Out of the Dust
Susan Wells
Block 2
Janurary 20, 2015
Out of the Dust
By Karen Hesse
Out of the Dust is about a young girl named Billy Jo Kelby who is living in the dust bowl with her Mother, Father, and unborn brother Franklin. Billy Jo is going through a rough time right now because one night a fire broke out and burned her, her momma, and her unborn brother. Billy Jo’s mother died giving birth to her baby brother and soon after that when her Aunt came to get the baby, he had passed away. Now it is just her and her dad. He does not talk much since the passing of his wife, and Billy Jo is missing out on a lot of opportunities on account she cannot play the piano anymore because of her hands. They are waiting on rain to come for their crops. When the rain does come she feels her dad is getting better, and in the end her hands will not stop her from playing piano. The novel is historical. It was located in the Southwestern Great Plains of the United States, otherwise known as the Dust Bowl. It takes place during the Great Depression. The Dust Bowl is when you didn’t get any rain. The Sun dried up the soil, crops, and wasn’t good for the animals. They were limited on water because they did not get any in a long time. So they had to use the water very wisely. They made do with what they had. It wasn’t much but they were satisfied. The Dust Bowl brought in tornadoes made of dust, which covered everything with dust from two inches to two feet. The author of Out of the Dust is Karen Hesse. Karen has written multiple books like, The Music of Dolphins, Just Juice, and Come On, Rain. According to online references, Karen Hesse wrote Out of the Dust because she was so fascinated with that time period. The view point of the book is first person, it is told by Billy Jo. The book is fictional, and it does cover and historical event, The Dust Bowl. What can be learned from this book is that you should be thankful for what you have. Make do with what you have.
Block 2
Janurary 20, 2015
Out of the Dust
By Karen Hesse
Out of the Dust is about a young girl named Billy Jo Kelby who is living in the dust bowl with her Mother, Father, and unborn brother Franklin. Billy Jo is going through a rough time right now because one night a fire broke out and burned her, her momma, and her unborn brother. Billy Jo’s mother died giving birth to her baby brother and soon after that when her Aunt came to get the baby, he had passed away. Now it is just her and her dad. He does not talk much since the passing of his wife, and Billy Jo is missing out on a lot of opportunities on account she cannot play the piano anymore because of her hands. They are waiting on rain to come for their crops. When the rain does come she feels her dad is getting better, and in the end her hands will not stop her from playing piano. The novel is historical. It was located in the Southwestern Great Plains of the United States, otherwise known as the Dust Bowl. It takes place during the Great Depression. The Dust Bowl is when you didn’t get any rain. The Sun dried up the soil, crops, and wasn’t good for the animals. They were limited on water because they did not get any in a long time. So they had to use the water very wisely. They made do with what they had. It wasn’t much but they were satisfied. The Dust Bowl brought in tornadoes made of dust, which covered everything with dust from two inches to two feet. The author of Out of the Dust is Karen Hesse. Karen has written multiple books like, The Music of Dolphins, Just Juice, and Come On, Rain. According to online references, Karen Hesse wrote Out of the Dust because she was so fascinated with that time period. The view point of the book is first person, it is told by Billy Jo. The book is fictional, and it does cover and historical event, The Dust Bowl. What can be learned from this book is that you should be thankful for what you have. Make do with what you have.