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Out Of The Dust
by
Acclaimed author Karen Hesse's Newbery Medal-winning novel-in-verse explores the life of fourteen-year-old Billie Jo growing up in the dust bowls of Oklahoma.
"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 ma ...more
"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 ma ...more
Hardcover, 240 pages
Published
October 1st 1997
by Scholastic Press
(first published January 1st 1997)
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Start your review of Out Of The Dust
Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust (1998 Newberry Medal winner) is a poignant coming of age story chronicling a young woman's struggle with loss and hardship during Oklahoma's Dust Bowl. Written in blank verse, its rhythm somehow matches the spare landscape and emotional toil of the protagonist. It's an easy and quick read, but worthwhile. 3.5 stars rounded up.
...more
The other day, just out of the blue, I was hit with the thought, "Remember that book about the Dust Bowl you read for school ages ago, and hated with a fury? You should review it and avenge your past self for being subjugated to it."
So that's exactly what I did.
I swear, this was me the entire book:
You know what's coming, folks. Time for another rant with Ryan.
Where do I even begin? I read this back when it was required reading, and I absolutely hated it. This was probably the most boring book I ...more
will someone tell me why this is written in verse?? it doesnt add anything to the feel of the book; if anything, it is distracting and seems very contrived. why would this character be writing poems?? it would make so much more sense to write this as diary entries. maybe because poems take up more room so you can get away with writing less to make up a full book?? no one knows. that being said, i liked this, but its not going to earn a place on my childrens book wall of fame. its kind of horrify
...more
Apr 09, 2011
K.D. Absolutely
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to K.D. by:
Kwesi
This story is so dark and gruesome that if it were put in prose and not in verse, would probably not pass the standard of the judges for the Newberry Medal. Yes, this won that medal (1998) because the beautiful verses toned down the gloom and sadness that even a middle-age man Asian guy like me felt while imagining what happened to the Kelby family during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl in 1934-1935. It is just too sad that even the harrowing experience of the Joad family in John Steinbeck’s magnum opus,
...more
Jul 21, 2014
Lisa
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
newbery-medal-and-honor,
children
“The way I see it, hard times aren't only about money,
or drought,
or dust.
Hard times are about losing spirit,
and hope,
and what happens when dreams dry up.”
When I look for books for my children, I quite frequently end up buying one book to explain and illustrate another. I had bought The Dust Bowl: An Illustrated History to give them (and myself, as I always end up reading their books as well) a new perspective on the Great Depression era, and this small children's novel in verse seemed to be a p ...more
or drought,
or dust.
Hard times are about losing spirit,
and hope,
and what happens when dreams dry up.”
When I look for books for my children, I quite frequently end up buying one book to explain and illustrate another. I had bought The Dust Bowl: An Illustrated History to give them (and myself, as I always end up reading their books as well) a new perspective on the Great Depression era, and this small children's novel in verse seemed to be a p ...more
This book is so depressing I wanted to shoot myself.
This is a must read children's book for me. I loved it as a kid and I loved jumping back into it. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend.
...more
Beginning: August 1920
As summer wheat came ripe
so did I,
born at home, on the kitchen floor.
Ma crouched,
barefoot, bare bottomed
over the swept boards,
because that's where Daddy said it'd be best
I came too fast for the doctor, bawling as soon as Daddy wiped his hand around inside my mouth.
To hear Ma tell it,
I hollered myself red the day I was born.
Red's the color I've stayed ever since.
Daddy named me Billie Jo.
He wanted a boy.
Instead,
he got a long-legged girl
with a wide mouth
and cheekbones lik ...more
As summer wheat came ripe
so did I,
born at home, on the kitchen floor.
Ma crouched,
barefoot, bare bottomed
over the swept boards,
because that's where Daddy said it'd be best
I came too fast for the doctor, bawling as soon as Daddy wiped his hand around inside my mouth.
To hear Ma tell it,
I hollered myself red the day I was born.
Red's the color I've stayed ever since.
Daddy named me Billie Jo.
He wanted a boy.
Instead,
he got a long-legged girl
with a wide mouth
and cheekbones lik ...more
I never enjoyed my history subject when I was young, I always have the worst teacher and the worst field trips in my entire life. Contradict to that, I enjoyed reading historical fiction and children's books. Although I don't have any idea about dust bowl or the great depression or whatever happened that time. I told you, I never learned something from my world history teacher. But after reading this book last year, I was amazed that Karen Hesse wrote something emotional for children to love and
...more
May 04, 2011
Teresa
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Teresa by:
kwesi 章英狮
I read this book (historical fiction told in prose poetry) yesterday. Then, this morning, I saw in the newspaper that the Oklahoma Panhandle (where the book is set) is experiencing a drought worse than during the Dust Bowl, the time period of this novel.
I think if I had been able to read this as a child, it would've made an even bigger impression on me. It would've stayed in my memory and I probably would've gone on to read Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath when I got older. (I still need to do th ...more
I think if I had been able to read this as a child, it would've made an even bigger impression on me. It would've stayed in my memory and I probably would've gone on to read Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath when I got older. (I still need to do th ...more
Out of the dust...
And into the trash
Oct 26, 2015
Princess Gabriel The Bookish Bookaholic of the Western Timbers of Librarianland (aka Gabriel the Bookaholic)
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
school-made-me-do-it,
never-read-again
Yeah... Well, I think it is a good read if you wanna be hella depressed and wanna know about the Dust Bowl, otherwise, I don't rec it...
...more
Jan 11, 2011
Apokripos
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Children who would like to know about life in Depression-era, Dust Bowl Oklahoma
Recommended to Apokripos by:
Kwesi Ian Jay Junsan
Because of Dust
(A Book Review of Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust)
Since reading John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, I’ve often wondered how life could’ve been to the Oklahoman farmers and families who opted not to leave their land. Karen Hesse, in her 1998 Newbery Medal book Out of the Dust, gives us a glimpse of the rigors of farm life in the Depression-era, Dust Bowl Oklahoma through the eyes of Billie Jo as her father scrapes a meager living out of the parched, drought-stricken fields while she gr ...more
Book number 4, I mean 6, on my Young Adult whirlwind reading binge. I think these books are making my head go softer than it already was.
This is an ambivalent three stars. This book didn't do much for me. I like that the reviews that I glanced at for this book all called this really depressing. Maybe I don't like it, but I find it kind of amusing. I didn't find it all that depressing, the most depressing thing in the book I think was lifted from Woody Guthries life, opps. I don't really know ab ...more
This is an ambivalent three stars. This book didn't do much for me. I like that the reviews that I glanced at for this book all called this really depressing. Maybe I don't like it, but I find it kind of amusing. I didn't find it all that depressing, the most depressing thing in the book I think was lifted from Woody Guthries life, opps. I don't really know ab ...more
Review to come.
Maybe I would like this more if I read it now on my own. As it is, I read it in high school and hated every second of it. Most depressing thing I've ever read in my life. I understand that living in the Oklahoma dust bowl would be horrible but that's not the depressing part...
...more
I remember loving this book!
I first this in maybe high school? I read it again last year. Out of The Dust is such a profound impactful read. I didn't appreciate all of its nuances until I read it as an adult. So tragic. So beautiful written in a unique style. Perhaps Out Of The Dust should be required college reading. Karen Hesse' s words stay with you long after the reading is done.
...more
Apr 26, 2019
Tasha
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mg-and-ya,
favorites-2019
Beautifully written in that free verse poetry style that I've recently discovered. An emotional story with so much history as it gives us a glimpse of what it must have been like to live in the dust bowl era and the hardships involved. I thoroughly enjoyed this and feel like it would great for any age to read.
...more
Out of the Dust is my kind of book. It is an incredibly emotional story told through poetry. The book is slow paced because of the poetic convention but this allows your feelings to develop and grow as you sympathize for the main character Billie Jo and her family. Even though Out of the Dust is set less than a century ago it feels like a very different world. The Depression was tough for a lot of people but the Dust Bowl was truly horrific. Often times when people think about such major tragedi
...more
Jun 24, 2012
Bish Denham
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-lit,
historical-fiction
Tough read. But then the Dust Bowl was a tough time to live through. Moments in this story are very dark and depressing. But then the Dust Bowl was a dark depressing time. Through most of it I felt like I was eating dust. But then people who lived through the Dust Bowl really did eat dust. At least I only had to eat it while I read the story. Those who lived through it couldn't get away from it. Dust was their constant unconquerable bane and companion.
What I think this story is really about is t ...more
What I think this story is really about is t ...more
Jan 25, 2018
mindful.librarian ☀️
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-grade,
poetry-and-verse
FABULOUS. Plus the saddest book I have ever, ever read. Glad I finally checked it off of my Newbery list!
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jan 10, 2014
Julie
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
newbery-medal-winners,
oklahoma
I was struggling, really struggling to figure out which dress I wanted to wear to a wedding this weekend, just as I finally cracked open Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust, to see if it would be an appropriate read for my 8 year old (it wasn't).
Well, I quickly felt like a flaky and flimsy fool. It's not that I don't know what happened in the 1930s dust bowl that was Oklahoma. I am, after all, a John Steinbeck devotee, but it was good to be reminded that people have done some serious suffering here on ...more
Well, I quickly felt like a flaky and flimsy fool. It's not that I don't know what happened in the 1930s dust bowl that was Oklahoma. I am, after all, a John Steinbeck devotee, but it was good to be reminded that people have done some serious suffering here on ...more
Mar 30, 2018
Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ...
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
historical-fiction
I found this book when I googled "authors with the initials KH" for a little challenge in one of my groups. What a nice surprise! Ms Hesse took a fascinating piece of history and wrote a dark and sad story about a dark and sad time, and did so with a very unique style. She told the story in free verse through a young girl's entries in her journal. The book made me think of Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, which is a very good thing as Steinbeck is my literary crush. It seemed like a book that co
...more
Wow - I picked it up because my neice Molly had written in a letter that she was reading it. I treated myself to a trip to the library on New Year's Eve when I got out of work several hours early and picked it up. When I paged through it, I wasn't enthused because it was written in poetic prose format. Didn't think I'd like it. I was wrong. It was a fantastic story and told in a remarkable way. Sadness, grief, frustration, hopelessness and then hope. Pretty heavy stuff for adults let alone fifth
...more
It was unexpected but I really enjoyed this book. The format was surprisingly engaging and conjured so much emotion in so few words.
Meh.
I liked this book. I typically do not read poetry books. But when I do I don't like them, before this book I had never read a poetry book that I would rate a 4 star. It was a free verse poetry book that goes through the life of a girl who loves to play the piano. But an incident she has causes her to burn her hands. The setting of the book is in Oklahoma I believe and they have lots of dust storms and haven't had a good growing year in a very long time. But what this girl and her father have to
...more
May 21, 2008
Lisa
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Middle Schoolers
Shelves:
juvenile-fiction
This book is set in the Oklahoma panhandle during the 1930's. Preteen Bille Jo and her family struggle to cope with the loss of their farm, scarcity of food, and the endless swirling dust storms that dominate life in this setting. Then tragedy strikes; Billie Jo's mother and baby brother are killed in a sudden accident and Billie Jo's hands are seriously burned. Billie Jo's father withdraws into grief and depression while Billie Jo wrestles with her own guilt and physical disability. Ultimately,
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play Book Tag: [POLL TALLY] Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse - 5 stars | 3 | 7 | Nov 03, 2020 06:18PM | |
| Play Book Tag: [pb]Out of the Dust, b y Karen Hesse,2.4 stars | 1 | 4 | Aug 01, 2020 10:39AM | |
| Play Book Tag: (Poll Ballot Tally) Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse - 3 stars | 1 | 3 | Jul 21, 2020 02:10PM | |
| Play Book Tag: (Poll Ballot) Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse - 5 stars | 2 | 8 | May 06, 2020 06:22PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Karen Hesse is an American author of children's literature and literature for young adults, often with historical settings. Her novel Out of the Dust was the winner of the 1998 Newbery Medal and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. In 2002, Hesse was a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship.
For more information, please see http://us.macmillan.com/author/karenh... ...more
For more information, please see http://us.macmillan.com/author/karenh... ...more
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“the way i see it, hard times aren't only about money, or drought, or dust. hard times are about losing spirit, and hope, and what happens when dreams dry up.”
—
57 likes
“And I know now that all the time I was trying to get
out of the dust,
the fact is,
what I am,
I am because of the dust.
And what I am is good enough.
Even for me.”
—
46 likes
More quotes…
out of the dust,
the fact is,
what I am,
I am because of the dust.
And what I am is good enough.
Even for me.”
