For example, J is for joyful when looking at the Blue Willow plate B is for bossy when talking to others. Generate a class discussion of these opinions.īased on the character analysis of Janey and Bounce, create an acrostic (name) poem of their names. Label the column on the left “ Character” and label the column on the right “ Character Trait”. Fold a sheet of chart paper vertically into two columns.

Using dictionaries or encyclopedias, the students will record the meaning of the following terms and be able to use each word in a comprehensive sentence.ĭo a character analysis of the main characters. ReadingĮxplain the meaning of relevant vocabulary from the novel.ĭevelop a character analysis of the main characters.Ĭompose an acrostic poem of two characters. The student will be able to analyze the effect/s of the 1930s Dust Bowl on the characters’ lives.The student will be able to identify the cause/s of the 1930s Dust Bowl.This lack of consistency in Janey’s life triggers a gamut of emotions. He has no steady job and this has necessitated moving around from place to place in search of work. Larkin lost his ranch in Texas because of drought and dust storms. Doris Gates is also known for her collections of Greek mythology, including A Fair Wind for Troy.Blue Willow by Doris Gates is a thought-provoking tale of a young girl, Janey Larkin, whose parents are experiencing hard times. Blue Willow was groundbreaking in its use of realistic storytelling for children. 'This story, told with sensitive beauty, should widen the horizons of those who read it.'- The Horn BookĪbout the Author Doris Gates was a librarian and writer of children's fiction. It won a Newbery Honor and many other awards. Blue Willow is an important fictional account of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, and has been called The Grapes of Wrath for children. Someday, Janey promised the willow plate, with its picture of a real house, her family would once again be able to set down roots in a community. Now that her father was an itinerant worker, Janey didn't have a home she could call her own or any real friends, as her family had to keep moving, following the crops from farm to farm. About the Book A little girl, who wants most of all to have a real home and to go to a regular school, hopes that the valley her family has come to, which so resembles the pattern on her treasured blue willow plate, will be their permanent home.īook Synopsis To Janey Larkin, the blue willow plate was the most beautiful thing in her life, a symbol of the home she could only dimly remember.