Cesar Chavez: Crusader for Social Change

VOYA

Biographies are one way teachers and librarians can encourage students to look for positive role models, and this series is an excellent place to start. The books, intended for middle school readers, provide solid basic information about a variety of important historical figures. The complete series covers a wide range of time periods, and each subdivision-the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Revolutionary War, the Modern World, Colonial America, Modern America, Ancient Greece, and the Scientific Revolution-includes at least a handful of titles. Cesar Chavez (from Signature Lives: Modern America) profiles the outspoken advocate for Latino migrant farm workers who campaigned tirelessly for a workers' union. Chavez not only had to change the attitudes of land owners and government officials but also the workers. His methods were nonviolent-strikes, boycotts, and extended fasts. As his notoriety increased, many death threats were made against him; however, it did not deter him from the fight. Even into the 1990s, he worked to improve conditions for the migrant workers when he took a stand against the use of pesticides. The books in this series are attractively packaged with many photos, interesting sidebars, and reader-friendly text arrangement. The format from book to book is consistent, which is an important feature in a series. Each opening chapter shows the subject in a pivotal situation in his or her career and establishes a summary focus of the person's life. The second chapter covers the early years and childhood events, and each subsequent chapter takes the reader chronologically through the rest of the subject's life. The overriding theme of each book is how that figurepersevered through many obstacles and made a contribution to the world. Reviewer: Kim Zach