Books! Books! The Magical Fruit!

So I have decided that when I read a good book I need to tell people! As a teacher I am exposed to a lot of great literature, and some not so great (BORING!) But as I come across books that I love I am going to tell you all about them!
This has been my latest. Children of the Dust Bowl, The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp. This books centers mainly on the unknown tale of the "Okies" of Southern California. John Steinbeck wrote an amazing (and disturbing) book called the Grapes of Wrath after visiting this Weedpatch Camp, he pulled his story from the real life suffering of these people. During the Depression there was a huge migration of "Okies" or people from Oklahoma (from the Pan Handle) to California. They were going through a terrible drought in the Dust Bowl Area, which included parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico. People were losing their farms, and living through horrifying dust storms. California was promising jobs and opportunity for anyone and everyone who came. But it was a lie. As these people, the Okies, came to California they found no jobs, no help, and hate and scorn. They were considered the lowest of the low, and were starving as surplus food was burned infront of their eyes. They were called "Okies" as a kind of derogetory name. The horrible the kinds of conditions the book talked about them living through was shocking, and this was in the United States, less than a hundred years ago!! It was appaling to me! But through the hard work of a good man, and many others things changed. They built a school when no one wanted them and made something better of themselves.
This is an amazing read! I read it less than an hour, so its not too long. I'm no amazing speed reader! But as we talked about this book with others from my school that had grown up in California, they knew nothing of this! They were not taught this part of their states history. I don't blame them, it's not something to be proud of. But they should be proud of all the amazing people that came out of that camp, and eventually the school that was built there. If you need a great inspirational true story of human spirit and have a spare hour, this is a great way to spend it! I have a copy so borrow away!