Dust for Dinner (I Can Read Book - Level 3) [Paperback]

Ann Turner (Author), Robert Barrett (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 1997 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Jake and Maggy lived on a farm where they loved to sing and dance to the music from Mama's radio. Then terrible dust storms came and ruined the land. The family had no choice but to auction off the farm and make the long, hard journey west to California-away from the dust storms, where the land is still green.

Along the way, Papa tries to find work, and Jake and Maggy try to help too. But what if Papa can't find a job? What if California isn't better after all?

Ann Turner's dramatic story about the dust bowl, set during the Great Depression and beautifully captured in Robert Barrett's paintings, shows how one family stays together during difficult times.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (January 3, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006444225X
• ISBN-13: 978-0064442251
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Homelessness & Poverty
  • #84 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Series > Early Reader > I Can Read Books

More About the Author

I was born in a small town in Western Massachusetts to creative parents who always encouraged my writing and painting. I went to Bates College, majored in English, and spent a wonderful year abroad in Oxford, England, giving me a taste for neat Scotch, Evensong, and very old churches and buildings. I've been married long enough to break all records and have two grown children. I am especially drawn to telling stories about outsiders, rebellious girls, and people who don't fit in--as I didn't growing up. I was always a bit too loud, too passionate, moved too fast, made up too many stories, and thought that life moved just a tad too slowly for me. I love to cook, garden, swim, pet my wild Jack Russell terrier, talk to friends and my "kids," and laugh at my husband's wild, original stories. I also actually answer letters and emails sent to me by fans, and when I do school visits, I tell people--"Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't do it!"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Way to Connect, May 10, 2006

By 

Christina Carey "piika" (Outer Space) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dust For Dinner (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

I featured this book in my 4th grade class's unit on "How We Came to California." It was the best book that told about the journey of many families to the Golden State during the Dust Bowl Days because it included why they left, how they came and the struggle once they got here. To make it even more special, my grandmother came to read it to the students because she lived in CA during this time and helped the people who came to her town from Oaklahoma and Kansas. Having an elder read it to the kids was the most memorable thing to many of the kids who simply did not know about this period of their family's history.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Includes facts in an interesting story format, April 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dust for Dinner (I Can Read Book - Level 3) (Paperback)

Gradeschool children who read this story identified with the story characters. Students went away with appreciation for this time in American History. It was easy to read and informative. It made many students realize how fortunate they are.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Historical Fiction For Kids, January 19, 2010

By 

emily "FunSchoolingAtHome" (Las Vegas, Nevada, United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dust for Dinner (I Can Read Book - Level 3) (Paperback)

Children will enjoy the books in this series, build reading skills, expand vocabulary, and learn about history all together while reading these stories! The illustrations are good as well. We loved them all and read them more than once. You could add these to a study of American history for young kids and make the curriculum more interesting.