Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull

Krull, Kathleen. (2003).Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez. New York, San Diego, London: Harcourt, Inc.

Lexile: AD 800 (K –5th grade)

Author Credibility:
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez won the Jane Adams Children’s Book Award for 2004. Krull research Chavez by walking in the fields and listening to stories about Chavez and the farmworkers fight for a better life. Krull has written a number of nonfiction stories about various people in history.

Summary:
This story is a partial biography of Cesar Chavez. It starts with Caser’s life on their family’s ranch in Arizona. Life is good and Cesar is happy, until his family had to move to California because a drought. His family became migrant farm workers working wherever they could. They wanted to go back to the ranch, but the wages for this work were too low. He often faced discrimination because of his race throughout his childhood. He dropped out of school to work full time after the eigth grade. Slowly he decided it was time for a change in the farmers working conditions. He traveled very slowly gathering support. As more people joined the cause they adopted a black eagle as their symbol and named their work La Causa (The Cause). Finally, they took action. The workers of a vineyard went on strike. They marched more than three hundred miles to Sacramento. They faced a lot of oppostition, but they remained peaceful. As they marched word spread and people welcomed them along the way. Many of these people joined the march. The owners of the grape company agreed to sign a contract with Cesar offering better pay and working conditions. By the time they reached Sacramento the crowd of fifty-seven had grown to ten-thousand. The people were so happy to hear of their small victory, but the work was not over. The Author’s Note tells the reader much more of Cesar’s life. He continued his work until his death in 1993.

Standards:
Social Studies
*Culture
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
*Power, Authority, and Governance

Illustrations:
The illustrations consist of paintings. These paintings were done with acrylics, stamps, and computer-created cutouts. The illustrations are closely related to the text, and help tell the story even without the words. They bring the story to life.

Access Features:
*Author’s Note

How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would allow for so many possibilities in the classroom. It could be used during a study of Mexican culture. It could stem from a study on nonviolent change, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. One thing that really stuck out to me that would be worth noting in the classroom is the power and change one person can spark. Younger readers of this book would require an adult read-aloud.

My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. It brought to light issues I have never even thought about. In the Author’s Note Krull makes the comment many people have probally never heard of Cesar Chavez. I was part of this group. The text and the illustrations really brought to life the struggle Cesar Chavez faced and how hard he worked to overcome the discrimination he faced.

Related Texts:
*First Day in Grapes by L. King Perez
*Cesar: Si, Se Pued!/ Yes, We Can! By Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
* My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aqui hasta alla by Amada Irma Perez
*Cesar Chavez: A Hero for Everyone by Gary Soto

Other:
When looking at the whole cover the book shows Chavez as a little boy and then as a man. This symbolizes the journey this book is about to take. On the cover of the book Cesar Chavez looks toward the opening of the book, inviting the reader to open the book and enjoy. Even all of the plants on the title page reach toward the next page of the book, drawing the reader farther in. The vibrant colors display for me a sense of hope. The portrait of Chavez on the last page of the book is almost identical to the cover.