Poetry

Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse is a beautifully written story, completely in free verse poetry. It follows the life of a young girl, Billie Jo, who is the narrator of the story. The story takes place in Oklahoma during the 1930's. This story follows Billie Jo throughout the difficult months of her life while living in the Dust Bowl. This is a powerful, emotional book, and very beautifully written.

Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1

Jack Prelutsky is a ridiculously funny poet who actually started off as an illustrator and found poetry in a round-about sort of way. He has written several books, all a compilation of several poems each centered around a certain theme. Many books ranging from GE: 1.8-6.0 with a few of my favorites below.
Awful Ogre Running Wild GE: 5.2
Awful Ogre's Awful Day GE: 5.7
The Dragons are Singing Tonight GE: 5.8
Monday's Troll GE: 6.o