Text Complexity Analysis of Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Qualitative Measures
Levels of Meaning/Purpose:
The book, while it can be taken literal, includes multiple innuendos that increase the
complexity. For instance, in poems such as “The Rabbit Battles,” and “Mr. Hardly’s
Money Handling,” the main character is narrating real events, while also making
commentary on social hierarchy.
Structure:
Set in The Great Depression, the novel chronicles a young girl’s coming of age story
as an Oklahoma resident during dust bowls. It is a tale of growth and struggle as a
young girl grasps financial insecurities within her family, the death of her mother, and
her guilt over causing her mother’s death by accident. The novel is a cross-genre,
cross-discipline writing that accumulates poems into novel form. Because Billy Jo,
the main character, begins the novel as a young child, her account of events is
unreliable and requires the reader to consider accuracy of historical and personal
events.
Language Conventionality and Clarity:
The vocabulary and sentence structure are straightforward. There is some slang
from the 1930’s time period, but context clues make unknown vocabulary easily
accessible. The poems are free-verse and cumulative, which adds to the complexity
of the text and requires the reader to close read.
Knowledge Demands: Themes of guilt and social hierarchy exist throughout the
novel. Understanding of historical events, and consideration of social, and moral
ideologies extend Billy Jo’s literal accounts of events.
Quantitative
QualitativeMeasures
Measures
There is no information regarding the current lexile of Out of the Dust; however, the
book is a Newberry Medal Winner and does not often include complex sentence
structure. In consideration, the book is written in free-verse and does include
considerable enjambment where evaluation of author’s intention is required to get the
deeper meaning. With consideration of the text structure and sentence structure, this
book recommended around a 760 lexile; however, due to its poetic structure, no lexile
can be determined.
Reader-Task Considerations
The complexity of cross-genre/cross-discipline writing, close evaluation of poem titles,
and the gruesomeness of Billy Jo’s injury and her involvement in the death of her
mother require a mature reader with higher reading skills. Understanding of poetic
devices will aide in student comprehension. Teaching this novel in conjunction with
history and The Great Depression might increase student engagement.
Recommended Placement
Although a lower lexile reading, this text is recommended in the 6th- 8th
grade band due to reader-task considerations and the levels of
meaning/purpose.
Text Complexity Analysis of Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse