Out of the Dust joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content! “Dust piles up like snow across the prairie. . . .” A terrible accident has transformed Billie Jo’s life, scarring her inside and out. Her mother is gone. Her father can’t talk about it. And the one thing that might make her feel better – playing the piano – is impossible with her wounded hands. To make matters worse, dust storms are devastating the family farm and all the farms nearby. While others flee from the dust bowl, Billie Jo is left to find peace in the bleak landscape of Oklahoma – and in the surprising landscape of her own heart.
A Newbery Medal winner, this book is interesting, poignant, and inventive. I read this book as a child and found myself fascinated and touched. The form of the book - long-form poetry - was a new experience for me and helped me grow as a reader. It's a great way to learn about the dust bowl and Depression.
Karen Hesse is the author of numerous books for young people, including Out of the Dust, winner of a Newbery Medal and a Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction; The Cats in Krasinski Square; and Letters from Rifka. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellows Grant in 2002, Karen Hesse lives in Vermont.
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