Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse

The Newbery Award-Winning novel, Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse, offers a portrayal of life during the dust bowl from the perspective of a young child. The presentation of the text - almost as if it were an epic poem - keeps the reader feeling like s/he is always moving forward, giving a constant sense of completion or accomplishment every one-two pages. In this way, the book gives the opportunity for more emergent readers to feel like they are making quick progress in reading a novel - a feeling they may not get too often. Additionally, the language used is very visually-oriented, allowing readers to imagine dust, hawks, fences, eggs, cream, and dust-covered meals. My 6-word memoir for this book: Dust-swept life; kerosene-burnt hands.