Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - Out of the Dust

Out of the Dust
Out of the Dust
Author: Karen Hesse
When Billie Jo is just fourteen she must endure heart-wrenching ordeals that no child should have to face. The quiet strength she displays while dealing with unspeakable loss is as surprising as it is inspiring. — Written in free verse, this award-winning story is set in the heart of the Great Depression. It chronicles Oklahoma's staggering dust ...  more »
ISBN-13: 9781439526866
ISBN-10: 1439526869
Publication Date: 8/11/2008
Pages: 227
Edition: Reprint
Reading Level: Young Adult
Rating:
  ?

0 stars, based on 0 rating
Book Type: Library Binding
Other Versions: Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Out of the Dust on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
Written as a free style poem, this book is heart wrenching and compelling. Vivid imagery effectively forces the reader to go through the same sorrows and joys that Billy Joe experiences. I could not put it down until I was finished.
Prunella avatar reviewed Out of the Dust on + 26 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
Although this is classified as a children's book, both my mother and I enjoyed it very much. Not just for kids!
Page5 avatar reviewed Out of the Dust on
Helpful Score: 6
Excellent book about the dust bowl. Hesse is a great writer and this story is very captivating.
reviewed Out of the Dust on + 3352 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Newbery Medal Winner - unique format, sort of like a diary in blank verse.
powerrangermom avatar reviewed Out of the Dust on + 75 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
This book made me cry and I LOVED it!
Read All 40 Book Reviews of "Out of the Dust"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

reviewed Out of the Dust on + 47 more book reviews
mines a hardback in perfect condition. I read it a while ago and really liked the way its written.
reviewed Out of the Dust on + 11 more book reviews
Received John Newberry Award. Written in free verse poetic form.
Louise avatar reviewed Out of the Dust on + 13 more book reviews
This is poetry.
reviewed Out of the Dust on + 2 more book reviews
Well written about history, the sorrows and joys in this girl's family. The feelings of finding her place. Highly recommended lest we forget the struggles of the past.
reviewed Out of the Dust on + 10 more book reviews
Great book for kids to get an idea of the Dust Bowl! Well done!
reviewed Out of the Dust on + 8 more book reviews
Very compelling book; one that stays with you long after you read it. Believable as a young person's emotional experience through tough life experiences.
skywriter319 avatar reviewed Out of the Dust on + 784 more book reviews
I've never been the fondest of novels-in-verse or historical fiction. I suppose OUT OF THE DUST was alright. It has all the qualities of a book that make it appeal to the awards committees: grievous troubles, a protagonist mired by obstacles, family troubles, yadda yadda. But I never really felt a connection to...what's her name? I can't even remember. Oy.

Also, the novel-in-verse format has to contribute something to the story; it cannot be an arbitrary. And I didn't really see why Hesse chose to write this book in this way.
reviewed Out of the Dust on + 48 more book reviews
Unabridged, 2 cassettes