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Out of the dust

Out of the dust

Author: Karen Hesse
Genre: Historical Fiction
Award: John Newbery medal 
Grade: 4th grade and up


It is about a young girl named Billie Jo living on a farm with her mom and dad, in Cimarron County, Oklahoma. She does not like country life so she fills the void by playing the piano. Her talent’s recognized and she is offered a professional job by her music teacher, Arley Wanderdale. Sadly, her mother wasn’t thrilled about her joining a band so she had to decline the offer. Billie Jo’s mother then passed away because of a fire. The death of her mother puts an even larger strain between her and her father. The farm is not doing well, and her hands got burnt during the fire, which helds her back on playing the piano. There are signs that her father is getting skin cancer due to the spots forming on his skin, but Billie Jo wants nothing to do with him so she leaves on a train going west. While she left, she meets a man who is also trying to start a new life, that is when she comes to the realization that she needs to return home. and her father’s relationship with her starts to heal. By the end of the novel we see that Billie Jo’s father, gets a new wife named Louise. She was not only an improvement for the family but for the farm as well. 

I somewhat like this book. It is kind of depressing and I do not like this type of book. It is very emotional and overwhelming. I like the writing of this book for it is written in verse or poetry. It is good to learn about the Dust Bowl and the hardship that comes with it. I recommend to have this read from 4th grade level and up. It teaches the reader how to endure hardships both physically and emotionally. 

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