Buy new:
$7.99
FREE delivery Monday, May 13 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$7.99
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Monday, May 13 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Thursday, May 9. Order within 16 hrs 22 mins
In Stock
$$7.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$7.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$5.99
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
This item shows wear including some highlighting or writing, heavy wear to edges and cover, and some wavy pages from a water spill. This item shows wear including some highlighting or writing, heavy wear to edges and cover, and some wavy pages from a water spill. See less
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Thursday, May 9. Order within 16 hrs 22 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$7.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$7.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Doris Gates
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Blue Willow Paperback – Illustrated, September 30, 1976

by Doris Gates (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 241 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$7.99","priceAmount":7.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"adVRS5axGbZ7Y5ZQLHCV5j5Kywh0S7CCZ9hAqDZWmO1yFwK9h9FqoFsTepZK%2BIW6nY0r6OtB5wvkR%2B%2BjVsag0hSaMtIJ5Di2dgO%2BPn18CEOFRZ%2FFuXDR%2Bl8WaK7cYHBeCjQqd2HG6Fw%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$5.99","priceAmount":5.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"5","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"adVRS5axGbZ7Y5ZQLHCV5j5Kywh0S7CCgDWmY9ZONHK4OrMssLT9JSkCrmcu5YqqqeN64Q6c0GPA%2FTSy%2BForXV%2FMhrHaTdZXen4OVhxR6nDs2V6RQ2FBaVpedH0DaXAVbWpUiZksoM%2B8QmoAW%2Ft4Xqz3FLvjFag10Hi1B5iwDevmeaSwdf%2FyHga7XSiHkA7C","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

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. 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. 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.

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. It won a Newbery Honor and many other awards.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    7 - 11 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    176 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    3 - 7
  5. Lexile measure
    920L
  6. Dimensions
    7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
  7. Publisher
    Puffin Books
  8. Publication date
    September 30, 1976
  9. ISBN-10
    0140309241
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0140309249
  11. See all details
Next page
New in teachers' picks. More children's books by grade. New in teachers' picks. More children's books by grade.

Frequently bought together

Blue Willow
$7.99
Get it as soon as Monday, May 13
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Bound for Oregon
$6.29
Get it as soon as Monday, May 13
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
All-of-a-Kind Family
$7.19
Get it as soon as Monday, May 13
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This story, told with sensitive beauty, should widen the horizons of those who read it."--The Horn Book

About the Author

Doris Gates was a librarian and writer of children's fiction. Blue Willow was groundbreaking in its use of realistic storytelling for children. Doris Gates is also known for her collections of Greek mythology, including A Fair Wind for Troy.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Puffin Books (September 30, 1976)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140309241
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140309249
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 7 - 11 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 920L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 241 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Doris Gates

Doris Gates

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
241 global ratings
DO NOT GET THE KINDLE
1 Star
DO NOT GET THE KINDLE
I want a refund! How can this even be sold? There aren't any spaces in many of the words, some are italicized when they shouldn't be, or there are some inserted words and numbers. For the pictures, they are just mostly black boxes. How come Amazon even allows this book to be sold like this????
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

kathleen
5.0 out of 5 stars Still resonates
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
I read this book when I was 10, it left such a lasting impression that I bought a copy recently when I thought of it. A story of a girl and her family surviving during the depression, vivid descriptions of life following agriculture work. I can almost smell the apricots they picked and dried, with a blue platter that reminds her of better times and hope.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
David Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars Bittersweet Lessons from the Great Depression Era
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2013
Verified Purchase
Blue Willow is a bittersweet story that is an invaluable read for young people. Though the main character is a 10 year old girl, the realistic portrayal of the deprivation and pain experienced by the working poor during the Dust Bowl/Great Depression draws the reader (whether boy or girl) into the story.
Janey's treasured Blue Willow plate is her means of hanging onto the past with hope for the future. The plate recalled days when her family owned their own home and farm, and when her own mother was alive. It gave to Janey hope that she might once again have the joys of stability, sufficient food and clothing, and rest from the grinding poverty that oppressed her, her father and step-mother.
This book has excellent lessons to teach: of friendship that reaches across cultural and financial borders; of learning to love and accept someone who doesn't always show their love back to you; of exciting horizons that a caring teacher opens up to a knowledge-hungry pupil; and the meaning of courage defined by faithfulness in hard times, regardless of the cost.
Janey is 10 at the opening of the story; I would recommend the book to those nine and up. It is a touching classic that needs to be read by young people, to provoke a deeper thoughtfulness about life, and thankfulness for what they have.
17 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
K. Kishel
5.0 out of 5 stars Teaches kids to love to read
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2014
Verified Purchase
It's difficult to find the right words to properly convey the impact this book has had not only on me, but on every child I have gifted with this book.

When I was a little girl, I found this book in my school library. I had a rough life, but nothing like this little girl. In the days before Caesar Chavez, these migrant worker camps were just down the road. The life lesson I learned from this book, has been learned by every child I have given this book to, it's that good. When my youngest grandchild developed and interest in my library, I went to get him a copy of this book, only to find I had given my last copy away.

In this day and age of interactive technology, there is still something transporting about paper. The feel of the page between your fingers, the weight of the book, there is something comforting and calming about old technology. Books are fragile and I have found that books teach respect. So, when kids look through my library they engage, if they fall in love with reading great, with paper books, even better.

What gets them is, like the Boxcar Children, these are real people, just like them.
16 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
NoExpert
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a great book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2022
Verified Purchase
i read this book when i was about 8 or 10 and it stuck with me all these years ( about 50) and my husband bought it for me for christmas to read again .....it was so good...makes you appreciate all you have when the girl gets a nickel for the fair and is so excited.. I actually bought a blue willow plate to remind me of her!
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A Timeless Story of the struggles of poverty. Very similar to Grapes of Wrath.
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2019
Verified Purchase
A wonderful children’s book that has received the Newberry award. I read it when I was a child and I just had to buy it because I sought on Amazon and read it again. It talks about migrant workers and their struggles and how poverty touches so many different cultures. It takes place during the dust bowl. It’s a beautiful story about a little girl Named Janie Larkin Who is very poor and moves all the time with Her family to pick whatever is available to pick in California at the time. Her mother is dead and the only thing she has left and her mother is a blue little little plate which she cherishes beyond other possessions. It’s a really beautiful story.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A sweet story of what life was like for migrant workers ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2016
Verified Purchase
A sweet story of what life was like for migrant workers in California in the 1940's. I loved it but my teenager thought it lacked substance.
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I found my favorite book from 40 years ago!
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2007
Verified Purchase
Forty years ago, when I was 10 years old I read a book that touched my heart and I never forgot it. Well, except for one important detail, I couldn't for the life of me remember the title of that once favorite book I read. Over the years I have thought of that book and always wished I could just remember the title. Today, by accident I came across this book after all these years and it brought back so many wonderful memories of how much I loved this book. I'm buying it (of course) for my 10 year old son to read it too. Unfortunately my daughter is much older, but I think even as a older teenager she might still enjoy it. I know I plan to read it again as soon as I receive my copy.

My son is homeschooled and this book will fit perfectly with our study of CA history.
9 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Nancylee Ahumada
5.0 out of 5 stars I felt a connection with Janey and Blue Willow became one of my favorite books for life
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2017
Verified Purchase
In the 1940s I was a third grader in the Seattle area. I discovered the book Blue Willow. My father had wanderlust and I had lived in many places and slept in many different types of bed. I felt a connection with Janey and Blue Willow became one of my favorite books for life. Well, life has strange quirks and I ended up in the 60's moving to the area where Janey lived. I have been able to explore the Fresno area and have found many of the places mentioned in the book. The children section of the main Fresno Library is named for the author Doris Gates.
22 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Sara J. Harrison
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on December 16, 2016
Verified Purchase
What a wonderful story, great insight to that time period, my Granddaughter will enjoy it too!
One person found this helpful
 Report
R S Hefford
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2015
Verified Purchase
Excellent
Report
Janina Witowski
5.0 out of 5 stars Relativ schnelle Lieferung, guter Zustand
Reviewed in Germany on December 4, 2013
Verified Purchase
Das Buch kam doch schneller als erwartet, für mich praktisch da ich es brauchte um einen Aufsatz für die Uni darüber zu schreiben. Die Qualität war gut und top für den Preis.
Report
Clem Neville
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read, if dated
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 20, 2016
Verified Purchase
Rather dated and light for modern tastes, but worth the read.
Report