Available:*
Material Type | Library | Call Number | Suggested Age | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book | Searching... Cabell County Public Library | 978.032 M | Juvenile | Searching... Unknown |
| Book | Searching... Gallaher Village Public Library | 978.032 M | Juvenile | Searching... Unknown |
| Book | Searching... Guyandotte Public Library | 978.032 M | Juvenile | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
The people of Dodge City, Kansas, were doing what they did every Sunday, going to church, visiting friends, or sending their children outside to play. During the afternoon, however, the ordinary day quickly changed. A huge black cloud could be seen rolling across the plains, approaching the city. As people rushed to find shelter, a familiar cry could be heard: "Dust storm." Author Debra McArthur examines the conditions that led to the severe drought and terrible dust storms that destroyed crops and farmland. McArthur shows that even though some farmers left their farms forever, others were able to survive with help from the federal and state governments.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8 This is a somewhat functional, if less than captivating, effort to explain an important period in American history. It opens with a description of "Black Sunday," when a severe dust storm swept through Kansas in 1935, and personal stories play an integral role in illustrating what the Dust Bowl was and how it affected the people, culture, and economy of the time. The part that the federal government played in relief from this natural disaster is granted several chapters that somewhat clumsily segue into the picture of the Great Depression. This is helpful in placing the Dust Bowl in its historical context but ends up giving the Depression short shrift. (The portion about the work of artists in the WPA seems to have been included as an afterthought.) The lessons of the Dust Bowl wrap up the story in the final, and weakest, chapter, which even refers to droughts within the last several years. Toward the end of the book, despite what the country and student researchers may have learned, the author makes a presumptuous statement that will surely cause any and all earth science teachers breathing difficulties: "Soil conservation will be popular only in times when the winds threaten to blow the dust." The black-and-white illustrations are undistinguished. Although the volume has strengths, including solid, comprehensive footnotes; a thorough index; and clear organization, it is not one of the strongest entries in the series, and certainly not the book that should be a primary resource on the topic. -Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Each of the books in this series attempts to delineate the numerous causes and significant events that helped form a specific era in American history. These three books feature black-and-white photos and illustrations of uneven quality, boxed quotes from source documents, and timelines. Bib., ind. [Review covers these In American History titles: [cf2]Jamestown, John Smith, and Pocahontas in American History; The Harlem Renaissance in American History; The Dust Bowl and the Depression in American History[cf1].] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
