Review by Katie Montes Depicted in this biography, Harvesting Hope, (also available as Cosechando Esperanza in Spanish) are paralleling journeys of Cesar Chavez, one of the key social justice leaders of the 20th century. Kathleen Krull not only chronicles Chavez’s journey across land, but also his journey of self-transformation as Chavez moves from the shy…
Reviewed by Anne Floyd If you’re like me, you thought that the legal fight against segregation started at Brown v. Board of Education. Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh sets the record straight. In the Mendez v. Westminister School District case, 7 years before Brown v. Board of Education, Sylvia and her family successfully…
Reviewed by Cristina Silvia Gleason Years before Brown vs. Board of Education’s monumental ruling ended segregation in American schools, a similar, but lesser known fight for educational equality was brewing in Westminster, California. Sylvia Mendez had been born in the United States to Mexican and Puerto Rican parents and spoke perfect English. She was new…
Review by Anne Floyd Can a picturebook explore difficult topics and still be appropriate for its young readers? For the Right to Learn shows that it can be done. The book’s inviting color scheme and youthful illustrations draw the reader into Malala’s story, as when a smiling Malala accepts her Nobel Peace Prize surrounded by…
Review by Racha Kassir In 1944, a Mexican girl Sylvia Mendez, and her family moved to Westminster, California as her dad had leased a farm after years of fieldwork. Although they were U.S. citizens, the Mendez children weren’t allowed to register in a public school. Mr. Gonzalo Mendez challenged Orange County’s public-school segregation and with…
Children's Literature at UMN 