Cesar Chavez

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Chavez is the subject of 17 essays excerpted from various biographies, social histories, and magazine articles. A contemporary of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy (with continuing support from their widows), Chavez was a savior to innumerable exploited migrant workers in California for much of the second half of the 20th century. A conflation of opinions and personal observations about the nonviolent reformer, the book is also a piecemeal history of a social movement and its imperfect leader. Excellent for reports, the collection is organized into short subsections that facilitate scanning and offer multiple points of view. The prologue serves as an introductory biography against which to insert documentation of the struggles, social and political impact, tactics, and legacy of Chavez's Causa. The 19 appended documents range from the mission statement of the National Farm Workers Association to Bill Clinton's remarks upon the posthumous presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The eclectic essays followed by discussion questions create a balanced and thought-provoking portrait of an important activist.-John Sigwald, Unger Memorial Library, Plainview, TX Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.