Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Out of the Dust
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
This gripping story, written in sparse first-person, free-verse poems, is the compelling tale of Billie Jo's struggle to survive during the dust bowl years of the Depression. With stoic courage, she learns to cope with the loss of her mother and her grieving father's slow deterioration. There is hope at the end when Billie Jo's badly burned hands are healed, and she is able to play her beloved piano again. The 1998 Newbery Medal winner.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
dabbe
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
IndoorDame 🩷🩷🩷 5mo
TheBookHippie 🩷🩷🩷🩷 5mo
dabbe @IndoorDame 🩷🤍🩷 5mo
See All 6 Comments
dabbe @TheBookHippie 🩷🤍🩷 5mo
Eggs Beautifully done 🍎💚🌳 5mo
dabbe @Eggs 🩷🤍🩷 5mo
50 likes6 comments
blurb
dabbe
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

#MiddleGradeMonday
@karisimo

Posting this favorite again. I simply ADORE this book. 💙🩵💙

Karisimo This one has long been on my TBR! I didn‘t realize it was written in verse! Your rec bumps it way up the list!! 5mo
dabbe @Karisimo My #1 middle age book of ALL time and in my top 5 favorite books of all time. I can't wait to read what you think about it! 🤩 5mo
52 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
dabbe
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

#StorySettings
#prairie
@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I can never post or praise this book enough. 💙🩵💙

TheBookHippie Agree. 6mo
dabbe @TheBookHippie 🤩🤗😀 6mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 🤩 6mo
See All 6 Comments
Kerrbearlib Such a good book! 6mo
dabbe @Kerrbearlib In my top five of all time. 💙🩵💙 6mo
55 likes1 stack add6 comments
blurb
dabbe
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

#SpringSkies
#AwardWinner
@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Top five favorite book of all time. All poetry, all about a girl's life during the Great Depression. #1998NewburyWinner

tpixie I remember when my kids read that for school. It is good! 6mo
dabbe @tpixie It was one of my favorite middle school books to teach. 💜🧡💜 6mo
See All 6 Comments
tpixie @dabbe 💜🧡💜 6mo
dabbe @Eggs No, I haven't, but I just put it on my TBR! Thanks! 💜🧡💜 6mo
Eggs @dabbe My pleasure 😍 6mo
42 likes6 comments
review
IndoorDame
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
Pickpick

This MG novel in verse about Depression living in the Dustbowl was maybe not the smartest choice I could have made when I couldn‘t sleep last night at 3AM, but this likely would‘ve made me cry even if I‘d been feeling stable and well rested. So good! #AllTheFeels

dabbe Now you've hit on my favorite book of poetry EVER. I used this with my juniors during the Modernism period. I'd read just a few pages a day. What discussions we had! They loved opening class every day with this. I still hear “Apple Blossoms“ in my head and the line “she ached for rain/all day all night/she ached for rain.“ Saying it out loud with that long “a“ sound sounds just like an ache. I can't say enough about this book! 🤩🤩🤩 10mo
IndoorDame @dabbe it would make a fabulous classroom book!!!! 10mo
59 likes2 stack adds2 comments
blurb
Mayadenoma
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

quote
Mayadenoma
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse

“I Dreamed I saw a sea / of sorghum stretched out, / miles of shocks, on all sides.“

review
Mayadenoma
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
Mehso-so

Karen Hesse's 'Out of the Dust' is a novel-in-verse that immerses readers in the Dust Bowl era. Through its poetic narrative, it vividly portrays the challenges faced by a young girl and her family during a turbulent time in history, providing a unique lens for studying historical fiction. This book offers a poetic approach to historical storytelling, fostering discussions about the impact of historical events on individuals and communities.

blurb
dabbe
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

#MarchMagic
@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
#BookofPoetry

Taking a different spin here: this is a narrative book of poetry about Billie Jo's life living in the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma in the 1930s. The entire tale is told from BJ's POV, all in poetry. Haunting, lovely, and heartbreaking all at the same time. I included a little poem because I can't get enough of this book. In my top 5 of all time.

Eggs Great book! I‘ve enjoyed many Hesse books💗💗 2y
dabbe @Eggs 🥰 2y
40 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Loganfairbanks
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
Pickpick

This book was published in 1997 and received the Scott O'Dell Book Award. This is a historical fiction book that is written in poetry form about the dust bowl. It is a heartbreaking story told in a beautiful way. I will absolutely use this book in my classroom!

blurb
lynneamch
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

Reading this all-the-feels story of a young girl growing up on a #farm during the 1930s dust bowl years in the US, beautifully written in free-verse. Thank you @Talewaggingreads . You told me I would enjoy it. You know me. Pic of today's walk beside the sand dunes at the wildlife refuge. #Newberry #Scholastic #SavvySettings @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 👍🏻 📚 3y
Eggs Great book 📚 👏🏻 3y
mandarchy This is such a good book. I read it several years ago and it has never left me. Now you need to read Aleutian Sparrow. 3y
lynneamch Thank you @mandarchy Sounds fascinating. 3y
39 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
Read4life
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 3y
39 likes1 comment
review
freeatlast1137
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
Pickpick

Billie Jo details her life in the dust. A heartbreaking tale of a child‘s life during the dust bowl.

I forgot how sad this story was, I needed a change of pace from my previous book but this was just as depressing.

26 likes1 stack add
review
amber_ldsmom
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
Pickpick

Great book about living in the dust bowl and what it took to survive. Heartbreaking.
#NewberyEpicChallenge #readingwithmaja #october #historical fiction

19 likes1 stack add
review
Mazzole18
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
Pickpick

Have you ever not felt wanted? From the moment Billie Jo was born her father wanted a son not a daughter and her life only seemed to get worse. Out of the Dust is a HF novel by Karen Hesse. This unique story tells the tale of Billie Jo's life growing up on a farm during the great dust storms and the many struggles she faces.#ucflae3414su20

Mazzole18 It is the winner of the 1998 Newbery Medal. This is the perfect book to use for LC. UDL principle 2.1 and 3.1 which will clarify vocabulary and activate prior knowledge. ESOL strategy 8 -Use direct instruction: Modeling, explaining, scaffolding, name the strategy and show how to use it. Here is great resource with videos to to help you activate prior knowledge about the Dust Bowl. https://sites.google.com/a/pvlearners. (edited) 4y
DrSpalding It has been a long time since I read this book but it left a powerful impression. This is a good mentor text for the genre of historical fiction. It would be an excellent option for literature circles. Your universal design and English learner strategies could certainly work. 4y
4 likes2 comments
blurb
elijahsmith
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse

I enjoyed the descriptive language of this story.

quote
elijahsmith
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse

“I hear the first drops. Like the tapping of a stranger at the door of a dream”

review
elijahsmith
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
Pickpick

This author does a great job of using descriptive language and making the reader feel as if you are right there. It feels as if you are experiencing the dust bowl right with this girl. You can tell this book comes from authentic experiences.

quote
Abby_Karagory
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse

“Each day after class lets out, each morning before it begins, I sit at the school piano and make my hands work. In spite of the pain, in spite of the stiffness and scars. I make my hands play the piano. I have practiced my best piece over and over till my arms throb.”

blurb
Abby_Karagory
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse

I appreciated that even though the book showed how Billie had a positive outlook- it was still honest about the tragedies that occurred. This is a great real-life depiction, and how child can approach even the worst issues.

review
Abby_Karagory
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
Pickpick

Published in 1997, this is a story of a 14-year-old girl named Billie Jo Kelby who has a passion for music. This story takes place in Oaklahoma during the famous dust bowl (which took place from 1930-1936). The book shows how Billie can take the most tragic situations and let her positive spirit shine through. Really great read for children- as I can even remember focusing on the dust bowl at one point in class as a student.

quote
ev844718
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse

“That‘s a way I‘ve found of gaining what I want, by catching Ma off guard, especially when I‘m after permission to play piano.”

blurb
ev844718
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse

I like this book because it tells a story about a family dealing with a natural phenomenon. It teaches children about the importance of helping out and working hard.

review
ev844718
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
Mehso-so

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse was published in 1997. The book is about a family who lives in Oklahoma and is dealing with a big dust storm. The crops are struggling to grow and the buildings are filling with dust. Each of the families in the state are working to keep growing different crops and making money so that they can live and support their families.

review
BookishMarginalia
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
Pickpick

I‘m reading through the books of our new k-8 ELA curriculum #WitAndWisdom — I knew only that this book was set in the Dust Bowl, so I was quite shocked by what happened to the protagonist and her mother. I think the students will be quite engaged too.

Butterfinger I loved this book. So pitiful. And, I think it was my first novel that was written in poetic form. 5y
Librarybelle I really liked this one 5y
108 likes5 stack adds2 comments
review
wmaxflowers
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
Pickpick

#lae3414sp19 Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse is a John Newberry Medal winning piece of historical fiction (HF). A story about a young girl and her family as they make their way through the 1930‘s with the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Written as poem entries from Billy Jo‘s point of view, this story is a beautiful, but also somber story which is probably better suited for older students (4th-5th grade). This would be a great LC book

wmaxflowers I liked this lesson plan for this book: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/out-dust-vocab...
UDL 2.1 and ESOL 5 are both applied in this plan, due to its focus on vocabulary and its importance within the text.
6y
DrSpalding You are right! This book would make an excellent literature circle option. For several years this was one of my favorite books! It‘s easy to read and so powerful regarding the 1930s and dustbowl. Of course it is historical fiction.❤️📚 6y
1 like2 comments
quote
Samara_Kipnis
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

I‘ve been too busy reading lately to post, but this stanza jumped out at me.

review
Tamra
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
Mehso-so

Makes me thankful for clean air. It‘s hard to believe anyone hung on thru the dust bowl.

blurb
Eggs
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
71 likes2 stack adds
review
amrrruuuta
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
Mehso-so

This was incredibly depressing and oddly hopeful at the same time. Also a very quick read- it was great to start off #24in48.

quote
BucklingBookshelves
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
11 likes1 stack add
review
hike.read.repeat
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
Mehso-so

Another quick audiobook listen to help me try to reach my 2017 reading goals. Read this as a kid. Was depressing tbh.

blurb
VioletBramble
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

#awesomeautumnbooks #ToughTuesday
Billy Jo is having a tough time surviving in 1934-1935 Oklahoma. The drought, the dust, the winds, and the locusts are destroying everything. She is a pianist who has suffered a horrible burn to her hands. She thinks this means an end to her dreams of escaping her situation.
It's also a tough Tuesday here in the USA. DACA has been recinded. Hurricane Irma may be headed for Florida.

Libby1 Take care. 💙 7y
23 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Joy4Lit
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
Pickpick

Haunting, beautiful, unique. I'll have to read it again but my word. I'm in awe of it. Just overwhelmed. Gorgeous work. Also, being a huge fan (and wearer) of vintage '30s dresses, I can also imagine the "house dresses" right along side it. Just an incredible work of art, this book. #karenhesse #outofthedust

blurb
JacintaMCarter
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image
43 likes1 stack add
blurb
JennietheRoman
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

Currently reading.
Recommended by a friend, and so far I have no regrets. I've never read anything quite like it, and I'm having trouble putting it down.

RaimeyGallant Welcome to Litsy! 7y
mcausten_sister IM SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT @JennietheRoman 7y
JennietheRoman @mcausten_sister I'm going to finish it today. 😎 7y
See All 8 Comments
mcausten_sister Yaaaaaassssssss 7y
mcausten_sister Did you finish it? What did you think? 7y
JennietheRoman @mcausten_sister I finished it on the bus yesterday, while it was pouring the rain. The book made me cry but the rain had me laughing hysterically. 7y
mcausten_sister 😂😂😂😂 7y
mcausten_sister What are you even doing with your life? Oh wait. Not being on Litsy is what you're doing. 7y
2 likes8 comments
blurb
hes7
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

A poetic, Newbery-winning story of the Dust Bowl experience. #RockinMay #DustInTheWind

Cinfhen 😍😍 7y
72 likes6 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Daisey
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

I haven't been keeping up on photo challenges this month, but I immediately thought of this book when I saw #dustinthewind. It's a wonderful YA novel in verse set in the Dust Bowl during 1934 and 1935.

#YA #novelinverse #rockinmay #MsDsLibrary

MKbookworm I think I was 12 or so when I received this book for Christmas and absolutely fell in love with it. Still sits on one of my book shelves nearly 20 years later. 7y
tjwill That's the first book I thought of too. I loved that book. 7y
Cinfhen I love the cover 💗 7y
See All 8 Comments
Daisey @MKbookworm @tjwill @Cinfhen Yes, it's a wonderful story and lovely cover! 7y
Onlaughterandliteracy Obsessed with novels in verse! 7y
Daisey @Onlaughterandliteracy I used to want more detail, but now there are several I really love. I think my current favorite might be 7y
Onlaughterandliteracy I just did a unit on novels in verse. It was amazing. We loved The Crossover, Booked, Unbound, and I think my personal favorite is Paper Hearts ❤️❤️ 7y
Daisey I loved The Crossover as well. I'll have to look up a couple of the others! 7y
43 likes3 stack adds8 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

#DustintheWind #RockinMay Newbery Medal winner told from the viewpoint of young Billie Jo. I had to read this for one of my librarian grad classes. It's a gripping, emotionally driven story set during the "Dust Bowl" of the US Great Depression. The unique free-verse poetry style made the tragedy in the book stand out all the more for me.

Cinfhen Sounds compelling! Maybe I'll give it a try 😊thanks for posting & sharing 💚 7y
28 likes3 stack adds2 comments
blurb
Suet624
Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse
post image

We Vermonters are fortunate to have a lot of well known authors close by. I decided not to go for the obvious (Howard Frank Mosher, Chris Bohjalian, Bernie Sanders, Alison Bechdel, Verandah Porsche, Ruth Stone). Karen Hesse was an important part of my children's education. #AprilBookShowers #localauthor

minkyb Mine as well! I vividly remember bringing my daughter to hear her read from one of her many marvelous books. Love her. 8y
Suet624 @minkyb that's so great!!!! 8y
Loreen I thought about claiming Wallace Stegner for this challenge. He claimed Utah and I think we still claim him. 😁 8y
See All 6 Comments
Suet624 @Loreen jeepers. You're right. I wonder where I got that idea??? Thank you for the correction. I'll edit my post. 8y
Loreen @Suet624 but he lived in Vermont part time so you get to have him too? 😁😁😁 8y
Suet624 @Loreen 😀😀Solzhenitsyn lived here for a number of years. I should have mentioned him instead. 😀 8y
58 likes1 stack add6 comments