Reader Views, 5 Stars/Gold Metal: Review
When the Sky Turned to Dust by Catherine Matthias is a transcendental story about one family's harrowing experience during the Dust Bowl. The raw pain that is portrayed in the book rips right at the hearts of readers in a way that's very real and, most importantly, understandable for young readers. My favorite line in the book is "grief shows us we loved." I think it is a beautiful way to teach young readers - and remind older minds, as well - that to love can end in pain when we lose a loved one, but we wouldn't trade the love we shared with that person for anything... a must-read book that will keep middle schoolers, teenagers, families, and classrooms turning pages with their hearts in their throats.

Reedsy Review, Must Read: Concepts such as the economic struggles that led to bank failures and farmers losing their land are explained in an easy-to-understand way, like when Papa tells them, "When you borrow from the bank, the bank owns whatever you bought until you pay back all you owe." Subtle historical details, like Roosevelt's fireside chats, add meaningful context and enrich the story.
I highly recommend When the Sky Turned to Dust for its honest, heartfelt description of living through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era. It belongs in school curricula offering lessons on resilience, financial responsibility, and the strength of family and community. It's a beautifully written tale of finding light even in the darkness.

The Wishing Shelf Review
There’s a lot going for this middle grader from the pen of talented writer, Catherine Matthias. Accessibly written and packed full of drama, it’s the story of the Dolan family and how they survived during the American Dust Bowl. Historically accurate – or it felt that way anyway – and filled with the sort of characters you want to root for, this is a gem of a reader for 9 – 12 year olds, or as a class reader.
I must say, there’s a lot to enjoy here folks. Firstly, the historical significance of the Dust Bowl is huge; not just on the economy of the time, but on the Americans who lived through it. The author works hard to show this in terms of its effect on the minds of young and old, and the hardship they endured. Secondly, it’s accessibly written. The author, I suspect, knows her readership. As a result, most middle graders will find this novel not at all hard to follow. And thirdly, I enjoyed the drama. It’s often gritty; it’s often sad – but it’s honest, reflecting the way it was when the sky turned to dust.

This book is about the Dolan family and primarily concentrates on twelve-year-old Caroline and nine-year-old Daniel. They are the two oldest children in a farming family with 5 children. They spend a lot of time together and are very close. Because one of the younger children is having a bad reaction to the dust from the storms, their mother takes the youngest children to the northeast to live with family. Caroline and Daniel make the trip with her but have decided to return to the farm to help their father on the farm. When they return to the farm, Caroline takes over as the main cook and takes care of the house. The descriptions of the dust storms are terrifying. It was scary to think about the home filling up with dust, the animals dying from the dust and the lack of rain that makes it impossible to grow crops. It was amazing to read about the clean up that had to be done in the house after every storm when the house was full of dust and there were huge piles of dust outside the doors. There was one terrifying scene when Daniel and Caroline got caught outside when a storm hit and it was almost impossible for them to find the house again. The Dolan family was better off than some of the other local families but they were willing to share what little they had with people who were less well off.

The book not only dealt with children's reaction to life in such an unsettled time but it dealt very well with grief. There were always neighbors leaving to try to find a better life, the children missed their mother and they weren't sure what the future would bring to their family farm.

I think this is a great book for your middle-schooler to read. It is a well researched look at what children went through during the years that the drought caused horrendous dust storms that threatened the lives of people as well as farm animals and the crops.

Great story about a family's strength in the face of hardship. This book was well written and kept me reading, wanting to know how the Dolan family story would end. I read it after a gal from my book club shared about it and recommended it.

An outstanding story with great dialogue and action. The story is active from beginning to end. This is also one of those books that could teach you something. Young readers should love it.

Excellent book. My students are going to love it!

Lovely language. I can feel the dust, dust dust and the endurance of the characters. Enjoyed this book so much. The language sparkles, the descriptions have texture, and the story is engaging and readable.

Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
When the Sky Turned to Dust by Catherine Matthias captivated me from the first page and held my rapt attention until the last. This beautifully written and meticulously researched story woven in one of the most difficult moments in the history of the United States should be read in classrooms across our great country to remind us we’ve been through tough times before and we can get through them again. Recent extreme weather and our ongoing changes in our weather patterns have caused angst in young people. This story illustrates the courage, creativity and resilience of a family working together facing those changes. The author has written this authentic story with meticulous attention to detail that you can nearly taste, touch and feel the setting as well as the universal coming of age experience of finding value within your family and community. I laughed, cried, and shivered remembering similar experiences in my own childhood. An exciting book to read aloud or independently, this book keeps you wanting to know more until the very end.

A Story of Resilience
When The Sky Turned to Dust, a middle grade novel about life during in the Dust Bowl during the Depression, is an action-packed story of family resilience in the face of unfathomable odds. Young teens take on roles to combat the forces of nature as their family is separated by tragic events. This is a wonderful historical depiction of human courage and the will to survive during the early 1900s dust storms. This book is exciting, edge-of-your-seat action that will keep readers turning pages right to the end. Can be used as an inspiring teaching tool about American history and the capabilities of young people.

Realistic Historical Read
When the Sky Turned to Dust is a gripping account of a family's dilemmas during the terrible dust storms in Kansas in the 1930's. Wholesome values are emphasized and there are rich historical details of the times. The deep character development helps the reader care about and be sympathetic to the children and their parents and relatives.

The story should grab the attention of young readers and keep their interest to the end. Some of the plot is predictable but especially the ending is not expected. Readers will learn a lot about the time period and tragic results of the dust bowl years.

The book would be a good one for a class reading project.

When the Sky Turned to Dust, a Family Fighting Against the Dust Bowl
The story takes place in Kansas in 1934. This is the beginning years of the Dust Bowl in the Midwest US. Many farmers are just trying to recover from the Depression and hoping for a good farm crop and selling of farm products and animal products to provide for their family. The Dolans are a farm family in a better position than many of the time. Michael Dolan had carefully watched his finances and was able to purchase his farm and land so that he did not owe the bank. He planned to outlast the drought. As the dust storms became worse, younger children would become very sick from the dust in their lungs. Many babies had already died. The Dolans decide that they will split up for the rest of the dust period by having Mrs. Dolan and her youngest child go to Albany, NY to join two of their children who had already been sent to live with their aunt and uncle. Daniel and Caroline love the land in Kansas and agree to visit NY but return to their father to provide help with the farm. The story goes on telling about all the many difficulties family members and neighbors face throughout the worsening conditions. This is primarily a story about a strong family faced with survival in tough conditions but how they handle it by pulling together with love and perseverance. The book is very readable for young adults and I would say children over 11. It reminded me of Little House on the Prairie and O Pioneers. Triggers for the death of children.

I recommend this short novel to anyone interested in historical fiction. I had heard about the Dust Bowl during the 1930's, but I didn't really understand the full scope of the consequences that the dust clouds caused until I read this book. Families that lived in the Great Plains during those years endured overwhelming losses to their properties and livestock as well as dangerous health risks to their lungs. This novel personalizes the Dust Bowl years very well as it follows the Dolan family through the eyes of 12 year old Caroline Dolan. She is a brave child that helps her Kansas family get through the 5 worst years of the Depression and the Dust Bowl. The novel is very readable and heartwarming.

Brought back memories
When I was a child, I loved listening to the stories my great-aunt would tell about life during the 1930's depression. While my family did not experience the drastic conditions of the drought like those in Kansas, Oklahoma & Colorado - life on a farm NE Missouri was still hard work and a struggle to make ends meet.

Catherine Matthias's book for middle school readers – When the Sky Turned to Dust – felt like I was listening to my great-aunt again. The Dolan family's life felt as real as those of my family's. Matthias' words authentically show the Dolan's struggles, successes, joys and heart ache with candor and genuineness. A reader will easily be able to imagine themselves or their forebearers living through this calamitous time in our country's history.

When the Sky Turned to Dust is an excellent story told from a twelve-year-old girl's point of view that depicts the hardships and struggles of a family during the years of the Dust Bowl. The wind and sand can almost be felt as the family, animals, and land suffer through several years of devastating assaults. The family members and friends are loving, kind, and generous people with human flaws. Matthias shows the differences in how individuals deal with hardship and grief while living as a family unit. It is a good history lesson of that time period for school children. From the story, the reader learns about the drought, Great depression, loss of crops and farm animals, supportive communities, and the concern of the federal government in creating the Farm Security Administration and the Soil Conservation Service to help address these problems of farmers.

When most people talk about "The Great Depression", if at all these days, it is usually about money: banks failing, mortgages revoked, etc. We don't often hear the stories of PEOPLE from the Midwest of Canada and the U.S.A. When the Sky Turned to Dust tells one family's story as they fought for their family, their farm, and their lives. It is gut-wrenchingly sad in places, but there is quiet joy in the family, too, as they live through one of the worst periods of modern history. Much of it brought back memories of my mother's stories of the Depression and how her family struggled to survive in rural Ontario including losing her mother in 1935 to asthma, when she was only 11. After finishing the book, I realized it is perfect reading for middle school students, not just adults. I will be recommending it to three book clubs, both full of older people, but will also tell teachers that it is a great story of life at the time no longer often shared. And to author Catherine Matthias: I still have not been able to get that song out of my head - an old family favourite.

When The Sky Turned To Dust - A Story and A Lesson
A story that a child can read, understand, learn from, and enjoy. When the Sky Turned to Dust expertly depicts with simple language the sounds, sights, and horrific challenges of living and farming in the Dust Bowl. Catherine Matthias has crafted a story that integrates lessons of learning, reading, empathy, compassion, all built into the essence of the story itself. The beauty in the telling is that it is from a child's perspective. A reader learns the importance of language with Daniel's inquisitiveness, the impact of compassion with Caroline's and her mother's commitment to the family, commitment with the Father's steadfast efforts to save all, and the value of charity through the shared blessings of the father, the relatives, and the overall Community.

The sub-title on the cover reads, "They fought for their family, their land, and their lives". Yes, they put all their energy into fighting to save it all, but, the word "fought" conjured up a different image for me, especially placed relevant to the children. Another way to express what they (all of them) did is to say "They stood firm for their family, their land, and their lives". It is what they did – they were steadfast, they held ground, they did the best they had to, or could, do. Those were violent storms and conditions, indeed, and they did fight back against the elements in whatever way they could, but these (now) are violent times in our history. I'd rather think of a family standing fast together against a foe, than fighting.

Well Researched Book
This book held my attention from the start. It takes place during the Depression and Dust Bowl in the 1930's which destroyed the lives of the rural farms and communities.
Caroline is a young girl whose family is greatly affected by the ravages of the weather on her family farm in Kansas. She has a special bond with her brother, Daniel, and her father. As a result, "family" is stressed throughout the book.

Her mother and three younger siblings leave, with her father's encouragement, to stay with her own sister in New York. Although Caroline's father and mother did this to protect the younger children, Caroline resents her mother leaving.

Much is put on the shoulders of Caroline and Daniel with their mother gone. Their bond deepens as they depend on each other. However, the dust storms take their deathly toll, even on the two children. How the family, farm, and even the entire country is affected is not white-washed. The author did extensive research so the story is based on the facts of the time.

The book is a fast read, only 200 pages, but it provides the reader with so much. It relays the love and strength of the family in the most difficult of times. It gives an accurate picture of what was happening historically. I recommend it, especially to those with no idea of what this period of our history involved. One needs to know the history of their country.

Resilience in the dust
"When the sky turned to dust by Catherine Matthias is a heart touching historical fiction novel published in Jun,2025. The setting of the story is the Kansas (state of USA) The story is about a Dolan family, struggling to survive during a devastating dust bowl era in American's midwest. It is a young adult book. A twelve year old Caroline and her nine years old brother Danial are the main characters of the novel. The main theme of the story is resilience, sacrifice and survival instincts. It also tell us the importance of unity and team work .The bond of Caroline and Danial makes the story heart touching. The tone of the story is pretty somber with a touch of hope. The writing style of the writer is vivid , straightforward and engaging , that it will transport you to the dust bowl era . The writer will also keep you hooked with the story. I liked the writer's writing style because she used easy wording that can be understood by people of different countries.

Overall the story is good, full of emotions and a powerful remainder of resilience in tough times. The siblings’ bond and struggle will leave you with mixed feelings like sad and hopeful. It is an exciting book to read aloud and independently.

Pleasantly surprised
I must admit this is not my genre to read, but I was surprised at the way it reels the reader in the few chapters. This is a difficult period in history and sometimes it is painful to envision the families and their struggles. While I did feel there were aspects of the novel that could be considered repetitive, I enjoyed the immersion into the Dust Bowl Well paced and engaging.

As a former teacher, I wish I had had this book to read to middle schoolers and up to the 8th graders to whom I taught US History. It is so well researched about life during the dust storms of the 1930s but also tells a gripping story about the Dolans and their neighbors and family during those years. I was especially impressed by the family dynamics that led part of the family to move to New York to avoid the dust and save their younger children. but mostly the 2 older children who stayed with their father to keep their farm working as best they could. Thank you to Catherine Matthias for creating this engrossing story.

"It was every monster I had ever imagined"
It is very hard to imagine the Great American Dust Bowl which tore families apart and caused widespread death and destruction in the 1930's. Author, Catherine Matthias with extensive research vividly describes the effects of the dust storms that you can almost hear, taste and smell the air. Only by closing one's eyes can you visualize the darkness.
Nine year old Daniel and his sister, twelve year old Caroline mature quickly when they are faced with the dust storms in Kansas during the '30's. Their family dynamics start to change and they find themselves helping their father protect and take care of their family farm. High emotion runs through the story as Daniel and Caroline experience despair, frustration, loneliness, anger and grief all while continuing to try to maintain hope and positivity.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author's description of the cross country train rides that Daniel and Caroline experienced. I fondly remember being awed at the Kansas City train station and enjoying the sleeping and dining cars. Just like Daniel and Caroline, meeting and interacting with strangers on the train was a highlight. As the story enfolds, the reader becomes protective of Daniel and Caroline and yearns for their struggles to end and "regular routines" to return.

"When the Sky Turned to Dust" is ideal for YA readers due to the author's detailed description of the devastation of the Dust Bowl that occurred during the 1930's. It has a very good story line full of emotion and conflict.

An homage to classic children's historical fiction
I was initially drawn to Catherine Matthias' When the Sky Turned to Dust because the premise reminded me of books I would have read when I was in upper elementary school: Little House on the Prairie and the Dear America series, primarily.

Matthias has a clear and easy-to-read writing style and she expertly incorporates historical elements into her story. The supporting back matter in the book is especially helpful for readers who may otherwise lack context. Choosing to reference Out of the Dust is a wise decision, as When the Sky Turned to Dust would make a good companion piece for school curriculums. I don't necessarily see upper elementary school children picking up this book independently.

There were some poignant and sad moments in the book, although, at times, it felt like some of the major events that occurred did not have enough build up. A short read, When the Sky Turned to Dust could have benefited from spending more time building suspense so the reader more deeply connects with Caroline's experiences and feelings.

A good read
When the Sky Turned to Dust is a beautifully written story that takes place during the Great Depression ant the Dust Bowl. The story comes to life and really keeps you reading. The writing is vibrant and so descriptive. I actually felt like I was there, it just immersed me in the setting. It is at times heartbreaking and so realistic.

I feel like this is a great YA book for ages 12. This is an excellent story to be introduced to the Dust Bowl and Great Depression.

When the Sky Turned to Dust by Catherine Matthias is an excellent historical fiction account of a Kansas family's experience living through the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Aimed at children in the middle grades, this story is narrated by twelve-year-old Caroline Dolan. Matthias does an excellent job of depicting the hardships experienced by the Dolan family and pointing out how individuals deal differently with adversity, fear, and grief. It is a story that integrates history with empathy and compassion. While the plot is extremely sad at times, there are times of hope, joy, and appreciation. This book would be an excellent reading choice to acquaint middle-schoolers with the drought that spawned horrific dust storms in the American Prairie during the Great Depression.