The life of Dolores Huerta is one full of vision, conviction, and drive. This biography, a part of the “Crabtree Groundbreaker Biographies,” includes a fairly thorough account of her involvement in social activism for migrant farmers. The author does an excellent job of weaving pieces of Dolores’ early life with her career as a social activist to show the young adult reader how her early experiences and influences impacted her life’s focus. Scattered throughout the chapters of this book are side notes that further explain some of the concepts and people mentioned in the main part of the text, such as the particulars of lobbying found in chapter four. Black-and-white photographs and illustrations are seen throughout the book displaying images of Huerta, farm workers, and other key figures. These pictures work to take readers back in time and serve to reinforce the somber tone of the text. This book is a useful resource for a student conducting a research project on Huerta’s life or on a topic concerning the movement of civil rights for minority and immigrant workers. The chronology list at the back of the book is a useful research tool in that it highlights the years in which key events occurred, such as the rise of migrant farming in the 1880s. The glossary at the back of the book is also of value. One shortcoming of this book is the way the author glosses over Dolores’ neglect of her eleven children, barely acknowledging the impact of Huerta’s occupation and frequent travels on her family. Reviewer: Justina Engebretson

A new series from Crabtree Books, Groundbreaker Biographies, includes sport figures, fashion designers, political activists and government figures. Two of the biographies are about Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic Supreme Court judge, and Dolores Huerta, a Latino activist who helped to unionize migrant workers. Both are very engaging chronicles of the hardships they endured and overcame in order to make a difference in the lives of others; they stress the successes they achieved in the face of poverty and discrimination. Sonia Sotomayor felt isolated at Princeton University as one of only a few Hispanics. She convinced the college to hire more minority staff and enroll more minority students. Dolores Huerta was criticized as a woman activist for spending too much time speaking out for the voiceless migrant workers at the expense of caring for her home and children. She relied on the help of her mother and relatives while she criss-crossed the country lobbying for health benefits and better wages for migrant farm workers. Van Tol, author of both of these biographies, provides historical background that explains the culture of the times that either helped or hindered these women’s rise to prominence. Each page has either a photograph or an insert repeating a sentence from the text to stress an important point. Terminology connected to the career of these two women is explained in understandable vocabulary. The value of hard work, appreciation for parental sacrifices for their children, pride in one’s heritage—all are stressed throughout both books. A glossary, a chronology, and annotated web sites help students writing research papers on these groundbreaking men and women. Reviewer: Peggy Fleming