Drylongso
Publication Information
Author:  Hamilton, Viginia	Illustrator:  Pinkney, Jerry
Title:  Drylongso	Date:  1992
Publisher:  Harcourt Brace Jovanovich	City:  Orlando, FL
ISBN, paperback:  0-15-224241-4	ISBN, hardback:
Recommended audience:
ABE/ABLE:   Yes	ESOL:
Family:   Yes	Young Adult:
Picture:   Yes
General Information:
Book Type(s):    legends, tales and myths
HSE Descriptor(s):
Summary:
Drylongso, which takes place west of the Mississippi in 1975, is the story of a poor farming family's battle with a drought. Drylongso, "a youth imbued with simple human kindness . . . a folk hero" (author's notes) arrives, and with him comes hope that the horrible drought might end.
Teaching Ideas:
A Virginia Hamilton text set, including this title and others in our collection (Anthony Burns, The Bells of Christmas, Many Thousand Gone, and The People Could Fly) might be interesting, or students might read Hamilton's work as part of an Ohio author study, which might also include Judith Hendershot and Scott Sanders, for example. If myths have been explored in class, students might discuss/write about the mythic qualities found in the book. Other discussion/writing topics might include the effects of weather disasters or the hardships of rural life. The characters in the story are well developed, so character study might be another use for the book. Virginia Hamilton: www.virginiahamilton.com/; falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/hamilton.htm
Keywords: select any link below for a list of resources which also have that keyword
Ethnic Groups > African-American Social Studies > anthropology > folklore > folk heroes Emotions-Personal Issues > personal issues > individual > hopes/dreams Hardships > disasters > natural disasters > drought History > region > U.S. history > Great Depression > Dust Bowl Literature and Language > mythology Communities > rural > rural life > farms Science > meteorology > weather Geography > environment > nature

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