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Out Of The Dust
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Out Of The Dust
Author: Karen Hesse

Book Information
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Book Type: Paperback
Rating:

ISBN-13: 9780590371254 - ISBN-10: 0590371258
Publication Date: 1/1/1999
Pages: 240


Other Versions of this Book: Audio CD (Unabridged), Hardcover, Hardcover, Audio Cassette

Book Description:
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 make her feel better--playing the piano--is impossible with her wounded hands.

To make matters worse, dust storms are devastating the family farm and all the farms nearby. While others flee from the dust bowl, Billie Jo is left to find peace in the bleak landscape of Oklahoma - and in the surprising landscape of her own heart.

Winner of: Newberry Medal
Scott O'Dell Award
ALA Notable Children's Book
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A School library Journal BEst Book of the Year
A Booklist Editors' Choice
A Book Links "lasting Connection"
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A NY Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection

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Top Member Book Reviews

Sheila M. (Page5) wrote on 8/6/2007...

5 member(s) found this review helpful.

Excellent book about the dust bowl. Hesse is a great writer and this story is very captivating.

Samantha G. wrote on 9/27/2008...

4 member(s) found this review helpful.

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.

Sara G. (booklover89) wrote on 2/26/2007...

4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Younger readers may enjoy most, junior high and below. "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 make her feel better - playing the piano - is impossible with her wounded hands. To make matters worse, dust storms are devastating the family farm and all the farms nearby. While others flee from the dust bowl, Billie Jo is left to find peace in the bleak landscape of Oklahoma - and in the surprising landscape of her own heart." The book told in free form poems.

Donna E. (impossible) wrote on 10/7/2006...

4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Newbery Medal Winner - unique format, sort of like a diary in blank verse.

Becky S. (bstepanek) wrote on 8/5/2006...

4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Excellent story set during the dust bowl. Told from a teenager's viewpoint in freeverse.

Erin J. wrote on 7/5/2006...

4 member(s) found this review helpful.

This book is sad and intriguing at the same time. It's written in poetry-form and is a hard book to put down

Elizabeth C. (powerrangermom) wrote on 2/15/2006...

4 member(s) found this review helpful.

This book made me cry and I LOVED it!

Lorraine G. wrote on 2/6/2006...

4 member(s) found this review helpful.

awesome book! great for adults and kids!

L. P. (Prunella) wrote on 2/4/2006...

4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Although this is classified as a children's book, both my mother and I enjoyed it very much. Not just for kids!

Susan F. (MrsFun) wrote on 6/17/2009...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

What a gem! As an adult sometimes I forget there are treasures to be found in children's books as well. The prose of this novel is a voice I will carry for a long time. From the first page I was drawn in with Billie Jo to travel the dusty roads of her adolesence. This is an amazing book and well worth all the awards it was given.


Please Rate these Book Reviews

Sarah A. (sla506) - Naperville, IL wrote on 11/12/2009...


I picked up this book because I am fascinated by the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Unfortunately, this book wasn't all I'd hoped it would be. I felt the story was lacking. I wanted more depth and insight into that time period. Also, the writing style was annoying. It was written in complete sentences but in the format of poetry. It felt very choppy and was difficult to read because it didn't flow. What is the purpose of writing like that? I feel like the author was trying to be "artsy" just for the sake of being artsy.

I do not understand how or why this book has won awards.


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