Gregory, Josh. Cesar Chavez.

Gregory, Josh. Cesar Chavez. Scholastic/Childrens Press     2017  48p   $24.33      ISBN 978-0-531-21172-4    elem/ms  Biography  VG-BN       

In this brief biography, the elementary-age student learns about the life and work of Cesar Chavez, founder and head of tbe United Farm Workers’ Union. Beginning with his grandparents’ immigration to the United States from Mexico in the 1880s, the book takes its readers on a journey describing Chavez’s family life and hard times as a farm worker who dropped out of school after the 8th grade but continued to read and learn on his own. From struggle to struggle, he is pictured as a man committed to bettering the lives of migrant workers in the United States. More detail about the working conditions and wages of the farm workers would have been welcome in this book, as some of the descriptions of their lives is a bit vague, especially on pages 16-24. It is mentioned that the wages were too low, but no numbers are cited. It is also stated that there were unsafe conditions out in the fields, but again, no real details are given. However, by the book’s end, the reader has gotten an idea of the tenacity of Chavez and the difference the union has made in wages and working conditions. This reviewer thinks the readers could have handled a little bit more detail about working conditions and wages, to further motivate the reasons for their struggle.

A timeline, a glossary, many nice black-and-white photographs, a list of resources and an index are included in the book.     

Cesar Chavez is part of the series A True Book, which covers a very wide variety of nonfiction topics for elementary-age students.  

Summary: In this brief biography, the elementary-age student learns about the life and work of Cesar Chavez, founder and head of tbe United Farm Workers’ Union.  

Chavez, Cesar.                                                    --Carol Kennedy