Voices from the Fields : Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories [Paperback]

S. Beth Atkin (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 5 and up

Now in paperback, this critically acclaimed book features photographs, poems, and interviews with nine children who reveal the hardships and hopes of today's Mexican-American migrant farm workers and their families.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

PW called this compendium of interviews, poems and photographs spotlighting nine migrant Mexican-American children in California's Salinas Valley "a well-rounded, moving look at a small, struggling group." Ages 10-up.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316056200
• ISBN-13: 978-0316056205
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.2 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #74 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Hispanic & Latino

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review Of Voices From The Fields, April 16, 2001

By 

"tmccraw" (South Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voices from the Fields : Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories (Paperback)

Voices From The Fields is about nine different children all of which are Mexican/Spanish. Each tells a different story about their life. All of these children have one thing in common, they work in the fields or they have a close relative that works in a field. Their stories range from being involved with gangs to the difficulty of moving up in society. As different as these nine children may be, they all care very much for their families and believe nothing is more important. Throughout the book there are photographs of the children and their families. Photographs aid the text in describing conditions and emotions of the people being discussed. Through this mix of text and photographs emotions can be amplified. Children most importantly can aid from photographs being provided since they may not understand certain things they read; yet photographs may open the doors for them. The can better see different feelings such as joy or anger as well as people of different cultures in their own environment. It can also become apparent to children who read the book just how important family is to each of the nine children. They are all care for each other very deeply and this is obvious through the photographs. Julia Hirsch says "A far more complex and elusive relationship between text and image occurs in those books which use snapshots, or other similarly dramatic image: pictures which contain some emotional charge, such as a gesture caught in midstride, an object viewed from an unusual angle, an enigmatic facial expression, a blurred background, or deep shadows and diffuse lighting."(Hirsch, 142) Manuel Araiza talks about his home in the book and such details such as the home being comprised of one room with a kitchen. Next to the text where he is discussing these conditions is a picture of the house. Immediately we feel more sympathetic towards Manuel since we are able to see with our own eyes what he is describing to us. The photographs in this book allow children readers to "experience" a minority culture that most children otherwise would never be exposed to. Hirsch later goes on to say, "Photography in recent years has also given "visibility" to yet other aspects of the human condition which have formerly been kept from most children."(Hirsch 150) One example of these "human conditions" is presented in the book for children to learn about. This condition is the life of migrant farm workers and their families. The photographs in this book depicting ethnic minorities, which also happen to be largely immigrants, provide for an excellent learning experience for children. Books focusing on different cultures and ways of life especially ones with such rich and detailed photography are good for children. These books help to educate on material that is beyond the classroom. Emotions, feelings, and different situations are better understood. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so by supplementing photographs with the text of the book children take with them a great deal more than would have been without photographs.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Picking into migrant families lives, August 22, 2000

By 

Juan Escutia (Soledad, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories (Hardcover)

I have recommended this book to teachers, counselors, therapists, social workers, politicians and law enforcement officials. It takes you inside migrant families lives and lets you share with them their success, sacrifice, and nostalgia. Beth Atkins captures more than images in her photographs. She captures pride, hard work, and nostalgic happy lives away from home (Mexico).

Originario de Moroleon, GTO Mexico

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book for multi cultural interest, November 9, 2006

By 

Robbie V. McCarty "Teacher in the works" (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voices from the Fields : Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories (Paperback)

I used this book as an extension book for a thematic unit I created over Mexican Migrant Farmers. It is great to bring home the idea that this is not history but is still going on in present day!