1. Some aspects of this story seem a bit unrealistic, like Billie Jo being the top eighth-grade student in Oklahoma and her father leaving kerosene near the stove. Was it necessary to stretch believability this much? Couldn't Billie Jo have been the best student in her school, and couldn't the fire have started another way to achieve the same outcome?

2. Novels typically feature a turning point where the main character’s situation shifts direction. Most novels include a major and a minor turning point, known as the "climax" and "anticlimax." What are these in Out of the Dust? Is it when the good rains arrive, when Billie Jo wins third place in the competition, when she is unable to perform at graduation, or when the government provides food aid? Or are there other pivotal events?

3. The chapter titled "Dust Storm" encapsulates many of the novel’s central themes. What are these themes?

4. In the "Dust Storm" chapter, Billie Jo mentions finding her way by walking along the edge. How does this serve as a metaphor for how she navigates her life?

5. Several chapters teeter on being overly sentimental. Which chapters are these? How does sentimentality detract from genuine emotion?

6. Why does Pa dig a massive hole? What does it represent?

7. What do Ma’s apple trees symbolize?

8. Grasshoppers attack what little vegetation remains, completely consuming the apple trees. What does this event represent? Why does it happen at that particular time? What are the biblical instances involving locust plagues?

9. What role does the homeless family moving into the schoolhouse play in the story?

10. Is the ending too contrived or sentimental? Is it believable that Bayard would attend school predominantly with women, meet an eligible woman who is his teacher, far more educated and attractive, and win her affections? Why would she be interested in him?