Reading level: Lexile not available; DRA: 60
Interest level: Grades 3 - 8
In her sparse, straightforward verse, Hesse channels Billie Jo, a young girl living a life of constant sorrow. At the start of the book, things aren’t so bad; the crops have been failing, but Billie Jo’s family is strongly knit and her education is going well. However, a series of misfortunes make everything broken: Billie Jo’s family, her spirit, and her piano-playing hands. As we continue alongside Billie Jo as she attempts to make sense of things, we encounter people in even more desperate situations: for example, a transient family must temporarily take shelter inside Billie Jo’s school while they await the birth of another child; after the birth, they head off towards California, and the reader knows there’s no work out there for them. Throughout all these events, the dust permeates everything, becoming the antagonist in this story. This book is good enough to merit its own unit; students could also use this work to study related historical events.
PBS's Dust Bowl Informational Page
Scholastic "Out of the Dust" Lesson Plan
