The Dust Bowl - Three Books For Your Shelf

Did you get to watch Ken Burns' documentary, The Dust Bowl, on PBS?   It was riveting.  I only wish it were longer.  So you can imagine how excited I was to see a copy of Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan's companion volume to the special in the bookstores.  The Dust Bowl: An Illustrated History chronicles the epic 1930s environmental and human disaster with more than 300 photographs and numerous first hand accounts.

Another great book to read is Albert Marrin's nonfiction book, Years of Dust.  Marrin goes right to the heart of the tragedy and discusses the causes that led to it.  If you're looking for a title for your classroom, this is a great one to share with your middle schoolers!

I would be remiss if I didn't include Karen Hesse's award winning work of historical fiction, Out of the Dust.   Her beautiful spare language puts the reader in the midst of the Oklahoma experience.  Hesse will leave you craving a deep breath of fresh air as you follow the ordeal of 14-year old Billie Jo.