Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories

by S. Beth Atkin

"Now in paperback, this critically acclaimed book offers readers a rare glimpse into the lives of today's migrant children. "

Genres: Nonfiction, Social Justice, History, Middle Grade, Family, Poetry, Cultural

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

About the author

S. Beth Atkin is a graduate of Barnard College and started a career as a photographer while assisting on photo shoots for publications including Time, Life, Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian. In 1988 she started a commercial and editorial photography business and moved to California. Her clients have included: Digital Equipment, Pebble Beach Company, Cellular One, National Geographic, San Francisco Chronicle, Cycle World, Houghton-Mifflin, Scholastic Inc., The U.S. Open, Nike, and The Nation.

Atkin lectures about youth issues, her books and photography, continues to do editorial photography and consults, volunteers, and donates her work to at-risk programs for youth and non-profit organizations.

Reviews

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Migrant life from the perspective of the children and young adults who live it. Many different points of view and aspects of migrant work are discussed. (educational goals or lack of, gangs, Zapotec vs. Spanish as 1st language, family life, living conditions). Photos taken by S. Beth Atkin. Stories are written in the words of the children and young adults. Poems from children are also included.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrative nonfiction coupled with poetry straight from migrant worker youths' mouths. Conversational in tone, I will need to jump around in this text with my students due to some more mature themes. Eye-opening.

[Intisar Kareem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beth Atkins managed successfully to introduce nine kids in the book Voices from the Fields that have hopes and dreams to be successful in their future lives in America. Atkins showed us how they cared for each individual to their family. In the Mexican community, it is very important to love and care for each other. It is also very important to follow the footsteps of their parents. Atkins used photos, poems, and each storytelling of each of the nine kids. The book is very well written and easy to comprehend. though it was very touching and moving about kids that are suffering at a very young age. worrying about their future because of the small window they have to see the world.
The author supported her book by providing photos of the families, and poems written by the kids. this allowed me as a reader to actually feel and imagine how they were living and how they must have felt. This technique gives a very moving and touching feeling. one example is how young kids were eager to become like their family and work in the field "picking strawberries". while others wanted to get out of town and achieve more education to learn.
Thank You Beth Atkins for the very wonderful stories touching moments you have provided.
Beth Atkins is a photographer, to begin with. graduated from Barnard College, she uses her work of photos for publications in articles and books. The books were published in April 2000 by Little Brown Company. It is a paperback condition consisting of 96 pages. I rated the book 5 stars because it shows the actual living of people around the world that are suffering in a lot of ways. I would want more readers to give it a 5 star because it deserves it since it's got all kinds of emotions and stories to tell. I would also very much recommend that book is introduced to kids in schools. it will give them a better understanding of life. How not all kids around the world have got the opportunity and how some are very lucky that they do. It takes a lot of work and effort to be successful in life.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The text itself is easy to read due to most of it being taken from interviews so it is like listening to the young people talk about their lives. The content is not as easy to read as you become acquainted with the hardships these immigrant families face. Each section of the book is from a different person's perspective and focuses on a different aspect of life (work, gangs, education, etc.), but all of the stories weave in the importance of family and what these people go through so we can have fresh fruit and vegetables on our tables.

[Melissa Helton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and important. Shows, in several ways, the irony of life being happier in Mexico but families coming here for work and education, and the work being dangerous, underpaid, and leaving the families unrooted in a way that impedes the education being sought for the kids. I like that they offered the poems in Spanish and English.

[Gracie Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thoughtful book that shows the range of experiences of migrant worker children. Touching and authentic.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm re-reading right now as I read Esperanza Rising again with my kids. Not much has changed for migrant farmers in the last 70 years save for more efforts by outside agencies to try to help the children; it's so unfair to the kids and makes me sad, but they seem content with their fate and the programs aren't always that effective. Perhaps I'm just projecting my middle-class ideals on these workers, but it seems to me that the kids have little choice but to perpetuate the cycle of migrant work and poverty.

[Bailee Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is full of information! However, it is kind of lengthy and has a lot of words. This is why I rated it how I did. I think that students would steer clear of this book because of the amount of reading comprehension it requires. Someone very interested in it may sit down and read it, but unless there is a specific reason to, I don't think many children would do that. It would be alright to read and discuss with your students though.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

touching, moving, and real accounts of what happens in our fields.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dated (originally published in 1993) but very enlightening.

[ChaoticallyNatasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look into the hardships migrant families face. This is the reason I love my job and helping these students!

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, primary source history on the stories of migrant workers. A book that provides a good dose of perspective.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful look into hispanic families using their words and a powerful multigenre approach.

[Jaime Marmolejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried. Enough said :) It was just a very moving book