Out of the Dust

Written by Karen Hess

Genre: Historical Fiction

Point of view: 1st Person

Style: Poetic, Free Verse

Tone: Serious

Theme: Survival & Forgiveness

Characters: Billy Jo, Ma, Pa

Setting: Integral, Oklahoma 1934

Conflict: Person vs. Nature, Person vs. Self

Karen Hesse

Karen Hesse• Born in 1952, grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.

• She graduated from the University of Maryland, with a B.A. in English and minors in Psychology and Anthropology.

• Currently lives in Vermont with her husband, Randy and two teenaged daughters.

• She writes from the attic office of her home. When writing she surrounds herself with books, cozy places, and her favorite artwork.

Awards• 1998 Newbery Medal, Out of the Dust

• Winner of the 1998 Scott O'Dell Award

• An ALA Notable Children's Book

• An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

• Recipient of a MacArthur Fellows Grant in 2002

• “From the time I was ten I thought of myself as ‘good with words,’ thanks to a perceptive and supportive fifth grade teacher. Mrs. Datnoff believed I could be a professional writer some day and because she believed, I believed too. Though I gave up all my other career dreams, I never gave up dreaming of publication. It took more than thirty years to see that fifth grade dream come true. I don't know whether that makes me extremely patient or just plain stubborn.” - Karen Hesse