Cesar Chavez (American Workers) [Library Binding]

Jeff C. Young (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—Young draws on Chávez's autobiography and other primary sources to document the famous labor organizer's life, describing how his childhood and young-adult experiences with poverty and discrimination influenced his beliefs about social and economic justice. The author includes some information about Chávez's personal life, but the main focus is on how the man overcame a lack of education, the entrenched power of landowners, the indifference of national labor unions, and hostile governments to organize farm workers and become a national spokesman for workers and Hispanics. Young is very admiring of Chávez, but does include the arguments made by those who opposed his work. Analysis is limited and is integrated into the narrative. Average-quality, captioned black-and-white and color maps and photos of Chávez, labor and political leaders, and reproductions of union posters supplement the text. Burnham Holmes's Cesar Chavez (Steck-Vaughn, 1992; o.p.) covers the subject's life in more detail, but in a less-attractive format, and does not include information about his posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.—Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

A dramatic blending of history and personal biography, this title in the American Workers series introduces the noted leader who led the migrant workers in their fight to form the National Farm Workers Association. Young explains that Chavez's activism was rooted in his family's struggle as poor farm workers; inspired by Gandhi, he was always an advocate of nonviolence. The design makes the text easy to read, and there are plenty of quotes that clarify Chavez's ideals and tactics, including hunger strikes, protest marches, and the call for nationwide boycotts. There are also lots of news photographs, some in color. With full chapter notes, a time line, and a bibliography, this clear, sympathetic account provides good readers with a look at both the man and the issues. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Library Binding: 160 pages
• Publisher: Morgan Reynolds Pub (April 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159935036X
• ISBN-13: 978-1599350363
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,886,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeff C. Young was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina but he spent his formative years in Lebanon, Indiana. Since graduating from Ball State University in 1971, Young has worked as an editor, journalist, free lance writer and librarian. When he was between writing, editing or librarian jobs, Young delivered pizzas in four different decades. In 1997, he became a published author with the debut of his book, The Fathers of American Presidents. Since then, he has written over 40 nonfiction books for young readers in the fields of biography, sports, politics/government, military
history, American history and transportation. In 2007, Young's book, Bleeding Kansas and the Violent Clash Over Slavery In The Heartland, won the prestigious Spur Award from the Western Writers of America for Best Juvenile Nonfiction Book. Young currently works as the Director of the Learning Resource Center at Meridan College in Sarasota, Florida. He plans to continue his writing as long as he has the mental acuity and physical energy to write and as long as his publishers keep giving him assignments.