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TITLE: DRYLONGSO

AUTHOR: VIRGINIA HAMILTON

ILLUSTRATOR: JERRY PINKNEY

DESCRIPTION: A young African-American boy literally blows onto the property of a farming family in the midst of a windstorm during the Dust Bowl days of the Depression Era. He brings a special skill that may be the answer to a prayer for a desperate family and the key he needs to find the way home.

WHY I LIKE THIS BOOK: Virginia Hamilton opens the window to an African American view of one of the worst economic disasters in the history of our nation. The Great Depression escalated as the result of drought that plagued the nations middle states. Drylongso helps young readers engage this piece of history from a perspective that is accessible, culturally relevant and full of meaning. You can almost taste the dust that enveloped the farm and connect to the family’s desperate hope for life giving water in Jerry Pinkney’s brilliant illustrations. We have a tool within this beautifully written text to make history come alive through hands-on exploration and lively discussion. You’ll have young readers cheering for Drylongso to find that precious water, change the fortunes of the family that takes him in and eventually find the place where he belongs.

~ Dr. Marta

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9 | PART 10 | PART 11 | PART 12 | PART 13 | PART 14 | PART 15 | PART 16