 2002. 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.

The Bad Beginning, the first book in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, introduces...