Benito Juarez

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up Benito Juarez was a poor Zapotec Indian who, like his contemporary Abraham Lincoln, struggled to educate himself as a lawyer and worked his way up through the ranks. Known for his honesty and hatred of injustice, Juarez became the president of Mexico during a time of great turbulence and managed to provide firm leadership for the country despite its many problems. Wepman gives a fair and balanced portrait of Benito Juarez. As the focus is on the public rather than the private person, the book provides an insightful look at this unstable period of Mexican historythe time of the reforms. Well-known figures from both U.S. and Mexican history appear. Many illustrations dot the textto the point of making the pages too cluttered and busy. Dennis C. Tucker, Bethel College Library, Mishawaka, Ind. -