Doris Gates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doris Gates
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| Born | Doris Gates November 26, 1901 Mountain View, California |
| Died | September 3, 1987 (aged 85) Carmel, California, USA |
| Occupation | Writer, librarian |
| Genre | Realistic children's literature |
| Notable works | Blue Willow |
| Notable awards | Lewis Carroll Shelf Award |
Doris Gates (born November 26, 1901 – died September 3, 1987) was an important American author. She was one of the first writers to create realistic stories for children. Her most famous book, Blue Willow, tells the story of Janey Larkin. Janey is a ten-year-old girl whose family works as migrant farm workers in California during the 1930s. This book won a Newbery Honor and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award.
Doris Gates also worked as a librarian in Fresno. This job allowed her to meet and understand the people she wrote about in her books. She is also well-known for her collections of Greek mythology stories.
Contents
Life of Doris Gates
Doris Gates was born on November 26, 1901, in Mountain View, California. She was the oldest daughter of Charles and Bessie Gates. Her father was a small-town doctor. Her mother had studied classical subjects in college.
When Doris was seven, her family moved to her grandparents' prune ranch near San Jose. She started school there at age eight. Gates described her childhood as "unusually happy." She even wrote about it in her book The Elderberry Bush. Later, her family moved to Los Gatos.
Early Career and Education
After high school, Gates worked in a library and a grocery store. Her family then moved to Fresno. In 1924, she started studying at Fresno State Teachers College.
Two years later, Gates went to Los Angeles Library School. She then became an assistant in the children's department at the Fresno County Free Library. After a year, she took time off to study library science in Cleveland. She returned to Fresno to work as a children's librarian from 1930 to 1940.
Writing and Storytelling
While working in Fresno, Doris Gates had a radio show where she told stories to children. She also visited schools for children whose families had moved because of the Dust Bowl. She would share stories and books with them.
Because of money problems, the library had to cut its hours. Gates used her extra time off to start writing. Her first book, Sarah's Idea, was published in 1938. It's about a girl who wants to buy a burro and works on her family's prune ranch to earn money.
Two years later, in 1940, her famous book Blue Willow came out. This book was inspired by the children of migrant farmers she met through her library work. Also in 1940, Gates began teaching children's literature and storytelling at San Jose State College.
Later Life and Works
Gates was a guest lecturer at several universities, including the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. She also traveled to speak to librarians and teachers. In the 1960s, she worked for a textbook publisher, editing reading textbooks for elementary schools.
Doris Gates later moved to Carmel. She enjoyed buying and riding horses there. Some of her later books, like A Morgan for Melinda, show her love for horses.
In the early 1970s, Gates traveled to Greece. She wanted to prepare for a series of books retelling Greek mythology. She said she had a "storyteller's knowledge" of the myths. In 1972, she published the first two books in her Greek myths series. She visited Greece again in 1983.
Doris Gates passed away in Carmel, California, on September 3, 1987. The children's room at the Central Fresno Library is named the Doris Gates Room in her honor.
Influence of Blue Willow
Blue Willow was a very important book in children's literature. Many people believe it was one of the first realistic "problem novels" for children. This means it dealt with real-life challenges and issues. The book was praised for its lasting quality and for showing that children's books could explore serious topics.
Experts in children's literature, like Anita Silvey, say that Blue Willow's realistic way of handling modern social issues was a big step forward. Christine Jenkins, a writer on literary trends, noted that librarians especially liked how the book combined good writing, appeal to children, and positive values.
The book was groundbreaking because it showed the lives of working-class families and migrant workers. It was also one of the first children's books to feature a Mexican American character as the main character's best friend. The success of Blue Willow showed that both imaginative and realistic stories were valuable for children.
When Blue Willow was published, there was a debate among teachers and librarians. They argued about whether children's books should be mostly imaginative or realistic. Blue Willow had elements of both. However, its story of Janey, her father, and stepmother living in a small shack and working in the fields was mostly known for its realism.
Julia Sauer, a children's librarian, wrote that "We need many more books about the Janey Larkins in our literature for children." This showed how important it was to have stories that reflected the real lives of children.
Selected Works
Children's Novels
- Sarah's Idea, Viking Press, 1938
- Blue Willow, Viking Press, 1940
- Sensible Kate, Viking Press, 1943
- Trouble for Jerry, Viking Press, 1944
- North Fork, Viking Press, 1945
- My Brother Mike, Viking Press, 1948
- River Ranch, Viking Press, 1949
- Little Vic, Viking Press, 1951
- Becky and the Bandit, Ginn & Co., 1955
- The Cat and Mrs. Cary, Viking Press, 1962
- The Elderberry Bush, Viking Press, 1967
- A Morgan for Melinda, Viking Press, 1980
- A Filly for Melinda, Viking Press, 1984
Myths and Legends
- Lord of the Sky: Zeus, Viking Press, 1972
- The Warrior Goddess: Athena, Viking Press, 1972
- The Golden God: Apollo, Viking Press, 1973
- Two Queens of Heaven: Aphrodite and Demeter, Viking Press, 1974
- The Mightiest of Mortals: Hercules, Viking Press, 1975
- A Fair Wind for Troy, Viking Press, 1976
Textbooks
- Roads to Everywhere, Ginn, 1961
- Trails to Treasure, Ginn, 1961
- Wings to Adventure, Ginn, 1961
- Along Story Trails, Ginn, 1962
- Down Story Roads, Ginn, 1962
- On Story Wings, Ginn, 1962
Images for kids
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A plate with a blue willow pattern like Janey Larkin's in Blue Willow
