Out Of The Dust [Hardcover]

Acclaimed author Karen Hesse's Newbery Medal-winning novel-in-verse explores the life of fourteen-year-old Billie Jo growing up in the dust bowls of Oklahoma.

Dust piles up like snow across the prairie. . . .

A terrible accident has transformed Billie Jo's life, scarring her inside and out. Her mother is gone. Her father can't talk about it. And the one thing that might make her feel better -- playing the piano -- is impossible with her wounded hands.

To make matters worse, dust storms are devastating the family farm and all the farms nearby. While others flee from the dust bowl, Billie Jo is left to find peace in the bleak landscape of Oklahoma -- and in the surprising landscape of her own heart.

Awards and Praise forOut of the Dust:

Winner of the Newbery Medal

Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award

An ALA Notable Children's Book

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

ASchool Library JournalBest Book of the Year

ABooklistEditors' Choice

ABook Links Lasting Connection

APublishers WeeklyBest Book of the Year

A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing selection

* Hesse's spare prose adroitly traces Billie Jo's journey in and out of darkness.... With each meticulously arranged entry she paints a vivid picture of Billie Jo's emotions, ranging from desolation.... to longing... to hope. --Publishers Weekly, starred review

* Hesse uses free-verse poems to advance the plot, allowing the narrator to speak for herself much more eloquently than would be possible in standard prose. The author's astute and careful descriptions of life during the dust storms of the 1930s are grounded in harsh reality, yet are decidedly poetic... Hesse's ever growing skill as a writer willing to take chances with her form shines through superbly... --School Library Journal, starred review

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