Module 4: Out of the Dust

Book Summary: Billie Jo is the daughter of an Oklahoma farmer who is suffering during the dust bowl. In a freak accident, she loses her mother and burns her hands, preventing her from playing the piano that she loves.

APA Reference of Book: Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the dust. New York: Scholastic Press.

Impressions: This is a really beautiful, touching book. Billie Jo has a tough life and gives an interesting perspective on living during the depression in Oklahoma. I really liked how the sadness in Billie Jo's life is mirrored by the struggling earth around her. As her life becomes more hopeful, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the dust bowl farmers. My favorite poem was about the rain and how it had to start softly so as to not wash away all the dust and the build up to enough rain to save the fields.
 
Professional Review: Booklist starred (Vol. 94, No. 3 (October 1, 1997))
Gr. 6-9. "Daddy came in, / he sat across from Ma and blew his nose. / Mud streamed out. / He coughed and spit out / mud. / If he had cried, / his tears would have been mud too, / but he didn't cry. / And neither did Ma." This is life in the Oklahoma dust bowl in the mid-1930s. Billie Jo and her parents barely eke out a living from the land, as her father refuses to plant anything but wheat, and the winds and dust destroy the crop time after time. Playing the piano provides some solace, but there is no comfort to be had once Billie Jo's pregnant mother mistakes a bucket of kerosene for a bucket of water and dies, leaving a husband who withdraws even further and an adolescent daughter with terribly burned hands. The story is bleak, but Hesse's writing transcends the gloom and transforms it into a powerfully compelling tale of a girl with enormous strength, courage, and love. The entire novel is written in very readable blank verse, a superb choice for bringing out the exquisite agony and delight to be found in such a difficult period lived by such a vibrant character. It also spares the reader the trouble of wading through pages of distressing text, distilling all the experiences into brief, acutely observed phrases. This is an excellent book for discussion, and many of the poems stand alone sufficiently to be used as powerful supplements to a history lesson.

Lempke, S. (October 1, 1997).  [Review of the book Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse].  Booklist, 94, 3.  Retrieved from  http://www.booklistonline.com/Out-of-the-Dust-Karen-Hesse/pid=1022730

Library Uses: This book could be used either for a display showcasing children's literature about The Great Depression, Dust Bowl, and even World War Two or you could select certain pieces to read aloud to older elementary school children who are learning about the Dust Bowl.