You're a farmer in 1930s Oklahoma and you never thought you’d see this day. Your fields have literally turned to dust. This Depression the radio folks were talking about just reached the heartland.

The epic disaster of the Dust Bowl brings home the cruel consequences of drought. The calamity that struck Depression-era America was startling for its far-reaching effects across our country, teaching us much about the nature of droughts and their dreadful devastation. The science section of this book examines the lessons from the Dust Bowl droughts for farmers, including the importance of topsoil. The history of droughts around the world compares impacts on a wide variety of societies.

The final chapter looks at the latest tools and technologies developed to help us survive future droughts. The ample back matter will help students find sources to write informed and compelling reports on this subject.

About the Author
Judy and Dennis Fradin have collectively written over 150 books. This dynamic couple is well known for their carefully researched books recounting harrowing times in history. Their many awards include the 2004 SCBWI Golden Kite Honor book award for The Power of One: Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine, and the School Library Journal Best Book of the Year for 5,000 Miles to Freedom: Ellen and William Craft’s Flight from Slavery. Their most recent National Geographic title was Earthquakes.