Out of the Dust

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Out of the Dust
By Karen Hesse
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Author Information

• Karen Hesse has been a teacher, librarian,
  secretary, typesetter, poet, and proofreader as
  well as a childrens author.
• She grew up in Baltimore
• surrounded by people but
• often feeling isolated.
• An avid reader, Hesse
• wishes more books about real
• issues had been available to her.

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Genres

• Historical Fiction

• Poetry

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Book Information

• Readability
• Fifth Grade
• Interest Level
• Fifth grade and up

• Awards
• Newbery Award
• School Library Journal Best Books
• ALA Notable Book
• ALA Best Book for Young Adults
• Booklist Editors Choice
• Scott ODell Award
• Publishers Weekly Best Book
• IRA Teachers Choice

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Plot Summary

• Life is bleak during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl days,
  and like many, Billie Jo and her parents are
  barely surviving on their farm. An accidental
  fire leaves Billie Jos hands horrible burned and
  fatally injures her mother. The dust storms and
  poverty continue and Billie Jos father is buried
  in grief and sorrow.

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Booktalk 1

• Rules of Dining
• Ma has rules for setting the table.
• I place plates upside down,
• glasses bottom side up,
• napkins folded over forks,
• knives, and spoons.
• When dinner is ready,
• we sit down together
• and Ma says, Now.
• We shake out our napkins,
• spread them on our laps,
• and flip over our glasses and plates,
• exposing neat circles,
• round comment on what life
• would be without dust.

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Booktalk 2

• (Its the middle of the night on the Oklahoma
  plains.)

• I sensed it before I knew it was coming.
• I heard it,
• smelled it,
• tasted it,
• Dust.

• 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 didnt cry.
• And neither did Ma.
• March 1934

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Booktalk 3

• (Billie Jo and her father make peace with each
  other.)
• As we walk together,
• side by side,
• In the swell of dust,
• I am forgiving him, step by step,
• For the pail of kerosene.
• As we walk together,
• Side by side,
• In the sole-deep dust,
• I am forgiving myself
• For all the rest.
• August 1935

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Addition Information Bibliography

• Voices from the Dust Bowl
• song
• Out of the Dust Historical Fiction
• discussion
• Out of the Dust Blank Verse
• book
• The Dust Bowl Poetry
• pictures
• Sounds
• wind
• 1930 Dust Bowl end