Adolescent Lit. Response 7/22/08 D, PR, C, S

Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the dust. New York: Scholastic Press.

Historical fiction and free verse too!Every word is choice and has deep insight to the horrendous emotion of living in Oklahoma during the Great Depression. Karen Hesse captures the coming-of-age of BillieJo a dust-bowl depressed economy and environment youth. The song is grim but ends on a note of light. It is a historical insight that spans over one year (1935) in a journalized manner that each entry is a reflection and discussion starter. Hesse includes all the elements necessary for adolescent literature; A young girl of fourteen reaching puberty, a pregnant mother,her best friend immigrating, a young male peer, tragedy and uncontrollable natural elements and a father that has lost his dignity . The pains and simple joys of BillieJo's life are her strength. She tries to run away at one point but realizes her father need her and she need him. BillieJo hangs in there, she has her music and over comes physical difficulties and mostly she is survivor in history. A text-to-text contention could be another emotion filled book written in letter style and entitled Letters to Rifka, also by Karen Hess. Both books are fine example of her extremely creative and captivating writing style which drawns in the adolescent and adult reader.