Blue Willow
Encyclopedia
Blue Willow is a children's book by Doris Gates, published in 1940. It is a Newbery Honor book, having been a runner-up for the Newbery Medal
in 1941. This story of a migrant child who longs for a permanent home was considered groundbreaking in its portrayal of contemporary working-class life in America.
, California
, in the late 1930s when America is still suffering the effects of the Great Depression
. Her most treasured possession is a Blue Willow
plate that had once belonged to her great-great-grandmother. The picture of a bridge and a stream and a little house on the willow pattern plate represents the permanent home she dreams of.
Janey can barely remember her old home, a farm in Texas
, and now that her father is an itinerant worker she has no place to call her own and no lasting friends, as the family has to move constantly. Despite the grinding poverty, the family is close and loving, and fun is had, as when Janey and her friend Lupe attend the county fair
, and when the family goes fishing beside the river.
When Janey's stepmother falls sick, they have difficulty paying the rent. The rent-collector, Bounce Reyburn, is unsympathetic, and Janey is faced with having to sacrifice her one treasure.
's essay "Without Evasion" mentions Doris Gates as one of the rare exceptions: "Only at infrequent intervals do you find a story intimately related to this modern world, a story that takes up a modern problem and thinks it through without evasion. Of our thousands of books, I can find scarcely half a dozen that merit places on this almost vacant shelf in our libraries; and of our hundreds of authors, I can name only three who are doing anything to fill this void in children's reading. These three authors - may someone present each of them with a laurel wreath - are Doris Gates, John R. Tunis
, and Florence Crannell Means
."
Ms. Gates died in 1987. There is now a Doris Gates Room for children at the Central Library of the Fresno Public Public Library system.
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
in 1941. This story of a migrant child who longs for a permanent home was considered groundbreaking in its portrayal of contemporary working-class life in America.
Plot summary
Janey Larkin is the ten-year-old daughter of a migrant family in San Joaquin ValleySan Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in the late 1930s when America is still suffering the effects of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Her most treasured possession is a Blue Willow
Willow pattern
The Willow pattern, more commonly known as Blue Willow, is a distinctive and elaborate pattern used on ceramic kitchen/housewares. The pattern was designed by Thomas Minton around 1790 and has been in use for over 200 years. Other references give alternative origins, such as Thomas Turner of...
plate that had once belonged to her great-great-grandmother. The picture of a bridge and a stream and a little house on the willow pattern plate represents the permanent home she dreams of.
Janey can barely remember her old home, a farm in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and now that her father is an itinerant worker she has no place to call her own and no lasting friends, as the family has to move constantly. Despite the grinding poverty, the family is close and loving, and fun is had, as when Janey and her friend Lupe attend the county fair
County Fair
"County Fair" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was originally released as the second track on their 1962 album Surfin' Safari. On November 26th of that year, it was released as the B-side to The Beach Boys' third single, "Ten Little...
, and when the family goes fishing beside the river.
When Janey's stepmother falls sick, they have difficulty paying the rent. The rent-collector, Bounce Reyburn, is unsympathetic, and Janey is faced with having to sacrifice her one treasure.
Literary significance
At the time of the book's publication there was a debate about whether children's literature should be imaginative or realistic. Blue Willow combined both approaches. It was judged to have the literary quality and positive values required by librarians and educators as well as having child appeal. It was considered a breakthrough book both for its contemporary working-class setting and for the rounded portrayal of Janey's Mexican-American friend, Lupe Romero and her family. Many writers of the realist school preferred setting their books in foreign countries or in the past, possibly to avoid any suggestion of leftist propaganda. In Horn Book, Jan/Feb 1945, Howard PeaseHoward Pease
Howard Pease was an American writer of adventure stories from Stockton, California. Most of his stories revolved around a young protagonist, William Todhunter Moran who shipped out on tramp freighters during the interwar years...
's essay "Without Evasion" mentions Doris Gates as one of the rare exceptions: "Only at infrequent intervals do you find a story intimately related to this modern world, a story that takes up a modern problem and thinks it through without evasion. Of our thousands of books, I can find scarcely half a dozen that merit places on this almost vacant shelf in our libraries; and of our hundreds of authors, I can name only three who are doing anything to fill this void in children's reading. These three authors - may someone present each of them with a laurel wreath - are Doris Gates, John R. Tunis
John R. Tunis
John Roberts Tunis was a well-known and prolific author of juvenile sports fiction...
, and Florence Crannell Means
Florence Crannell Means
Florence Crannell Means was an American children's writer.Her book The Moved-Outers won a Newbery Medal honor award in 1946....
."
Author Information
Doris Gates was born on November 26, 1901 and grew up on a California ranch. She was a librarian at the Fresno County Library from 1930 to 1940, and knew children who passed through the migrant worker camps.Ms. Gates died in 1987. There is now a Doris Gates Room for children at the Central Library of the Fresno Public Public Library system.