Cimarron Girl: The Dust Bowl Years of Abigail Brubaker

Young Abby Brubaker lives in Cimarron, Oklahoma, a farming community on the economic edge in the 1930s. Her parents toil beyond endurance, but eventually it’s for naught: The Dust Bowl has make farming in Oklahoma untenable. Thus the Brubakers join a veritable caravan of westbound Okies, seeking the promise of Golden California.

But, as any reader of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath or viewer of John Ford’s film version thereof knows, California is a mixed blessing. Cimarron Girl is an excellent introduction to young readers of another immigrant “invasion” of desperate people who just want a chance to survive — since prospering is more than they could possibly dare to dream. A very fine lesson in this time when luckless show more immigrants are once again being demonized. show less

Cimarron Girl: The Dust Bowl Years of Abigail Brubaker
By: Mike Blanc

I received an E-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I loved this book!

Plot
The story follows a young girl (Abigail) her family, and pets through the Dust Bowl years. Each chapter is a different year. The reader sees her change and develop from a young girl into a mature preteen. What I loved about this book was its wonderful details about life during this time. The author discussed things such dust pneumonia, a young boy getting caught in a dust storm and suffocating, the impact on cattle, clothes, the difficulties of migrating to California, etc.

This story is sad. By this I mean, the circumstances are sad and people living through these show more times faced many hardships with little alleviation. However, the characters (both main protagonist Abby and adults) were primarily upbeat in their outlook. They found happiness and hope where they could and foresaw their futures as brighter than their present.

Language
Most of the story is in prose form. It is ordinary, everyday language which has been stripped down to the basics. It moves the story along in a non-emotional way. Part of the story though is told in beautiful, heart moving poetry. This combination is deeply satisfying.

Illustrations:
These illustrations are my favorite part. I loved them. Again, as the poetry above, the pictures are the emotional core of the story. They connect the reader to the characters and their plight. The author/illustrator uses a dusty brownish-red palate that inserts the reader into this windblown story. You will note too that the pictures at the end of the book are also washed in reddish brown dirt tones. I loved that the tone of the illustrations was so similar to these old-time pictures.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to kids ages 7 and up. The topic is difficult and is not a fun, breezy read. Kids need a varied reading diet and this book will be rewarding. I know Abby's story will generate lots of questions. show less

Cimarron Girl is a beautifully illustrated and authentic account of what it was like to grow up in the Dust Bowl years. Abigail lives in a tight knit family and the sights and smells and the danger and the fear are all authentically portrayed in gentle, but vivid language and sweeping sepia-toned watercolors. I liked that the author does not try to pander to his young readers as he captures the challenges of hardships of Abigial's childhood and all she and her family and her community must face. As a matter of fact, I did not know much about this time period and I learned as much as my daughter. The timeline was invaluable since it allowed me to put historical context to Abigail's story. I would recommend this book for 2-5 graders.

Thank show more you to NetGalley and Vanita books for allowing me to review this book for an honest opinion. show less

Cimarron Girl; The Dustbowl Year of Abigail Brubackier by Mike Blanc

This book is a historical look at the dust bowl years through the eyes of a young lady named Abigail, who watch her family and community coop with the drought in Oklahoma which turn her family's farm as well as neighboring farms into one large dustbowl. This was a dark time in our country where farmers struggled to make ends meet and hold onto their farms.

Abigail is the perfect device by expressing the view of one person, relating the experience of the start of this part of our history. She notes how one of her classmates had died in a dust storm. She gave an account of how dust invaded their home, every nook and cranny. She also express her feelings when her father show more packed them in a car after the decision to abandon the farm and move to California. She also tells of her experience at the migrant camps where the family stopped at on their way to California.

This is a very enjoyable book for the younger set, illustrated and ready to give a peek into Oklahoma dust bowl years. show less

Cimarron Girl by Mike Blanc

A children's book about a little girl named Abigail, who lives in Cimarron county, Oklahoma. It tells of the happy experiences she has on the family farm and how everything is put into danger by the Dust Bowl which is just beginning.

Other families are stricken by illnesses from the constant dust and her father is unable to get crops to grow because there is no water.

Her parents decide to sell the farm and their belongings and move to California. Apparently, everyone else has the same idea.

It is a good book, it has nice artwork and would appeal especially to young girls who love horses. It gives a good history lesson about the Dust Bowl and tells the reader how it happened and what has been done since then, show more to prevent it from ever happening again.

I received a complimentary copy from @netgalley #netgalley of #cimarrongirl and was under no obligation to post a review. show less

Dust Bowl and the years of the Drought....

I had no idea about how much Oklahoma and many other states suffered during the years of the drought! As a matter of fact I was not aware of the drought itself. I new about the big depression that stroke the US in the 1930s, how can one not know? It was of the most difficult eras in our world's history. Knowing now what I know about the drought, I can understand how much it affected the depression years.

The story is told as a young girl's memoir from those days. Even so, and given that the audience is children, the narration is really powerful and really transfers the needed messages.

I great read for children, not only to learn their history, but also the virtues of this Cimarron Girl!