Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl

by Albert Marrin

Before global warming, there was dust. In the 1930s, dangerous black storms swept through the Great Plains. Created by drought and reckless farming, these lethal storms were part of an environmental, economic, and human catastrophe that changed the course of American history. In riveting, accessible prose, an acclaimed historian explains the causes behind the disaster and explores the Dust Bowl's impact, from a rich cultural legacy to the visionary conservation that would finally offer hope to the Plains.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Historical, Middle Grade, Childrens, Picture Books, Environment

128 pages, Hardcover

First published July 9, 2009

About the author

Albert Marrin is a historian and the author of more than twenty nonfiction books for young people. He has won various awards for his writing, including the 2005 James Madison Book Award and the 2008 National Endowment for Humanities Medal. In 2011, his book Flesh and Blood So Cheap was a National Book Award Finalist. Marrin is the Chairman of the History Department at New York's Yeshiva University.

Reviews

[Crizzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this in the 'graphic novel' YA section of the library and was immediately intrigued. This book is FABULOUS. There are pictures on every page which are interesting, amazing, beautiful, and sad. Albert Marrin really made history come alive with this book, and I look forward to reading more from him. I rarely give out 5 stars, but I am with this one. I learned SO MUCH and recommend this book to EVERYONE from about fifth grade through adults!

"This book aims to tell the story of the Dust Bowl disaster. It is really two stories. The first story focuses on ecology- the natural world of the Great Plains. The second story is about how people invited disaster by changing the ecology of the Great Plains; "assaulting" might be a better word. Both stories hold important lessons for us today because the Dust Bowl was caused less by natural forces than by people's abuse of the land."

I did not know that China is having its own version of our "dirty thirties" because they made the same mistakes we made with farming and subsequently abusing the land! And now... I want to bust out my Grapes of Wrath.

READ IT. NOW!

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The critical and trying time in black and white photos made this read worth the $2.00 I paid for it. The author doesn't focus solely on the Dust Bowl though and at times I wandered.

[Piyali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know much about the dust bowl era. This book was perfect to get information on this subject.

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fascinating story of the Great Dust Bowl is a gripping account of life in those terrible times. With succinct details and stirring pictures, the author paints a picture of hopelessness and despair, of a people who lost everything and yet, for the most part, still persevered. The author clearly explains just how the dust bowl years were man-made, by the practices of settlers and farmers who didn’t realize the doom they were creating. Meant as a book for juveniles, this book nevertheless has much to offer adults.

[Mickela Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Albert Marrin, the recipient of many awards for his writing. "Years of Dust The story of the Dust Bowl" I found in a bin at a thrift store. What an interesting book. I, myself, did not know many details of the horrible time in our history. This book is filled with many details, facts and stories of those who survived those horrible dust storms on our Great Plains. What an ugly period in our American history. I am glad I found this book and read it.

[Donalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding NF text from Albert Marrin--Years of Dust explains the conditions that caused the Dust Bowl in the 1930's and how it affected people and animals. I appreciate the focus on conservation and efforts to prevent more dust bowls in regions like the Sahel. Extensive bibliography and a glossary of terms in the back.

[Carna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Albert Marrin is well known for depicting history and he nailed it in his book "Years of Dust." This is a picture book intended for grades 5 and up about the day the dustbowl hit the Great Plains in the United States. His first chapter is entitled "Darkness At Noon" and immediately would catch the attention of any middle schooler who might start out by thumbing through. This book includes a timeline, a map of the Great Plaines, realistic illustrations that portray the Native American population in an accurate way, as well as more than 100 real photos that depict the dismal and discouraging nature of the Great Depression. Young learners would benefit from the vocabulary list at the end of the book as well as the list of "Books for Kids" that Marrin has carefully taken the time to note addition readings for this age group. I would use this book in the middle of a lesson of the Great Depression. It is slightly more advanced than Nardo's book and the middle school reader will need to be educated on the times and the cultural nuances prior to reading.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this from the library because I enjoyed Albert Marrin's Flesh & Blood So Cheap, and Years of Dust did not disappoint.

Years of Dust is well-written, straight-forward, and filled with fantastic photographs. It is impressive how Marrin consistently manages to put all of the details into perfect context. This story doesn't start at the beginning of the Dust Bowl, it starts decades earlier with all of the information required to fully understand the situation, as well as follow up information about related events in the decades following.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone (anywhere from middle grade to adult) interested in the Dust Bowl or history in general. I would absolutely read more of Marrin's work.

[Rebecca Sherod · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Years of Dust’ by Albert Marrin is a fun and interesting book to read about the dust bowl. The book, beginning with a short story of a reporter, grabs the reader’s attention and holds it. Each page is filled with pictures or maps that help inform and explain what was happening during the dust bowl and quotes and first hand explanations are given throughout the book.
The overall layout provides a relatively easy way to find what you’re looking for, and the reader can constantly enjoy the first hand experiences provided and the pictures that help explain the hardships faced. This book would be great for both teaching in the classroom as well as for individual reading.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five stars for the photography, 2 for the text. Most of the photos of the storms themselves are in the first half of the book and are uncredited shots by local residents. A lot of the pictures in the second half of the book, which chronicle the dust bowl migration, are by famed depression era photographer Dorothea Lange. Included is the iconic photo of the "Migrant Mother" which most people recognize when they see it. The photo is of a very worried-looking woman holding a baby and with two older children cowering beside her with their backs to the camera.

To me, the most interesting part of the book was the story behind the famous photo. According to the Lange, the woman in the photo had just sold the tires off the family car to buy food, and they were surviving on the remnants of the frozen pea crop in the field outside the migrant camp they were in, as well as birds the children had killed. Since the pea crop was killed, they would have to find work elsewhere.

The children, tell a much different story. Their mother, Florence Owens Thompson, a full-blooded Native American had left Oklahoma ten years earlier and was not a dust bowl refugee as depicted in the photo. They had not been living on frozen peas or dead birds and had not sold the tires off the car. Their father had taken the car for repairs and Mrs Thompson had moved from another camp to the pea picker camp while he was away. She left word for him at the old camp to come to the new camp and she was worried that Mr Thompson may not have gotten the message. That's why she looks distraught in the photo.

According to the children, Lange also promised that she would not publish the photo, but then she promptly did. Thompson saw it and felt betrayed. For the rest of her life she resented Lange's use of her image for publicity as well as the way it depicted her.

The author seems to believe that the end justified the means and doesn't seem to have a problem with Lange's misrepresentation of the photo and downright abuse of the Thompsons since it raised awareness and "... taught Americans about the need to protect the land."

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after reading Kristin Hannah's novel about the Dust Bowl and the resulting migration to California. The reader cannot help but draw parallels between the ecological and following economic and human disasters and our current climate crisis. The author provides a multitude of photographs showing the land devastation, human toll and failure of safety nets to protect our most vulnerable. While this book went in great detail over the causes of the years dust storms of the 1930's, I was disappointed that more detail were not presented on the tragic fate of the Okies in California and the horrendous attempts by that state's residents to deny fellow Americans the opportunity to work and the treatment of their children.

[Taylor7778]

Source: Publisher's Weekly
Age Range: 9-15
Evaluation of Quality: The information is arranged chronologically in short and engaging chapters, with different styles of font and an excellent selection of photographs from the time period.
Assessment of potential use: This book can be used to assist a fifth grade class, early middle school group, or homeschooled children, to learn about the American Dust Bowl.
Assessment of appeal to children: Children will enjoy the high quality photographs interspersed throughout this book and how they really capture the desperation of the era.

[Remo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breve pero intenso relato del Dust bowl, una serie de tormentas de polvo coadyuvadas por el cultivo desaforado en las llanuras del medio oeste en los años 30, que levantaron las capas superiores del terreno y dejaron yermas miles y miles de plantaciones, obligando a emigrar a sus propietarios. Las uvas de la ira iba sobre esto, y en este libro tenemos una historia más formal, aunque simplificada, y muchos documentos gráficos.

[Bo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting and informative book, with lots of accompanying photos. Although I was aware of this period in history, I really didn't know that much about it, and this book helped my understanding. I was amazed to read how far some of the dust clouds travelled.

There were a few instances of bad language in some of the quotes. Particularly in a book geared for schools, I thought they could have easily omitted those portions of the quotes. Without the bad language, I would have given the book a higher rating.

3 1/2 stars.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite interesting, and the photographs are fantastic. Marrin covers the causes and effects of farming practices and the drought in the 1930's and what's now known as the Dust Bowl area/time. Good information, and presented in an easy to read manner. The last chapter is a warning about future similar troubles around the world, talking about China, Brazil and America among other areas. My interest wandered a bit there.

[Havebooks Willread · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book to read with E, K, and T covering the causes, history, and effects of the Dust Bowl. It was engagingly written and liberally sprinkled with photographs, paintings, poetry, and songs of the time period. We especially enjoyed the relation of ideas that happened naturally between this book and other studies, as well as the well-rounded presentation of the ideas. I want to check out other books by this author for possible future use.

[Christine Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a detailed look at the Dust Bowl years. It includes a timeline, discusses the ecological causes and effects, and introduces many of the more famous people involved. The book includes a glossary, notes, suggestions for other books, and an index. It is a long book, over 120 pages. It would be a good research tools for report writing, but is a bit much for pleasure reading.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this with my 6th graders. A great way to cover this time in history in a way easily understood by 11 and 12 year olds. A bonus: this also hits a Science criteria for this grade in many states’ curriculum

[Nicholas & Megan Clinch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used as map study, photos by Dorothea Lange & ecology. Effective in small doses, good use of firsthand accounts but not narrative in form. A little dry, but would pair well with that Herman Hesse novel?

[Kevin Kuehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin cuts to the heart of the matter...

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for school, great example of nonfiction for a young audience

[Keg Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the pictures and sidebars

[Melinda Borda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Albert Marrin does it again. In this book, Marrin makes the Dust Bowl come alive for readers in an engaging way. He quotes repeatedly from first-hand accounts that bring the realities of the wind and dust into vivid light. In the beginning of the book, Marrin discusses all of the events leading up to the Dust Bowl and how it could have been prevented. He talks about how well-meaning government policies led to the circumstances that created the Dust Bowl.

At the end of the book, Marrin also talks about how various countries and areas of the world are doing the same thing the U.S. government did in the early 1900s that led to the Dust Bowl.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dark cloud rolls in, blotting out the sun. It’s noon, but it could just as easily be midnight. It’s April 14, 1935: Black Sunday, the day of one of the worst dust storms to ever hit the Great Plains. The Dust Bowl was no natural disaster, though; the Plains survived for centuries before our agricultural practices ruined the land. This is the story of how we did it—and how families survived it.

**Reading through some non-fiction selections for 9th-grade booktalks. I think this can have some appeal--the photographs may grip readers, and the idea of a blizzard made entirely of dirt. That it was entirely preventable, and our fault, is almost heartbreaking in its tragedy.

But. The book is a good starting point and may encourage particular readers to follow up on the topic, but the content wanders. I was looking for something on the people of the dust bowl, how they survived and dealt with it, plus some background on what caused it. And there is some of that, but mostly this isn't the story of the people; it's the story of the land and the political climate, and also of moving on and migrant workers in California. There's The New Deal, and discussion of what regions (China, the Amazon rain forest, e.g.) are likely to become the next dust bowls for similar disastrous ecological practice. And these things are all relevant, sure, but as brief as these sections are (as compared to the discussion of the environmental damage inflicted by 1930s agricultural practices), they feel tacked on, like they're padding out the page count.

The photos are great, though.

[Nikki Horne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years of Dust by Albert Marrin is a great book for middle school-aged children! It gives information about things that occurred during this time that one might not always include when talking about the dust bowl. This book even gives an explanation of ecology and how the dust bowl happened. It provides great background to the story, which I think could be easily overlooked. I think this is an important part of his boo because it helps one to better understand not only what happened during the dust bowl, but why. As I read this book, I really enjoyed the details that were included throughout.


I think the author does a great job with the language that was used to tell this story. The text is very engaging for children to read and understand. I really liked that their was "fun facts" (so to say) included on the sides of the pages throughout the book. I think this makes it more fun for children to read and would keep them interested in what could otherwise be a dry story. I also like the use of real pictures and maps and graphs throughout the book. The use of maps for the inside cover pages and the timeline being included also really stood out to me. It immediately caught my eye and drew me into the book. One more thing I thought that was helpful for children in this book was that it included "words to know" with their definitions in the back. I think it was just an overall truly engaging way to tell this historical event to children and would great to use in a classroom.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

For the most part, the photographs and illustrations in the book are terrific.

But, as a work of nonfiction, it falls short of being credible. I learned about the book via a discussion I was participating in on SLJ (on the Heavy Medal blog).

Marrin cites a passage attributed to Chief Seattle, but, it is not actually Seattle who wrote that passage (and speech).... It's also in BROTHER EAGLE SISTER SKY---but---it is actually a speech written for a made-for-TV movie in the 70s. Marrin cited Gore for that speech. I checked into the Gore source, and he doesn't cite anyone. It's clear, though, that Gore used that made-for-TV-speech.

Did you notice he cites Laura Ingalls Wilder? That's a hook, tapping into a favorite author and what a favored author has written, but, I'm not sure Wilder's novels can be used as scientific sources.

As I read the book yesterday, I blogged what I was reading. It's on my site, American Indians in Children's Literature. Here's the link:

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long before all the talk of Global Warming, there was a Historical event that brought farming in the United States to its knees…..the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. This event was cataclysmic not only environmentally but also economically because it occurred simultaneously with the Great Depression. Through poignant images and accessible language, the author makes it clear that this event, which spanned almost a decade in time, was not a natural disaster, but rather a man-made one. He further points out that although many discoveries have been made in soil science that can help alleviate this kind of problem, similar situations are still occurring in the United States as well as in other parts of the world today. I especially enjoyed the segment explaining the highly sustainable symbiosis that existed among humans, animals, and native grasses on the Great Plains prior to pioneer settlement. Although this historical account of one of the nation’s darker periods of history is written for elementary and middle school children, it can easily be appreciated by older readers who enjoy historical non-fiction as well. Highly recommended.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Non-fiction selection)

This non-fiction book would be a great reference book for any class 7th-12th grade studying the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Through it's use of stunning large format black and white photographs (present on almost every other page) it brings to life events many students in urban areas may have trouble imagining. Organized in nine parts, the book covers a wide variety of subjects including the history of the Great Plains, the Dust Bowl and its causes, getting by during the Great Depression, Roosevelt's New Deal, and possible future dust bowl around the world and in America. This book also contains a glossary of words students should know and many first-hand accounts of life during the Dust Bowl years. Many pages also contain two-paragraph texts about a specific aspect of the Dust Bowl accompanied by a captioned photo. I think these would be great for younger or struggling readers who still would get a lot of information without struggling through the whole book.

Note: As indicated at the end of this book, this is a great companion to Karen Hesse's work of historical fiction: "Out of the Dust."

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

For nearly a decade, enormous dust storms rolled across the Great Plains, earning the 1930s the nickname "The Dirty Thirties." The largest drought in U.S. history combined with misuse of the land by man caused a disaster that deeply affected the U.S. Farmers couldn't get crops to grow, and many families were plunged into extreme poverty. Some migrated to other parts of the country, hoping to make a fresh start; others stayed put, hoping desperately for rain.

While Marrin does provide information about the effects of the dust storms, what is most interesting about this book is the information about what caused it. Marrin contests that the dust storms were not a natural disaster; rather, they were a man-made disaster--a disaster that could have been prevented and a disaster that can occur again if people continue to misuse the land. In fact, he points out areas of the world that are in danger of experiencing similar disasters. Easy-to-understand text combined with incredible photographs makes this a top-notch book.

[Mary Kloser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book would be most appealing to people who want to learn about the dust bowl and the history of it. I would not recommend this book to someone who is not interested in this topic at all. When I first picked up the book I was only slightly interested. I started reading this book thinking it was going to be a bit more interesting than it was. There was a lot of information about before, during, and after the dust bowl. Even though there were a lot of facts and information about the dust bowl I didn't find this book too interesting. I think since the book had some graphics from the actual dust bowl it made the book a little bit more interesting. If someone was going to use this book for a paper or research I would recommend it because it did have quotes and historical context about the government and other things that were going on during this time. I feel that the book did a good job of describing the events, but was not a book that was interesting enough for me to want to read again.