Harvest [Hardcover]

George Ancona (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Harvest is a Marshall Cavendish publication.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grades 4-6--This photo-documentary focuses on the lives and work of Mexican migrant workers as they pick various crops on the West coast. Unfortunately, the impact of the text is weakened by its presentation. The narrative switches back and forth from the personal stories of the campesinos to information on the actual harvesting, at times abruptly. Readers learn of the workers' difficult lives and how, despite backbreaking labor and poor conditions, they take pride in what they do and struggle to help their families get ahead. Interspersed are first-person accounts by the workers. There is also a spread on organic farming and another on small local growers. The volume concludes with two pages on the life and work of C‚sar Ch vez. The full-color photographs are generally of high quality; some will make a lasting impression on readers. Some are too small to have full effect. With few titles for children on migrant workers and the harvesting they do, this one would be a good addition where there is a need.
Louise L. Sherman, formerly at Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. A veteran nonfiction author and talented photographer, Ancona puts a face on Mexican migrant workers and uses their own words to explain their lives, also including a great deal of information about the crops they pick. He starts his story on a spread with a coal-black background. It's the middle of the night, and migrant workers, who appear in color photographs, are waiting to be chosen as day laborers. Both individual workers and the crops are introduced (each fruit and vegetable has its own way of being picked). The work is shown: backbreaking, uncertain, and aging. Most of the workers seem to appreciate the chance to make a better wage here than in their homeland, but one woman, now a teacher, says the work is like slavery, and there are often problems ahead for the children of workers who are left alone while their parents work long hours. As usual, Ancona's photos are insightful, with scenes and subjects deftly chosen and shot. Information about Cesar Chavez completes the package. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Corporation (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761450866
• ISBN-13: 978-0761450863
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,716,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Background Information, July 7, 2009

By 

Bernadette Simpson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harvest (Hardcover)

My student (4th grade) and I thoroughly enjoyed Harvest. We learned a lot of interesting information that was valuable to our understanding of fictional stories about migrant workers. Nice, colorful photos.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars needs to be re-qualified, August 16, 2006

By 

J. Suesz "book bug" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harvest (Hardcover)

This book may be written at a fourth grade level; however, the topic and the way that the information is presented is incredibly political. It was listed as appropriate for a fourth grade reading but I found both the pictures and passages to be extremely biased and not appropriate for use in a fourth grade classroom. This topic and information, I believe, would be better presented at an 8th grade and above level, where students developmentally are able to think outside of the box and form their own opinions about subjects such as these. Please consider changing the age bracket on your book review.