Dust for Dinner (An I Can Read Book) - Hardcover

Turner, Ann Warren

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060233761 ISBN 13: 9780060233761

Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books, 1995

Synopsis

Jake narrates the story of his family's life in the Oklahoma dust bowl and the journey from their ravaged farm to California during the Great Depression

About this title

Reviews

Grade 1-2-Jake and Maggy and their parents live on a farm in Oklahoma where they grow crops, raise animals, and sing and dance to the music on the radio. But when a drought comes and dust storms destroy the land, the family must auction all of their belongings and head to California. They manage to hang on to their radio and their dog as the only reminders of the life they've left behind. With the adults working odd jobs, they make their way across the country and are lucky enough to find a better life in California. Jake's first-person narrative; the use of the radio as a motif to provide continuity; and the realistic, full-color illustrations combine to make this story a well-written introduction to the Depression for beginning readers. No dates are given in the story to provide context or historical background, but this information is included in an author's note at the end.
Jan Shepherd Ross, Dixie Elementary Magnet School, Lexington, KY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 1^-2. In this I Can Read Book, Turner takes a sad episode in history and fashions it into a story that has some depth as well as some drama. It revolves around an Oklahoma family displaced by drought and the Depression. Because the book is divided into chapters, youngsters will get the feeling of reading a "real book," while having the luxury of short sentences, generous leading, and a direct, easy-to-grasp plot line. Realistic, nicely executed illustrations decorate every page, and the book ends on a happy note: Dad finally finds a job in California. Stephanie Zvirin

Edition details

• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060233761
• ISBN 13: 9780060233761
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Barrett Robert
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 64