Who Was Che Guevara? by Ellen Labrecque

 Who Was ...? biography series for middle grade brings rebellious figure of Che Guevara who was a leader of the Cuban Revolution and became a symbol of youthful rebellion.

Ernesto Guevara (1928-1967) was born in the port city of Rosario, Argentina. From young age, he craved adventure. While in school, he still traveled whenever he had a chance. While traveling, he began to write in his journal every day. 

He still had two semesters of medical school to finish when his friend asked him to join him on a trip on his motorcycle to Venezuela. On this trip, they met people of different backgrounds and saw how they lived. It left a lasting consequence on Ernesto. 

After graduating from medical school, he traveled to Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. 

Then, while in Guatemala, he learned about communist and how the current president of Guatemala was taking the land owned by rich people and corporations, then redistributing it to the poor. Ernesto became passionate about this idea of helping the poor. While on his travels, he met many poor people who worked hard and hardly got paid. 

In Mexico City, he began his work as a doctor. There he met lots of Cubans who began calling him Che meaning friend. Through them, he met Fidel Castro, who told him about Cuba’s situation of being controlled by a small group of wealthy people, and he wanted to overthrow the government. He asked Che for help, and they succeeded. Afterwards, Castro asked Che to help him govern Cuba. 

In 1964, Che spoke at UN in NYC criticizing the US and other countries for taking advantage of the land and the people of the poorer nations. 

After coming back to Cuba, he decided to go to Bolivia which was run by a dictator and to try to overthrow the government. On October 8, 1967, he was captured and killed the following day.

This biography embodies true nature of a man who rebelled against injustice. As a young man, he looked for adventure and found the truth and tragedy of his country. 

This illustrated biography series for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences and enriched with insightful inserts. 

Published in 2019 by Penguin Workshop

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Take Action When You See Injustice

 

Traits:

·         He craved adventure and to see what was beyond what he knew

·         He wrote his experiences in his journal every day

·         He witnessed human injustice and wanted to make a difference

·         He took action in making poor people’s lives better

 

 

“Above all, try always to be able to feel deeply any injustice committed against any person in any part of the world. It is the most beautiful quality of a revolutionary.” Che Guevara

 

“We were…two young men-boys, really-who went looking for adventure and found the truth and tragedy of our homeland.” – Alberto Granado (trip with Che through South America)