Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Beautifully illustrated bio of passionate labor organizer.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
HARVESTING HOPE: THE STORY OF CESAR CHAVEZ begins by showing Cesar as a happy kid surrounded by family on their ranch in the Arizona desert, including his grandparents, who had immigrated from Mexico. They lived there until he was 10 and a drought forced the family to sell the ranch and move to California, hoping to find to work in the fields of the Central Valley. Their life changed dramatically as they became migrants, moving from place to place as they picked seasonal fruits and vegetables. Cesar worked alongside the family, hurting his hands and back, and gave up school after the eighth grade to help support the family. He turned to organize and co-found the first-ever farmworkers union, and after a successful strike and a long march from the fields to the California State Capitol, he succeeded and signed a contract that would get the workers better pay and working conditions. An author's note says that Cesar died in 1993, at age 66, after a 36-day hunger strike.
Is It Any Good?
Gorgeous art helps tell this compelling story of the famous labor organizer. Kids will be drawn in by the colorful art in Harvesting Hope, and the focus on Cesar, growing from shy kid to strong leader of his fellow farmworkers. Labor issues are discussed at an age-appropriate level, with the focus being on Cesar -- his empathy for his abused fellow workers, his integrity, his dedication to his cause, his commitment to nonviolence, and his perseverance despite heavy odds against him.
The book might have benefitted from a timeline or a few more dates to ground the action, but it was probably a good choice not to overwhelm young readers and let them be swept up in the progress of the movement and its ultimate victory.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the farmworkers protest in Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez. How did going on a long march from the fields to the California State Capitol help the workers get what they were asking for?
How did Cesar Chavez show courage and perseverance and empathy? Why are these important character strengths?
Organizing the workers helped Cesar achieve his goal to make life better for them. Have you ever seen teamwork help get something done? What happened? What did Cesar mean when he said you should remember to show humility in victory?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Yuyi Morales
- Genre : Biography
- Topics : Activism , History
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Empathy , Humility , Integrity , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic
- Publication date : March 1, 2003
- Number of pages : 48
- Available on : Paperback, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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