Dust

This book won the Governor General's Literary Award back in 2001 for Children's Literature. I loved it. Set in a small town in rural Saskatchewan of Horshoe something strange is going on. Robert's younger brother has gone missing and soon no one seems to even remember him. The story set in a depression era dust bowl farm community, has many unique twists and turns. The strange things started happening when Abram Harisch arrived in town; he appears to be taking control of the townspeople through his magic, mirrors and bewitching nature. Harisch has promised the town a rain-making machine, and in following this dream they are slowing losing all they care about and don't even notice. But Robert does and he knows he needs to avoid Harisch and figure out what is really going on or the whole town could be lost. There are two different cover jackets for this book. I prefer the original to the newer one but either way it is a great adventure read.

As a a 6th grade teacher, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had a "hook" from the beginning and kept me wondering until the end. It offers a number of "springboards" for teaching vocabulary and subjects from the Bible and ancient history. I hope to get enough copies to read in literature circles. (...)

I am a lover of fantasy and this book ranks as one of the best with me. It has all the necessary elements--the reluctant but driven hero, the quest which only he can accomplish, the satisfying conclusion. Along the way Arthur Slade keeps the reader spellbound and wondering. I read the book in one day, unable to put it down. After I finished, I found that I couldn't stop thinking about it. The images are still fresh in my mind. I've reread it now and have discovered even more layers to it.This is a book that you can't wait to finish, but at the same time don't want to finish. The only solution is to start reading it all over again.

Magical Realisim at its best. Robert's younger brother vanishes on the way to town. A rainmaker soon appears. Things aren't what they seem and people are forgetting what they ought to remember. All but Robert. Arthur Slade imbue's DUST with magic to spare. A wonderful read and not easily forgotten.

It's a prairie town, some people have cars, most drive horses. It hasn't rained for a long time. Young Matthew is going into town to spend his nickle on candy. He is dreaming of candy when a pickup appears down the dusty road. Abram Harsich convinces Matthew he should hop in and get a ride to town. Matthew vanishes off the face of the earth. Eleven-year-old Robert dreams of science fiction novels and longs to read "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", but he's Matthews older brother, and he hears the pickup coming down the road. He can't tell how he knows but he sees the pickup in his mind. He thinks he should have gone into town with seven-year-old Matthew. "Seven years old is too young to walk to town.."Abram Harsich begins a campaign to convice the whole town that he can build a rain mill and end the draught. His fancy mirror show begins to cast a spell over the the people of Horseshoe. More children go missing. But the spell is one of forgetting. Somehow, only Robert remembers. This book is simply marvelous. YOU will be spellbound, too.