Beginner Reader

This book follows Jake and Maggy's journey after a dust storm ruins their family's farm land. I would have new readers read this book to improve their vocabulary and understanding of the Great Depression. I think this book would be a great, age appropriate introduction to the Great Depression. ( )

Jake tell a story about his family's life in Oklahoma dust bowl. His family lost everything doing hard time. His family leave Oklahoma together, eventhough they were not having enough food and slept in the tent, but they stick together and cheer other up. They keep their spirit with with a brighter days a head. ( )

This is the story of an Oklahoma family during the Dust Bowl. Jack, Maggie, and their parents live on a farm and raise animals, grow plants and crops, and listen to the radio until the drought comes and leaves everything dry and dusty. The family decides to leave for California, so they auction off their belongings and arrive at the Golden State, where the father gets a job.

I thought that this was a great historical fiction book. The story factual and it ended well. The illustrations were very captivating with a lot of color.

For this story, I would have students create a cause-and-effect chain as a class. For instance, the drought caused the land to be dry which caused the crops to die, ect. ( )

Dust for Dinner tells a story adequately. It contains nothing special, like Paterson's excellent The Smallest Cow in the World, but this book fills a place, telling for new readers a story of the Dust Bowl. Not one I would go out of my way to purchase.