Out of the Dust

Bibliography

Hesse, Karen. 1997. Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590360809

Plot Summary

Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse is a novel written in free verse from the perspective of a teenage girl, Billie Jo. It tells of her life at age 14 to 15, living in Oklahoma during the dust bowl.

Critical Analysis

This novel uses a series of free verse poems which are title and dated. The organization of the poems tell an emotional story that flows well and made easy to read. It doesn't rhyme, but definately has a sense of rhythm. Every poem is full of meaning that represents emotions, experiences, and images.
Hesse uses sense imagery throughout the novel. She makes you feel as if you are really their right along with the main character. An example is in, Dust Storm,
"...The dirt blew down so thick
it scratched my eyes
and stung my tender skin,
it plugged my nose and filled inside my mouth.
No matter how I pressed my lips together,
the dust made muddy tracks
across my toungue."
When reading this you feel like you are engulfed with dust.
There are no illustrations in the novel, but through her use of descriptions the reader gets a clear image of the text.
This moving novel was really intriguing and definately makes you want to read more by this poet.
This novel would be more appreciated by mature secondary students and adults. This audience would be able to relate to many of the topics and issues in this book.
Hesse's reference to out of the dust is repeated throughout the novel and really stands out and in the end the character symbolically comes, "out of the dust".

Review Excerpt(s)

Children's Literature

"It's 1934 in the Oklahoma Panhandle and fourteen-year-old Billie Jo must face the devastation of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Told in a very convincing, first person, poetic style, the listener comes to feel great empathy and admiration for Billie Jo's indomitable spirit. The audiotape version of this Newbery novel is especially well done and the skilled narrator really helps bring this striking free-verse novel to life. It makes for a riveting listening experience for older children, teens and adults."

School Library

"Journal Gr 5-8-Fourteen-year-old Billie Jo's life is defined by struggle both physical and emotional. She struggles to forgive her father for causing the accident that killed her mother. She fights a daily battle to survive during the worst days of the Oklahoma dust storms. And she strives to heal her body and her soul when severe burns leave her disfigured and unable to play the music she loves. Set during the time of the Great Depression and written in free verse, Karen Hesse's spare but powerful work (Scholastic, 1997) captures every nuance of Billie Jo's emotions, from heartwrenching sadness at the death of her mother and newborn brother to the challenge of rebuilding a relationship with her embittered father."


Connections

*Read other books by Karen Hesse.

*Read aloud and encourage students to create a diary.

*Students could read this novel then do a character analysis of Billie Jo.

*Students could research the Dust Bowl.