Harvesting Hope: THE STORY OF CESAR CHAVEZ

TITLE: Harvesting Hope, THE STORY OF CESAR CHAVEZ

AUTHOR:

Kathleen Krull

ILLUSTRATOR: YuYi Morales

MEDIUM: Deep, colorful pencils and painting

GENRE: Social Justice and Biography

THEME: This picture book is a good example for making a difference in their children's life with non-violence organizations.

In this summary of Harvesting Hope, THE STORY OF CESAR CHAVEZ is a story-telling in the life of Cesar Chavez through his childhood to adulthood. The life in Cesar Chavez fills with a cherished family value and tradition including their positive beliefs on receiving the civil right to have their farms to rise for migrant farmworkers’ business. Cesar believes in non-violence in his rally. Yet, he and his supporters did face some challenges and crisis. Chavez becomes a leader for migrants whom he opened the door successfully.

From this picture book, I found several literary elements. First, the narrator tells the story upon the main character, Cesar Chavez, who takes in the place of Arizona on the desert. Along with Cesar, other characters count as his relatives, including his grandfather, brother, Richard, and older sister Rita. They owned a good, rich farm in the beginning. However, in this sad story, Chavez family had to move to California because of poor condition in their farm from the bad, dry summer weather. Living in California just changed Chavez family's life wholly. When a new life impacted on Cesar's life, he decided to do something about this cause. He wanted to open the door for the migrant farmworkers because He believes they have their rights to receive the equality as white farmworkers. The writer expressed something that helps us as readers to see that we can make a difference to impact for others. I notice the Spanish language in this picture book is included briefly. I found that is important to identify for the diversity in education because of writing in a biography. With that beautiful colorful artwork of pages, the writer knows how to connect with her illustrator very well. This reading its flow brings a lot of pleasant.

In my evaluation, the coloring picture is very deep and beautiful. It is easy to read. And it teaches me to find that shy people can change. This example is a great influence for shy students who can make a difference. In most of the importance, the author includes her note upon Cesar Chavez’s biography in the last page. In that last page, it is nice to summarize the real-life of his in several details for more information.

Another selected element is social justice. I believe in non-violence which is very positive. To make a difference for every race and gender is so important for this history as our education. To this reason, people comes from different backgrounds. We are no difference from each others when coming to make an impact-difference in our lives. Opening the door is the key for all of us when we come to appreciate that they change for great causes. For every good cause, it is a time to pass on positively.

For my class activity, I will ask my students to choose their own small, good causes that relate to education only. We work together to vote which one is voted mostly. Then, we will contiune the voted cause in the end of school year until they graduate from the elementary school. At the graduation day, there will be a special presentation to invite their family and the community in where they can be heard.