More Newberry reviews

I finished Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse, this week at LOVED it! It was shelved in our library in the young adults section instead of the children's section, and for good reason. There's an awful, heart-breaking, fire-related tragedy in the book that will haunt younger readers, so unless you're ready for some tears and sleepless nights, I wouldn't let your pre-teen read this book. However, for a more mature mind, this book is touching and beautifully written. Ms. Hesse chose to present the story in a rambling sort of poetry instead of standard prose, and the effect was perfect for the subject matter. It's amazing how much she could say in just a couple of lines. Set in the Oklahoma dust bowl during the Great Depression, Out of the Dust takes you to a time and place of alternating hope and despair, with hope eventually winning out in the end. Maybe the main character's love of piano struck a chord (no pun intended) with me, but even without that element, I still think it would be a wonderful book.

I also finished Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes. It won the Newberry in 1944 but stands the test of time. I started this book with my boys last year while we were studying the American Revolution during homeschool, but we didn't finish it. The kids had a little difficulty with the old-fashioned wording. I see now that if we had stuck with things just a little longer, the story would have pulled us in, regardless of the wording. My oldest son just finished studying the American Revolution again in public school (fourth grade). I'm going to encourage him to give Johnny Tremain another try. It's a good example of a living book that puts kids in the middle of a place in history so that dry textbook stories will have deeper meaning for them. After reading Johnny Tremain, I was ready to find a Paul Revere biography and dive in. However, there are still plenty of Newberry books to conquer, so I'm afraid Mr. Revere will have to wait.