Nonfiction Picture Book Review – Without Separation

October 11, 2021
goodreadswithronna
Ages 7-10, Civil Rights, Hispanic American Interest, Holidays & Celebrations, Human & Civil Rights, Justice & Equality, Justice & Equality, Juvenile Nonfiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, National Hispanic Heritage Month, Southern California, U.S.A.

WITHOUT SEPARATION:

Prejudice, Segregation, and the Case of Roberto Alvarez

Written by Larry Dane Brimner

Illustrated by Maya Gonzalez

(Calkins Creek; $18.99, Ages 7-10)

★Starred Review – Kirkus

I could not put down the nonfiction picture book Without Separation because, like the compelling but little-known case presented in the recently reviewed We Want to Go to School, this eye-opening account is about a civil rights case I had never heard about yet think everyone should.

Readers meet Roberto Alvarez on his way to school on January 5, 1931, just after the Christmas break. When the 12-year-old arrived at Lemon Grove Grammar School, “the principal told Roberto and other Mexican and Mexican American children that they did not belong there.” It soon became clear that the children were going to be segregated under the guise that the Mexican children didn’t understand English and were holding back white students.

Without Separation int1 — Interior spread from Without Separation written by Larry Dane Brimner and illustrated by Maya Gonzalez, Calkins Creek ©2021.

I was stunned upon reading that the board of trustees of the school district had gone ahead and had another school built to separate these children. On top of that, they did it without telling the Mexican parents. They thought they were avoiding trouble this way but what they were doing was wrong or they would have been more transparent.

They may have thought that by going behind parents’ backs they could get away with their ploy but the inhabitants of the Mexican barrio knew better. Roberto’s parents had told him to come home if he were sent to the new Olive Street School, aka the barnyard.

That fateful morning, Roberto and a large group of other students refused to attend. While the school district tried to spin Olive Street School as a way to help the children learn English and American customs, Roberto, his parents, and other families knew the truth. This was a blatant and seemingly illegal attempt to segregate the students based on race.

Without Separation int2 — Interior spread from Without Separation written by Larry Dane Brimner and illustrated by Maya Gonzalez, Calkins Creek ©2021.

Fortunately, the families quickly organized themselves. When they met with the Mexican consul, he connected them with a couple of lawyers to help them. “Roberto brought the situation in Lemon Grove to the attention of the California Superior Court in San Diego on February 13, 1931.” A lawsuit against the board of trustees of the Lemon Grove School District was filed stating how Roberto wanted to go to the same school as the white students, where he’d gone before the new year.

The school board felt overly confident about winning the case because San Diego’s district attorney was on their side, but mistakes were made. The D.A. tried to get the case dismissed but luck was not on his side.

Without Separation int art3 — Interior spread from Without Separation written by Larry Dane Brimner and illustrated by Maya Gonzalez, Calkins Creek ©2021.

The judge ultimately ruled in favor of Roberto Alvarez who the school district tried to prevent from returning to the local school he’d previously attended. The law said the lead plaintiff (and therefore all the others affected) had every right to attend the Lemon Grove Grammar School “without separation or segregation.” This important case along with several others was cited “before the US Supreme Court when it made its landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (Kansas) decision of 1954 that outlawed school segregation.” And though the struggle recounted in Without Separation took place almost 91 years ago, the facts surrounding this case feel as relevant today when prejudice against the immigrant communities here in the U.S. continues and racial-based inequalities linger.

Author Brimner has written a timely and terrific book for today’s generation of children to gain greater insight into the power of community, commitment, and the change that even “one small voice” can make. Gonzalez’s gorgeous artwork, reminiscent of Mexican muralists with its bold lines and rich colors, helps bring this story to life.

Eight pages of interesting back matter go into more detail about the case including what happened to the principal Jerome J. Green. There are photos along with information about other similar lawsuits. I was happy to read how Roberto Alvarez became a successful businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist in San Diego before he passed away in 2003. It’s great that this book is available for families, schools, and libraries so readers can have a greater appreciation of the significant impact of Roberto Alvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District.

Reviewed by Ronna Mandel

MCBD 2019 – Si, Se Puede! Dolores Huerta Stands Strong by Marlene Targ Brill

January 25, 2019
goodreadswithronna
Ages 8-12, Biography, Children's Book Reviews, Fairness, Hispanic American Heroes, Hispanic American Interest, Human & Civil Rights, Justice & Equality, Juvenile Fiction, National Hispanic Heritage Month, Social Activists, United States

DOLORES HUERTA STANDS STRONG:
The Woman Who Demanded Justice

Written by Marlene Targ Brill
(Ohio University Press; $28.95 Hardcover, $14.95 Paperback, Ages 8-12 )

★Starred Reviews – Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal

BOOK REVIEW

I’m so happy to have this opportunity, courtesy of MCBD 2019 and Ohio University Press, to share my thoughts about Marlene Targ Brill’s Dolores Huerta Stands Strong: The Woman Who Demanded Justice, an engrossing middle grade biography for young readers. This thoughtful and thoroughly researched book introduces tweens to a Chicana woman who was a force to be reckoned with. While I’d heard of Dolores Huerta, I had no idea of the important and influential role she played in farmworkers’ rights, women’s rights and other causes over the course of many decades.

The biography begins with Huerta being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 by President Obama, quickly pulling us into the account by quoting her mother’s meaningful advice, “When you see people who need help, you should help them. You shouldn’t wait for people to ask.” And Huerta never waited. A Mexican-American, Huerta was born in 1930 during the Depression. Because times were tough, her father Juan, a farmworker, moved the family around based on where he could find employment. But “daily hardships” put a strain on the marriage. He divorced Huerta’s mother, Alicia, when Dolores was around five years old. That’s when Alicia moved the family to Stockton, California where Dolores’s life would be forever changed. With her good head for business, Alicia worked hard and started her own business, eventually buying “a small hotel in Stockton.” It was there that Dolores saw the compassionate and pro-active side of her mother who rented out rooms to low-wage workers for one dollar or for nothing at all.

Growing up in a diverse neighborhood, Dolores did not deal with racism and injustice personally until her high school years. Once she saw firsthand the harsh realities of discrimination there was no turning back. Encouraged by her mother to be true to herself, Huerta joined various social activities and had a keen ability to draw people together. This skill would be instrumental in her years as a union organizer as would her chattiness. Throughout her life, Dolores could talk to politicians as easily as she could to laborers. She felt compelled to give a voice to those who weren’t being heard.

After earning a teaching certificate, Dolores found a job but at the same time “grew frustrated knowing how difficult it was for her students to learn.” They were poor and “many students came from farmworker families.” These children were undernourished, dressed in rags and were likely living in squalor. Dolores knew she had to do something to help improve the lives of her students and that meant starting with their parents’ plight. She became involved with the Stockton branch of the Community Service Organization (CSO) which ultimately led to her leaving teaching. Despite having two young children, Dolores felt the move was for the best and that, no matter what, the family would manage. Dolores leaped into her new role working tirelessly to register people to vote, eventually coming on board as a full-time activist after meeting fellow CSO activist César Chávez. She lobbied legislators “to enact laws that would benefit poor and immigrant workers” and fought hard for the fair treatment of farm workers. Together with Chávez, Huerta formed an organization called The National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) to secure higher wages and better, healthier working conditions for union members. Perhaps one of the most significant events of the union was to join forces with the Filipino union and strike against grape growers. The Delano Grape Strike was supported by Senator Robert F. Kennedy and led to one major contract being signed for workers but there still was much more work to be done since other growers would not follow suit. A boycott of table grapes and non-violent protests yielded success for the movement, but for Dolores there were always more battles that needed fighting.

Dolores Huerta, as busy as she was, managed to give birth to 11 children and enjoyed a successful third marriage to Richard Chávez, César’s brother. While she suffered several setbacks in her life ranging from getting seriously “beaten to the ground” during a San Francisco march to a sometimes messy personal life, Huerta always looked forward to another cause, be it eliminating pesticides or increasing Hispanic women’s representation, where her activism could make a difference. Her children may not have had the constant presence of their mother as she traveled around the country pursuing justice for farmworkers, children, immigrants and women, but they believed in what she was doing. She taught them that standing up for people’s rights was not only admirable but essential, her lifeblood.

Targ Brill’s accessible biography begins with an author’s note and is then divided into nine chapters ending with Did You Know? questions. Also in the back matter is a timeline of Huerta’s life, a glossary, notes and a bibliography. Honest, well-crafted writing along with black and white archival photos bring Dolores’s story to life. There’s no greater compliment than having had a senator from Chicago, Barack Obama, use her unifying slogan, “Sí Se Puede”––”Yes, We Can” for his presidential campaign. As she approaches 89, Huerta’s accomplishments remain a powerful reminder of what one determined woman can accomplish when “No” is not a consideration.

ABOUT MCBD

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 (1/25/19) is in its 6^th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators.

MCBD 2019 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board!

*View our 2019 Medallion Sponsors here: https://wp.me/P5tVud-
*View our 2019 MCBD Author Sponsors here: https://wp.me/P5tVud-2eN

Medallion Level Sponsors

Honorary: Children’s Book Council, The Junior Library Guild, TheConsciousKid.org.

Super Platinum: Make A Way Media

GOLD: Bharat Babies, Candlewick Press, Chickasaw Press, Juan Guerra and The Little Doctor / El doctorcito, KidLitTV, Lerner Publishing Group, Plum Street Press,

SILVER: Capstone Publishing, Carole P. Roman, Author Charlotte Riggle, Huda Essa, The Pack-n-Go Girls,

BRONZE: Charlesbridge Publishing, Judy Dodge Cummings, Author Gwen Jackson, Kitaab World, Language Lizard – Bilingual & Multicultural Resources in 50+ Languages, Lee & Low Books, Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul, Redfin, Author Gayle H. Swift, T.A. Debonis-Monkey King’s Daughter, TimTimTom Books, Lin Thomas, Sleeping Bear Press/Dow Phumiruk, Vivian Kirkfield,

MCBD 2019 is honored to have the following Author Sponsors on board

Honorary: Julie Flett, Mehrdokht Amini,

Author Janet Balletta, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw, Author Josh Funk, Chitra Soundar, One Globe Kids – Friendship Stories, Sociosights Press and Almost a Minyan, Karen Leggett, Author Eugenia Chu, CultureGroove Books, Phelicia Lang and Me On The Page, L.L. Walters, Author Sarah Stevenson, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Hayley Barrett, Sonia Panigrah, Author Carolyn Wilhelm, Alva Sachs and Dancing Dreidels, Author Susan Bernardo, Milind Makwana and A Day in the Life of a Hindu Kid, Tara Williams, Veronica Appleton, Author Crystal Bowe, Dr. Claudia May, Author/Illustrator Aram Kim, Author Sandra L. Richards, Erin Dealey, Author Sanya Whittaker Gragg, Author Elsa Takaoka, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo, Anita Badhwar, Author Sylvia Liu, Feyi Fay Adventures, Author Ann Morris, Author Jacqueline Jules, CeCe & Roxy Books, Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, LEUYEN PHAM, Padma Venkatraman, Patricia Newman and Lightswitch Learning, Shoumi Sen, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Traci Sorell, Shereen Rahming, Blythe Stanfel, Christina Matula, Julie Rubini, Paula Chase, Erin Twamley, Afsaneh Moradian, Lori DeMonia, Claudia Schwam, Terri Birnbaum/ RealGirls Revolution, Soulful Sydney, Queen Girls Publications, LLC

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our Co-Hosts HERE.

Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts

A Crafty Arab, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Biracial Bookworms, Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Descendant of Poseidon Reads, Educators Spin on it, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joy Sun Bear/ Shearin Lee, Jump Into a Book, Imagination Soup,Jenny Ward’s Class, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Raising Race Conscious Children, Shoumi Sen, Spanish Playground

TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Make A Way Media: MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual Twitter Party will be held 1/25/19 at 9:00pm E.S.T. TONS of prizes and book bundles will be given away during the party. GO HERE for more details.

FREE RESOURCES From MCBD

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teacher-classroom-empathy-kit/

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes by Juan Felipe Herrera

October 8, 2014
goodreadswithronna
Ages 8-12, Hispanic American Heroes, Middle Grade Nonfiction, National Hispanic Heritage Month

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month With This Book!

Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes by Juan Felipe Herrera with paintings by Raúl Colón (Dial Books for Young Readers 2014, $19.99, Ages 8-12) is reviewed today by Dornel Cerro.

“Although there have been incredible contributions by Hispanic Americans since the beginnings of this nation, their pioneering roles often have been overshadowed and their identities besmirched by terms such as ‘alien’ and ‘illegal.” (p. 7).

Many people have heard about the achievements of famous Hispanic Americans such as Roberto Clemente, Sonia Sotomayor, and César Chavez. However, how many people know …

1. which Hispanic American won a Nobel Prize in Physics?

2. who defeated the British at the Siege of Pensacola (Florida) in 1781?

3. who was the first Latina astronaut?

Don’t know? Find out by reading and relishing this book! Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes is an eye-opening and inspirational celebration of people whose achievements and accomplishments are just begging to be shared with children.

California poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera reveals the voices of those heroes and heroines – some whose contributions are unacknowledged or have been forgotten in this collection of 19 biographical sketches of Hispanic Americans plus Hero Street USA. The breadth and scope of the people represented here is extraordinary: migrant workers, military officers, teachers, scientists, activists, musicians, and more. Each is placed in the context of his or her times and Herrera demonstrates how all refused to let inequities and other challenges prevent them from realizing their dreams.

Herrera’s engaging narrative weaves unfamiliar terms and Spanish words into the text, making it more authentic and accessible for children:

“The National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) … a powerful organization to help migrant workers make a better life for themselves in the United States (César Chavez, p. 42).”

“…I gnacio E. Lozano escaped from Mexico with his family to El Norte, the United States (p. 21).”

Controversial details are touched upon in a straightforward, non-judgmental way, and, if needed, explained in the context of the time:

“But people got wind that Adelina had been divorced from a military officer … During these times, women were looked down upon for not staying married. Her opponents used this against her and she lost the election (Adelina Otero-Warren, p. 19).”

The collection concludes with two compelling accounts. The first is about Hero Street in Silvis, Illinois, where eight fallen heroes, Mexican American soldiers killed in WWII battles, once lived. The final entry is a complex sestina for Victoria Leigh Soto, the teacher who died protecting her students during the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre on Dec 14, 2012

Artist Raúl Colón’s “portraits,” made up of watercolor washes, etchings, and litho pencils, seem to catch the inner nobility of each person, perfectly complementing the narrative.

Use this with students as an inspirational introduction to biography or a nonfiction read aloud. Give this to children who are looking for real superheroes. Hopefully it will encourage all children to: “See further and dream larger.” Judith F. Baca, UCLA professor and artist (p. 75).

For those of you who made to this point, here’s the answers to the above questions:

1. Luis Alvarez
2. Bernardo de Galvez
3. Ellen Ochoa

Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes features stunning portraits and biographies of the following: Adelina Otero-Warren, Bernardo de Galvez, César Chavez, David Farragut, Dennis Chavez, Desi Arnaz, Dolores Huerta, Ellen Ochoa, Helen Rodríguez Trías, Hero Street USA, Ignacio Lozano, Jaime Escalante, Joan Baez, Judy Baca, Julia de Burgos, Luis Alvarez, Rita Moreno, Roberte Clemente, Sonia Sotomayor, and Tomas Rivera.