From the Fields To The Fight by Angela Quezada Padron & Sol Salinas

subtitled How Jessica Govea Thorbourne Organized For Justice.

This warmly illustrated picture book tells the life story of a prominent labor rights organizer that many people, myself included, may never have heard of before. Young Jessica Govea is a Mexican American girl who starts working in California’s agricultural fields with her parents when she’s only four years-old. It’s hard work made worse by both exploitation and endangerment, so when her parents are approached by labor organizers wanting to better conditions for farm workers, they readily agree. Jessica pays attention to their actions and persistence, and their setbacks and successes, even as she notes the racism and poverty that negatively affect so many of her peers.

As she gets older, her parents want her to go to college. She demurs, preferring to stay involved in labor actions instead. This leads Jessica to leave the United States for the first time, organizing and advocating for strikes in Canada against exploitative Californian grape growers. It’s lonely, frustrating work but nothing, she knows, compared to what she and thousands of others have had to endure growing up. Will she be able to persevere and strike a blow for all the workers who’ve had enough of being cheated and mistreated by their employers?

This is a terrific short biography for children, showcasing one of the undersung heroes of the US labor rights movement. It encourages young people to see themselves in Jessica’s struggle, and to be inspired to also stand up and persevere in the fight against injustice.

In the light of recent revelations, the inclusion of Cesar Chavez did make me cringe, tho that’s hardly the book’s fault. I did definitely have a moment of “oh, I hope he didn’t do anything to her” when he was introduced tho. Kids probably won’t know or care, but it’s hard as an adult to see him lionized, given what he did to Dolores Huerta (who also appears in this book) and countless others.

My only real quibble with this biography is the fact that no dates are included till the very end of the book, once the narrative is over. I’m ngl, I spent a lot of time thinking “Is there an ongoing grape boycott I should know about? Exactly how long ago was all this?” Long, y’all. This all happened before even I was born, and I think it’s pretty weird that the era isn’t used in setting the scene. The struggle for rights is on-going and universal, yes, but it’s also important to be factual and situate events in their wider context. We are not currently striking against the grape growers: there are plenty of other current labor issues to be aware of and prioritize.

Other than that, this book was informative and inspiring, and shows the value of determination, courage and belief. Hopefully, it will motivate plenty of readers to believe in themselves and to fight for what’s right, just like Jessica did.

From the Fields To The Fight by Angela Quezada Padron & Sol Salinas was published March 24 2026 by Atheneum Books For Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including