The Great American Dust Bowl
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The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Great American Dust Bowl presents a simplified yet evocative history of one of the United States' most dire ecological disasters in graphic novel style. Through well-researched vignettes, author-illustrator Don Brown captures the hardships of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl and the resilience of those who endured them.
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What's the story?
THE GREAT AMERICAN DUST BOWL opens on April 14, 1935, the day a huge, savage dust storm swept through America's high southern plains, derailing trains, suffocating animals, and scouring the paint from houses. The narrative then flashes back in time to explain the geological, economic and environmental factors that led to the drought. It charts the struggles of the millions of Americans who were affected by the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.
Is it any good?
The Great American Dust Bowl simplifies the story of one of the United States' biggest ecological disasters, without robbing it of its historical and continuing significance. Author-illustrator Don Brown clearly presents the geological, meteorological, and ecological factors behind the drought and Dust Bowl.
The illustrations contain a touch of whimsy that prevents the material from becoming too depressing. The book is a quick, enjoyable chronicle of a disastrous era in American history.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about ecological disasters. Could something like the Dust Bowl happen today?
How has farming in the United States changed since the days of the Dust Bowl? Are there instances in which modern farming causes situations unhealthy to the general public?
Do you think that human activity has a direct link to climate change?
Book details
- Author: Don Brown
- Illustrator: Don Brown
- Genre: History
- Topics: History, Horses and Farm Animals, Science and Nature
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Publication date: October 8, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 80
- Available on: Nook, Hardback
- Award: ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated: November 11, 2020
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For kids who love history
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