MODULE 4: CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE SCHOOL OF WEEDPATCH CAMP

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Stanley, Jerry. 1992. CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE SCHOOL AT WEEDPATCH CAMP. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 517587823

PLOT SUMMARY:
The Unites States had just been hit by the Stock Market crash of 1929. In 1931 a drought in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri began. As the drought persisted and as the winds began to howl, the Dust Bowl was born. People tried to remain on their land but it became impossible. These people, commonly referred to as Okies, made their way to California looking for a better life. What they found was poverty, degradation, and hostility. These people lived in squatters camps and eventually were moved to government managed settlements. When the children were not working to help the family survive, they went to school. However they were not welcome in the native Californians’ schools. The Weedpatch Camp School was born out of school superintendent Leo Hart’s desire and determination to educate all children. The school was built and managed by the Okie children. It was self sufficient. It offered a variety of courses and trade trainings. In its four years of operation, the school became a coveted source of education and was eventually absorbed into the existing school district in Vineland, California. Mr. Hart continued serving as the school district superintendent for 4 more years, creating other schools for the undereducated.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF SCHOOL OF WEEDPATCH CAMP is an inspirational and informational text. It tells the story of one man and a group of neglected, undereducated children who wanted something better than what currently existed.
The book is attractive and appealing at a first glance and perusal. The cover uses a colorized photograph of a child of the Dust Bowl. The book is published in a very easy to read font size and style. The author uses actual photographs to illustrate certain points and to further exemplify the plight triumph of the Okies.
The subject matter is equally compelling. The Dust Bowl is a widely studied aspect of American History. However many times the discussion of the Dust Bowl ends with the drought and the mass exodus of people from the area. This book includes much needed historical background for the events of the mid to late 1930s. But this text adds a human face to the Dust Bowl. Readers follow the Okies out to California. They endure the discrimination and humiliation the Okies endured. They triumph as the Weedpatch School becomes successful. This book humanizes an often dehumanized historical event.
The author has a unique style that causes the words on the page to come to life. The author includes quotes and life events from actual child members of the Weedpatch camp. In addition to the words, photographs of the children who are retelling events are included. Readers have a real human face to go with the frustration felt by so many Okies. The photographs add validity to the text for the reader. These Okie children were real and here they are.
The author successfully avoids immortalizing the poor “long-suffering Okies” who were helpless against the hateful native Californians. Facts are presented while generalizations about those facts tend to be avoided. While the story is one sided, the reader does not feel like s/he has just read a 75 page propaganda pamphlet.
The book is organized very well. The material is divided into chapters. These chapters are not by topic but rather chronologically. This book is a timeline of events. Interspersed in the chapters along with the story is necessary background information and explanation. There is a map of the Dust Bowl area in the beginning of the text. Readers will all have a common framework for where the Dust Bowl took place. Concise words and description often do not give as much geographic detail as a map. There is a table of contents and index. The index includes text references and photograph references. Photograph information is in bold face type for readers to know if they are finding a picture of Leo Hart or a quote by him. Photographs are captioned in most all cases. When extra information is needed about a photo, the extra information is included in the Bibliographic Note and Picture Credit section of the book. After the final chapter there is an afterword to the story. It answered the question “What happened to Leo Hart next?”.
The information presented in this book seems to be adequately referenced and accurate. The bibliographic information provided is thorough. The book highlights significant facts and avoiding stereotypes and victimization. In writing this book, the author went to the source, consulting and interviewing Leo Hart, the superintendent behind Weedpatch School, Pete Bancroft, the principal and other teachers. He did not rely on other’s interviews and characterizations. The book has won many awards and has many favorable reviews. It is an accurate rendition of events.
CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE STORY OF THE SCHOOL AT WEEDPATCH CAMP is inspirational and uplifting. These Okie children lived in horrific dust storms, left their homes, and lived in cars for weeks with little food or water; only to arrive in California and find more poverty and worse sanitation and discrimination. Hardships did not prevent these Okie children from dreaming and of desiring a better life and education for themselves. Thankfully they regained their dignity and self respect while earning a top notch education.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:
*1993 Orbis Pictus Winner
*Jefferson Cup Award 1993
*Spur Award 1993
*FOCAL Award 1993

*From BOOKLIST : “The story is inspiring, and Stanley has recorded the details with passion and dignity. An excellent curriculum item”
*Starred review from BOOKLIST
*From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Stanley has crafted a well-researched, highly readable portrait of the ``Okies'' driven to California by the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s and the formidable hardships they faced…An informative and inspirational bit of American history.”

CONNECTIONS
*These photos from the Dust Bowl would be an excellent way to introduce the book.
New Page 1
*Additional books and resources
Dust Bowl References
*Webquest activities for students
Dustbowl WebQuest


* Students will map the events discussed in the story. This includes the area most affected by the Dust Bowl, the route of the migration to California, the camps and locations in California.
* Compare and contrast the treatment of the Okies in California to other mistreated groups in history: Japanese Americans and Jews during World War II, African Americans in early America.