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California or Dust
A powerful story of the devastation of the Dust Bowl--and the courage of those who survived it--in the tradition of Out of the Dust. We came all the way from California to make something of ourselves.
Today's the day we start. California, 1939. It's hard being the new kid in school. . . but it's harder for eleven-year-old Lark and her family, who've fled Oklahoma's Dust Bowl for a not-so-sunny welcome in California. Signs read Okies, go home! and We can't take care of our own! Kids whisper Go back to Oklahoma! Lark would give anything to go back to where she came from, but she can't: the dust storms destroyed everything. The work camp she, her parents, and her many siblings live in is her life now, and even Lark has to get a job. Can California really be "the land of milk and honey" she was promised? More than that. . . can it ever be home? Mindy Nichols Wendell's sophomore historical middle-grade novel is a heartfelt, powerful, and incredibly well-written story of resilience, pride, and tenacity in the face of overwhelming obstacles.
Today's the day we start. California, 1939. It's hard being the new kid in school. . . but it's harder for eleven-year-old Lark and her family, who've fled Oklahoma's Dust Bowl for a not-so-sunny welcome in California. Signs read Okies, go home! and We can't take care of our own! Kids whisper Go back to Oklahoma! Lark would give anything to go back to where she came from, but she can't: the dust storms destroyed everything. The work camp she, her parents, and her many siblings live in is her life now, and even Lark has to get a job. Can California really be "the land of milk and honey" she was promised? More than that. . . can it ever be home? Mindy Nichols Wendell's sophomore historical middle-grade novel is a heartfelt, powerful, and incredibly well-written story of resilience, pride, and tenacity in the face of overwhelming obstacles.
Book Details
- Publisher: Holiday House
- Publish Date: Aug 11st, 2026
- Pages: 208
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 0.00in - 0.00in - 0.00in - 1.25lb
- EAN: 9780823462520
- Recommended age: 08-12
- Categories: • Moving & Relocation• Social Themes - Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance• Historical - United States - 20th Century
About the Author
Mindy Nichols Wendell is the author of LIGHT AND AIR, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection that Shelf Awareness called "richly detailed" and "timeless" in a starred review. She was a professor of writing and pedagogy at SUNY Fredonia, where she served as the Director of the Composition Program. In 2019, she received the prestigious State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Mindy lives in Western New York with her husband, Steve, a retired teacher.