Non-fiction+resources+for+students

Alegre, César. (2007). //Extraordinary Hispanic Americans//. New York: Children’s Press. Up-to-date biographies and historical excerpts about a variety of Hispanic Americans from different fields. Also includes discussion of the braceros and mojados.

Atkin, S. Beth. (1993). //Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories//. New York: Scholastic. With a foreward by Francisco Jiménez, this black and white book contains interviews and poetry. Children could be assigned a specific excerpt to present to the class.

Hovius, Christopher. (2006). //Latino Migrant Workers: America’s Harvesters.// Philadelphia: Mason Crest Publishers. Excellent coverage of multiple topics concerning migrant workers, including historical and current information. Also addresses cultural aspects of migrants’ lives. Appropriate for upper elementary and middle school.

Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane. (1996). //Migrant Worker: A Boy from the Rio Grande Valley.// New York: Holiday House. Photo biography that appears a little outdated but could still be used selectively. Also may interest children since it is told from the perspective of a fifth grade student.

Kent, Deborah. (2005). //Migrant Farmworkers: Hoping for a Better Life.// Minnesota: The Child’s World. Simple, straightforward coverage of basic historical and political information. Includes photos and a time line.

Marcovitz, Hal. (2009). //Successful Americans: Mexican Americans//. Philadelphia: Mason Crest Publishers. Short biographies of several influential Mexican Americans including Bill Richardson, Salma Hayek, and Tony Romo.

Partridge, Elizabeth. (1998). //Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange//. New York: Penguin Putnam. Although Lange’s photos of migrant workers are from the 1930s and mainly focus on white workers, there are some commonalities and this book includes several photos of Mexican workers as well. (see Chapter 7, pages 65-74).

Perl, Lila. (2002). //North across the Border: The Story of the Mexican Americans//. New York: Marshall Cavendish. An excellent, highly readable source that provides historical background for Mexican immigration to the United States. If you want students to a more complete understanding of the issues, this book is a good one to use.