Out of the Dust

Karen Hesse

Turtleback, 1998 - Juvenile Fiction - 256 pages

A poem cycle that reads as a novel, "Out of the Dust" tells the story of Billie Jo, a girl who struggles to help her family survive the dustbowl years of the Depression. Fighting against the elements on her Oklahoma farm, Billie Jo takes on even more responsibilities when her mother dies in a tragic accident. A testament to the American spirit, this novel is an instant classic.

About the author

Karen Hesse (born on August 29, 1952 Baltimore, Maryland) is an American author of children's literature and literature for young adults. She studied theatre at Towson State College, and finished her undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland in English, Psychology, and Anthropology. In 1998 she won the Newbery Medal for her young adult novel, Out of the Dust. Hesse lives in Vermont with her husband and two teen-aged daughters.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Out of the Dust; Apple Signature Edition
• Author: Karen Hesse
• Publisher: Turtleback, 1998
• ISBN: 0613119533, 9780613119535
• Length: 256 pages
• Subjects: Juvenile Fiction / Classics; Juvenile Fiction / Historical / United States / 20th Century; Juvenile Fiction / Lifestyles / Farm & Ranch Life; Juvenile Fiction / People & Places / United States / General; Young Adult Fiction / Girls & Women; Young Adult Fiction / Historical / United States / 20th Century