Out of the Dust

Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 1997

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Access Full Guide

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Further Reading & Resources

Further Reading: Literature

These historical middle grade novels each feature a Great Depression-era female protagonist like Billie Jo in Out of the Dust, but vary in locale, given circumstances, and conflict:

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm (2010)

Get access to this full Study Guide and much more!

8,500+ In-Depth Study Guides
4,700+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
Downloadable PDFs

Turtle in Paradise (2010) by Jennifer L. Holm finds 11-year-old Turtle Curry heading to live with relatives she's never met in Depression-era Key West, Florida. Leaving her mom behind at her job as a live-in housekeeper, cynical Turtle must find her place at Aunt Minnie's grubby house amongst her three cousins.

Turtle in Paradise on SuperSummary

The SuperSummary difference

8x more resources than SparkNotes and CliffsNotes combined
Study Guides you won't find anywhere else
100+ new titles every month

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis (2012)

The Mighty Miss Malone is a historical middle grade novel by Christopher Paul Curtis. Deza Malone, age 12, endures the challenges of the Great Depression with her tight-knit family by her side. When Father must leave their home in Indiana to find work, Mother, Deza, and Deza’s brother Jimmie soon realize they are strongest when they are all together—and they start a journey to try to find Father.

The Mighty Miss Malone on SuperSummary

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper

As the Ku Klux Klan exerts increasing influence over the residents of rural Bumblebee, North Carolina, 11-year-old Stella Mills must confront racism while navigating the challenges of school, family life, and friendship.