About this title: A poem cycle that reads as a novel narrates the story of fifteen-year-old Billie Jo and her battle against the elements during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl of 1934. By the author of The Music of Dolphins. Reprint. Newbery Medal SLJ. AB. PW.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Scholastic
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780590371254ISBN:0590371258
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 227 p. Apple Signature Edition. Audience: Children/juvenile. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Scholastic
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780590371254ISBN:0590371258
Description: Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 227 p. Apple Signature Edition. Audience: Children/juvenile. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Scholastic
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780590371254ISBN:0590371258
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Minimal edge wear. One crease on spine. No chipping. No creases on covers. Text is clean and bright. Binding is tight. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 227 p. Apple Signature Edition. Audience: Children/juvenile. read more
"Personally, this was my favorite book, that i read this summer. This book taught me, that there is no place like home. As much as you anticipate the day you will leave home, when you finally leave, there is always that urge to go back. In the book "Out of the Dust" by Karen Hesse, a thirteen year old girl, named Billie Joe Kelby, learned this lesson. Billie Joe and her mother and father lived on a struggling farm in the heart of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl. The family hoped for better luck and rain to come, while eagerly awaiting the birth of a new family member. Billie Joe, felt alone, she felt as though all she had, was her talent of playing the piano. One day, a tragic accident, caused by a careless mistakes from both Billie Joe and her father, led to the deaths of Billie Joe's mother during birth and later on, the newborn son, Franklin. The accident also led to Billie Joe's hands being painfully scarred which made piano playing almost impossible. A year passed by, and she and her father seemed to have grown very far apart. Her father began developing signs of cancer, which made Billie Joe afraid that he would die, leaving her all alone. This thought caused her to run away. On the train ride away from the dust, Billie Joe exchanged stories with a man who abandoned his family. She realized that running away would do nothing but worsen her problems. She then returned home, she forgave herself and her father in the parts they played in the deaths of her mother and newborn brother. Life finally changed for the better. Billie Joe's father finally went to a doctor about the tumors on his face. He also became engaged to a woman named Louise. Billie Joe is told, by the Doctor that the only way her hands would heal were if she used them. Billie Joe found strength to do as she was told and she began playing piano again."
"In the book Out of the Dust, Billie Jo's father is her role model because he models a behavior that shows Bilie Jo how to get out of depression. Billie Jo and her dad both felt horrible when her mom died. Billie Jo is mentally paralyzed because she thinks her life is horrible and that it will stay that way. Her dad also felt this way but then he decides that he can not be sad forever, so he decides to try to pull himself out of despair by digging a hole to make a pond in. He also gets a job and a girlfriend who was soon to become his wife. Billie Jo is inspired by her dad to get back on her feet and try to improve things. One thing she does is to run away to California. When she comes back Billie Jo says, "Getting away, it wasn't any better. Just different. And lonely." Here both Billie Jo and her dad start out full of grief, but then Billie Jo's dad sets the example of being able to make things better. He composes himself and tries to get everything back together which enables Billie Jo to recover."
"I really liked this book because it was very emotional and it could relate to me. I am around the same age as Billie Jo, I too have a family and I care deeply about them. From reading this book, I've learned that even when times can get hard and you feel like all you can do is give up, there's always a way you can come through; just like how the dust storms were dragging Billie Jo away from what was really in front of her. You will always find a solution and there is no need to give up on tough times. When Billie Jo's hands were very badly burned, she felt like she could no longer do anything worth while because she was unable to play the piano, she did not talk to her father after her mother died, so she ran away... Although, she came back when she realized how much her family meant to her and she returned home. This book was definitely a good book because I loved the figurative language and the thought process put into the novel."
"Out of the Dust is a great book because it uses poetic elements without confusing the reader. The story of Billie Jo, and young girl living in the Dust Bowl in the 1900s, is described by Karen Hesse in freestyle stanzas. Very unique and engaging, this book explains the hardships Billie Jo endures throughout her life, and how she finds forgiveness for herself. At first, I thought I would dislike the book because of its uneventful look. However, the style of the author's writing, and the relevant language in the book makes for a great read. It taught me about the values of family and forgiveness. However, I would have liked it more if the author included more details about life in the dust bowl (although there are already a lot of details). Overall, I think this was a great book mainly because of the author;s writing style. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys unique styles of writing, or just the realistic fiction genre as a whole."
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