Not only does she do this, but we'd actually argue that she comes out of her funk with a clearer sense of who she is than ever. While Daddy tries to raise her to do farm work and other boy stuff, it only makes her a hardened tomboy who still believes she falls short of the mark. Karen Hesse, by TEEN HISTORICAL FICTION, by © Copyright 2020 Kirkus Media LLC. illustrated by Billie Jo's interests and pastimes give us the clearest window into her values and personality. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree, Get access to this video and our entire Q&A library. Plus playing piano is a great source of comfort and peace for Billie Jo amidst the uncertainty of the Depression; early in the book, she describes it as a completely natural act that is "supremely / heaven" (6.2). Born Beryl Clutterbuck, she moved with her family to the highlands of Kenya as a toddler. What are some similes in Out of the Dust? G. Brian Karas, by Surprisingly, it is a bat refuge, full of bat dung, with hundreds of bats returning in the evening. © 2020 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. Rosemary Nichols. Michaela MacColl She manages to feed the eaglet and herself through fashioning a crude fishing rod. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones: Summary, Analysis & Themes, What Was the Dust Bowl? Why did Billie Jo leave in Out of the Dust? To make matters worse, the community continues to suffer from seemingly endless dust storms that bury their crops and kill their livestock. Billie Jo is also a great connoisseur of apple-related dishes, and the harvest from Ma's apple tree is a favorite yearly event. The way she describes herself in the first chapter clearly shows that she's got some issues: a long-legged girl / with a wide mouth / and cheekbones like bicycle handles (1.3). by Karen Hesse ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1997. Who is the protagonist in Out of the Dust? Karen Hesse & For two days she struggles with a storm, a visiting bear, and hunger. Her favorite activity is playing the piano, which she learned from Ma when she was five years old. Study Guide Answers - Out of the Dust By Karen Hesse. Michaela MacColl, by Working through her grief, she realizes her father’s actions, which she so resented at the time, were a result of a grief as deep as her own. All Rights Reserved. Knowing the eaglet must have assistance, in desperation, she sets the house on fire and is rescued. All rights reserved. So consider yourself warned: With Billie Jo running the show, remember to pay close attention and read between the lines. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Shmoop and verify that you are over the age of 13. illustrated by In short, Billie Jo longs to get out of Dodge. How does Billie Jo change in Out of the Dust? Michaela MacColl ‧ ‧ Is Out of the Dust appropriate for an elementary... How is Billie Jo mature in Out of the Dust? influencers in the know since 1933. Why did Karen Hesse write Out of the Dust? Young Beryl wants nothing more than to be a warrior, a murani, and to be able to leap higher than her own head. TEEN FICTION With Ma gone, and unable (or unwilling?) ‧ Especially because we've got a hunch that the dust will be back before she knows it—they don't call it the Dirty Thirties for nothing. Though she loses the leopard in the night, the next morning, she and her new friend, a Nandi boy, Kibii, find the dog still alive and save it. Her relationship with Kibii's father, the wise Arap Maina, along with a growing awareness of the consequences of her actions, help lead her into a more mature—though still wildly impulsive and daring—life. Daddy's unwillingness to get treatment for his skin cancer, the growing failure of the farm due to the drought and dust, and watching more of her friends, like Livie and Mad Dog, leave home makes her more desperate than ever to escape her life. Karen Hesse She feels frustrated when Miss Freeland is in a production of Madame Butterfly and she seems to be the only person who hasn't heard of the play, and she becomes depressed when an art exhibit to raise money for the local library ends and the paintings are returned to storage.