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From the Fields to the Fight
How Jessica Govea Thorbourne Organized for Justice
Illustrated by Sol Salinas
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Table of Contents
About The Book
A timely and inspiring picture book biography of Jessica Govea Thorbourne, a Latina labor activist who worked alongside Dolores Huerta to bring attention to the plight of migrant farmworkers.
When Jessica Govea Thorbourne was four years old, she began picking crops in the California fields. One resilient girl, doing what was needed to help her family. As Jessica grew up, she saw her community struggling. Farm workers were being treated unfairly. But she was just one child. What could she do?
Jessica stood up for justice and learned to organize for change, passing out flyers, speaking to crowds, and rallying other kids to petition for a neighborhood park. As an adult, she joined the United Farm Workers and played a pivotal role in the success of the California Grape Boycott. Though her journey started when she was very young, Jessica found her voice and empowered others to fight for their rights.
Jessica showed that making a difference can start with just one child.
When Jessica Govea Thorbourne was four years old, she began picking crops in the California fields. One resilient girl, doing what was needed to help her family. As Jessica grew up, she saw her community struggling. Farm workers were being treated unfairly. But she was just one child. What could she do?
Jessica stood up for justice and learned to organize for change, passing out flyers, speaking to crowds, and rallying other kids to petition for a neighborhood park. As an adult, she joined the United Farm Workers and played a pivotal role in the success of the California Grape Boycott. Though her journey started when she was very young, Jessica found her voice and empowered others to fight for their rights.
Jessica showed that making a difference can start with just one child.
About The Author
Photograph by Alberto Padron
Angela Quezada Padron is a Latina author-illustrator who spent her childhood days writing stories and doodling on the garage walls of her New Jersey home and her summers visiting family in the Dominican Republic. As the Seas Rise: Nicole Hernández Hammer and the Fight for Climate Justice is her author-illustrator debut. She’s also the author of From the Fields to the Fight: How Jessica Govea Thorbourne Organized for Justice. She won first place in the Portfolio Showcase at the 2023 Florida SCBWI Conference and was a semifinalist for the SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award in 2014. Visit her at AngelaPadron.com.
About The Illustrator
Sol Salinas is a non-binary artist from San Antonio, Texas. At a young age, they fell in love with history while watching old Hollywood movies with their grandmother. When they aren’t drawing, Sol can usually be found playing Dungeons & Dragons, collecting rose quartz, drinking warm cups of tea, and listening to their favorite music: Fleetwood Mac. Find more at SolSalinasIllustration.com or on Instagram @SolsticeIllo.
Product Details
- Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (March 24, 2026)
- Length: 48 pages
- ISBN13: 9781665946711
- Grades: P - 3
- Ages: 4 - 8
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Raves and Reviews
"This spotlight on American labor organizer Jessica Govea Thorbourne (1947–2005) is a stirring picture book biography . . . Salinas’s illustrations, rendered in warm, earthy palettes that shift to cooler tones during moments of hardship, balance intimacy with scale. . . A compelling, accessible introduction to labor activism and an inspiring portrait of youth-driven change.
– School Library Journal
"This spotlight on American labor organizer Jessica Govea Thorbourne (1947–2005) is a stirring picture book biography . . . Salinas’s illustrations, rendered in warm, earthy palettes that shift to cooler tones during moments of hardship, balance intimacy with scale. . . A compelling, accessible introduction to labor activism and an inspiring portrait of youth-driven change.
– School Library Journal
"This spotlight on American labor organizer Jessica Govea Thorbourne (1947–2005) is a stirring picture book biography . . . Salinas’s illustrations, rendered in warm, earthy palettes that shift to cooler tones during moments of hardship, balance intimacy with scale. . . A compelling, accessible introduction to labor activism and an inspiring portrait of youth-driven change.
– School Library Journal
"Weaving in the Delano grape strike of the late 1960s, led by Chavez and fellow labor leader Dolores Huerta, Quezada Padron ingeniously ties Jessica’s developing social consciousness to the emergent U.S. farm labor movement . . . Salinas’ vivid depictions of Brown communities working to effect change enhance the narrative . . . A rich and much-needed portrait of a brilliant activist."
– Kirkus Reviews
"In this galvanizing picture book biography, the life of Jessica Govea Thorbourne is celebrated for her youthful courage and lifelong determination to improve the lives of migrant farm workers."
– The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"This inspiring picture-book biography shows how [one] person’s hard work and belief in a cause can make a positive difference."
– Horn Book Magazine
"The narrative is direct, befitting the content, with the refrain “one girl . . .” reminding readers of the power of determination. A welcome addition to the corpus of picture-book biographies that testify to the constant fight for human rights in our country."
– Booklist
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
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Book Cover Image (jpg): From the Fields to the Fight
Fixed Layout eBook 9781665946711
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Author Photo (jpg): Angela Quezada Padron Photograph by Alberto Padron(0.1 MB)
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