A young girl is born to parents who hoped for a little boy during the depression. She, however, is gifted like her mother on the piano. She is asked to perform several places by her crush Mad Dog. When her mother finally gets pregnant with another child, a fatal accident leaves her burnt up and unsightly until her death after giving birth to a stillborn, Franklin. The two are buried together on a hill while Billie Jo and her father are left toiling in the hot sun and enduring dust storms. Billie Jo must learn to deal with her unsightly hands which had been scorched by the fire.
They struggle so much until the rains finally come and fill the pond that her father made in the memorium of her mother. After the alert that her father gets when Billie Jo runs away, he realizes they need to grow closer. He introduces her to a woman he has kept company with ad intends to marry. Billie Jo soon learns how to deal with her presence and loves her as she did her mother. She also learns to forgive her father for leaving kerosene near the stove.
Pre-Reading Ideas:
Students can research the Dust Bowl in order to develop research skills and strategies, such as keyword searches, for finding information while writing this paper.
Students can research the Dionne Quintuplets
or research the Depression and farm life at that time.
Post-Reading Ideas:
This novel was written in free verse poetic style. Students can attempt to write a series of free verse poems from Billie Jo's perspective (ten years after the book closes). Ask them to question what they thin became of Billie Jo.
They can each select one of the poems and present it as a dramatic reading. Props can be included.
Billie Jo had a talent, but when tragedy struck, she was ready to give it up. Ask students would they give up? What is their special talent and what would they do if they were faced with a tragedy similar to Billie Jo's? What strengths can they pull from within to battle this adversity?
Students could put on a talent show to showcase their special talents.
This book does not seem to be a censorship target because it is not only historical, but mild.
This novel could be read aloud in class and for individual reading because it's so easy to follow and simple to the eye.
Check out this link to web advertising the audio book for Out of the Dust: