2. Out of the Dust

Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic, 1997.

Annotation: Two years of the Oklahoma dust bowl are brilliantly represented by 14 year old Billie Jo and her small family and their endless struggles. Through personal and ecologic tragedy, readers are sent through a whirlwind of emotions.

Justification for Nomination:

Written in verse novel form, Out of the Dust is an exceptional historical book about living in Oklahoma during the dust bowl and the Great Depression. 14 year old Billie Jo lives with her father, a hopelessly optimistic farmer, and her mother, a pianist trapped in the never ending cycle of dust and poverty.

The format of the novel follows Billie Jo and her courageous experiences for two years, each verse poem only about a page in length and dated with the month and year of when it was written. The young adult reader will appreciate the simple language and short stanzas, but will be moved to tears by the tragedy that envelopes the family.

The language is sparse, but is intense in what the narrator can portray in just a few lines. When Billie Jo's mother and baby brother die a tragic death, Billie Jo has the urge to run, something any young adult will relate to. Her father becomes a stranger to her and spots of skin cancer begin to show on him. Billie Jo hops a train going west to escape the dust and poverty of her life in Oklahoma. But, she realizes that her home is with her father:

When I rode the train west,

I went looking for something,

but I didn't see anything wonderful.

I didn't see anything better than what I already had.

Home.

This verse novel is a wonderful way to incorporate poetry and history into a young adult's repertoire. Hesse's brilliant choice of words, placement of characters and timing will easily keep a reader's attention with an authentic and approachable subject.

Genre Category: Verse novel