An award-winning title now available in Spanish
Born in 1927 in Yuma, Arizona, César Chavez lived the hard-scrabble life of a migrant worker during the Depression. Although his mother wanted him to get an education, César left school after eighth grade to work. He grew to be a charismatic leader and founded the National Farm Workers Association, an organization that fought for basic rights for farm workers. In powerful poems and dramatic stylized illustrations, Carmen T. Bernier-Grand and David Díaz pay tribute to Chavez’s legacy helping migrant workers improve their lives by doing things by themselves for themselves.
- ISBN: 9780761452836
- Author: Bernier-Grand, Carmen T.
- Published: 2006 , Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
- Themes: Activism, growing up, Spanish, United Farm Workers
- Descriptors: Biography - Autobiography- Memoir, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Latinx in US, United States
- No. of pages: 48
This book is a rich historical fiction account of Cesar Chavez’s life, passions, struggles and work, providing readers with not only a contextual history of what led Cesar to his work organizing and fighting for farm workers’ rights, but also touching and personal anecdotes about his childhood, family and relationships. He is developed as a truly human and relatable character, while the sociopolitical and historical climate of the country at the time is detailed in an accessible and engaging language. This book would be a wonderful interdisciplinary text for students learning about history, social justice and issues of immigration, allowing them to draw on these other content areas through this beautifully woven literary tale. The reading experience is enhanced with watercolor paintings that hold their own stories within, depicting town scenes, family life, emotional trials and pride surrounding Cesar’s work. The Spanish language glossary at the end, as well as further notes, an abridged life story and chronology of Chavez all provide the reader or teacher with a wealth of information and possibilities for use in the classroom.