Salazar, Aida. Seed in the Sun, A. Dial, 10/2022. 255 [+12]pp. Fiction. GRADES 4 – 7. Trade $17.99 978-0-593-40660-1. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Twelve-year-old Lula and her family are migrant workers harvesting grapes in California’s Imperial Valley in 1965. Migrant farmworkers have begun organizing, and after hearing Dolores Huerta speak at a local rally, Lula realizes that change may actually be possible. Lula’s family really needs change; her Mama is extremely sick, and her Papa has a volatile temper and strongly held traditional beliefs. Salazar paints an all-too-real picture of the hardships faced by the poverty-stricken grape pickers in 1965. Lula is an extremely likable character, and her story, told in verse, moves quickly and believably. An excellent choice for middle graders interested in the history of migrant workers in California. This book has California-specific content.
Nora Hale—Independent