School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Streissguth chronicles the labor movement through the biographies of Samuel Gompers, Eugene V. Debs, William D. Haywood, Mary "Mother" Jones, John L. Lewis, A. Philip Randolph, Jimmy Hoffa, and Cesar Chavez. Black-and-white photographs accompany each 16-page profile. Extraneous facts such as, "[Cesar Chavez's] salary never exceeded $6,000-the lowest of any union president in the U.S.," and that "He never owned a house or a car" will interest general readers. An additional tool for report writers.-Kathleen A. Nester, Downingtown High Ninth Grade Center, PA

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 1999)

These eight biographical profiles collectively (and painlessly) constitute a history lesson. By charting the philosophical differences among his subjects, which include Mary "Mother" Jones, Jimmy Hoffa, and Cesar Chavez, the author paints a rich and full portrait of the labor movement. Poorly reproduced black-and-white photos document the struggle for social justice. Bib., glos., ind.

ALA Booklist (Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 1998)

%% This is a multi-book review: SEE also the title Journalists Who Made History. %% Gr. 712. Horace Greeley's New York Tribune exhorted President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, and the president could not afford to ignore Greeley. Ida Tarbell became a pioneer in investigative journalism, exposing corrupt practices of the Standard Oil Company. In Journalists most fascinating vignette, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward take investigative reporting to new heights with their coverage of the Watergate break-in. The five other journalists with brief, engaging vignettes include abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy, William Randolph Hearst, Canadian George Brown, Englishman Alfred Harmsworth, and broadcaster Edward R. Murrow. Streissguth's labor leaders range from Samuel Gompers to Cesar Chavez and include such inspirational types beside Chavez as A. Philip Randolph, founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and a civil rights leader, along with the blatantly corrupt Jimmy Hoffa of the Teamsters. Eugene Debs, William Haywood, Mother Jones, and John L. Lewis complete the portraits. Both Profiles series titles provide strong historical contexts for all their subjects and will be useful for student research, and they each feature good-quality black-and-white photos and a bibliography. In addition, Labor Leaders has a useful glossary. (Reviewed October 15, 1998)