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This is a great book about people from Oklahoma who moved to California in the late 1930s. They moved because an awful weather in the Oklahoma's "dust bowl", an area that did not have any rain for years and the farmers couldn't make their living. Okies, as they were called, were unwelcome in California and were looked down upon. But there was one educator, Leo Hart, who organized a school specifically for Oklahoma kids, who otherwise, received a very unfair treatment. It ended being a good school that provided a great education to many and truly made a difference.It is an inspiring story, and a very interesting book, I definitely recommend. ( )

An informative book with many first hand accounts about the Dust Bowl and the School at Weedpatch Camp.
This book was very informative and heartbreaking. I found out many things I had never known about the Dust Bowl, including the length of time it lasted and the droughts leading up to it. It was interesting to think about how deeply farming practices can impact a biome and cause devastation to those living there. The story of Leo Hart was very uplifting, but it left a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Whenever I read stories of kind and generous individuals stepping in to solve an injustice I can't help but think about what would happen if the public entities that are supposed to help these people actually did. Yes, Leo Hart was a wonderful man who had a vision, but what if his vision had been different and at odds with what the Okies needed? ( )

A very cool story about a moment in history that should not be forgotten. This book tells the story about one particular and miraculous school against the backdrop of the Dust Bowl. We start out learning about the extreme hardships of the Okies and then how they were ostracized in California. Then we are introduced to Leo Hart, the man that made Weedpatch School possible. The Okie children basically built a school from scratch using second-hand donations and whatever they could find. In this school, they found all the things they were missing. A community, pride, self-confidence, a place to belong, a place all to their selves, a place to learn and be valued as a human being. The story of this school is quite amazing. The pictures that accompany the story really add richness and context. Awesome story about what is possible. ( )