When the Sky Turned to Dust -

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Résumé :
In the midst of America's Great Depression, a devastating drought and violent winds brought destruction and added hardship to the Midwest. When the Sky Turned to Dust follows the journey of the courageous Dolan family as they face the ultimate test of strength and resilience and struggle to survive on the unforgiving prairie. During the ravages of the Dust Bowl, the largest storm ever recorded swept through Kansas, leaving chaos in its wake. Separated from his family, nine-year-old Daniel must fight for his life. With the fate of her brother in her hands, it's up to twelve-year-old Caroline to brave the treacherous conditions to save both their lives. As the storms rage on, their crops fail, and tragedy strikes, the Dolan family must come together like never before to overcome their greatest challenge and deepest grief. If you enjoyed the heart-wrenching tale of survival in Out of the Dust, you won't want to miss When the Sky Turned to Dust. Filled with powerful emotions and gripping conflicts, this book will keep you turning the pages....

Biographie:
Catherine Matthias is the author of six early reader picture books published in English and Spanish by Children's Press, an imprint of Scholastic Books. The two nonfiction books, titled I Can Be a Police Officer and I Can Be a Computer Operator, are part of a career series. The four fiction titles are Over-Under, Out the Door, I Love Cats, and Too Many Balloons. Her nonfiction adult book, The Word Gobblers - a handbook for parents working with children struggling to read, published by Square One Publishers, 2021, NY, is a natural extension of her work as an Irlen Syndrome Screener, her picture book writing, and her desire to see all children enjoy reading, by addressing the medically-based causes and symptoms of the condition and providing parents and teachers with tools to identify the problem and relieve the physical and emotional symptoms. Catherine lives with her husband, Stewart Jones, in rural Joseph, Oregon. In the brief first chapter, you've grabbed me by the lapels and dragged me into the story, and I'm ready to follow you anywhere. As a reader, I sense the solid research that underpins the story. - From the critique by Heather Vogel Frederick, author of more than 20 books, including The Mother-Daughter Book Club series. Your depiction of the Dust Bowl is a real triumph. It's richly imagined and thoroughly researched. You portray these real people as imperfect, but generous and kind... capable of loving through whatever life throws at them, and demonstrating the value above all else of sharing and sticking together in hard times. - From the critique by Karen Fisher, author of A Sudden Country, a Pen/Faulkner Finalist....

Sommaire:
Reader Views, 5 Stars: When the Sky Turned to Dust by Catherine Matthias is a transcendental story about one family's harrowing experience during the Dust Bowl... a must-read book that will keep middle schoolers, teenagers, families, and classrooms turning pages with their hearts in their throats. Indie Book Readers Appreciation Group, Medallion Award: This is a fabulous book. The hardships become gritty, heartbreaking, and escalating. Following along as Caroline and her brother Daniel learn about the depression outside of their community flows smoothly. I found this book extremely well executed with the details that middle schoolers need while adding a broader perspective to anchor the story. Readers' Favorite Review, 5 Stars: Told through the eyes of a young girl determined to fight for her family, home, and life, this book is impeccably crafted and well-written, exploring themes of strength, resilience, loss, grief, family, and survival. It is a must read about living through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, wonderfully depicting in great detail the terror and disaster caused by drought, heat, cold, dust, and storms that affected many people and also one family's ability to ensure their survival and hold on to their hope, strength, happiness, and even their farm in a time when many families lost theirs. Reedsy Review - Must Read: From the first page, Catherine Matthias masterfully weaves a powerful tale of life during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression... Her writing is thoughtful, clear, and deeply reflective. You can practically feel the dust on your skin... Concepts such as the economic struggles that led to bank failures and farmers losing their land are explained in an easy-to-understand way... I highly recommend When the Sky Turned to Dust... It belongs in school curricula offering lessons on resilience, financial responsibility, and the strength of family and community. It's a beautifully written tale of finding light even in the darkness. Chanticleer International Book Awards Finalist - LARAMIE Division recognizing outstanding works in the Western, First Nations, and Americana genre....