The Elderberry Bush

by Doris Gates, Lilian Obligado (Illustrator)

California sisters, eight and nine years old, enjoy a year that includes a trip to the coast in their father's Peerless, a visit to a crochety great uncle, and a ride behind a runaway horse.

Genres: Fiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published October 16, 1967

About the author

Doris Gates, 1901-1987

A lifelong resident of California, Doris Gates was for many years, she was a librarian for the Fresno County Free Library. However, she is remembered for her many beloved children's books. Of these, the best known and most influential was Blue Willow (1940), selected as a Newbery Honor Book in 1941. Many consider Blue Willow to have been the first realistic, problem novel for children, and it was recognized both for its lasting literary merit and for its expansion of the range of subjects which could be explored in books for children. She died in 1987.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first chapter was really enjoyable, the last day of term before the summer and one little girl doesn't have any shoes to wear for their recitals. The two sisters in the story decide that to make her feel not alone they will take theirs off too, even though they know their parents coming to watch will be embarrassed when the rest of the village think they can't afford or worse can't be bothered to buy their children shoes. Despite their teacher trying to stop them they go on stage and do their piece much to their parents horror, only to discover yes you guessed it too, the nice teacher finds the poor girl some shoes! Luckily their parents are nice and laugh it off.

The rest of the chapters were too disjointed and nowhere near as enjoyable for us as the first chapter.

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[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really more of a collection of chronological vignettes then book with a progressing plot. It is still a very charming little read, and I imagine I would’ve liked it a lot when I was younger (as I am older, I found it a little tedious at times). It almost reads as though the author might be drawing on her own childhood memories, though I have no idea at all if this is true. I would say that it takes place around the early twentieth century. Automobiles are still fairly new but they do have a telephone and plan on getting electricity soon. Considering the time period and some of the mischief the two girls (sisters in this case) get into, it reminds me a little of the early Betsy- Tacy books. That’s not to say that I regard it on the same level with those, it’s just similar. There is a warm family dynamic and an especially amusing father (though I thought he took the Santa Claus thing a bit too far—with guns and everything). I also found this book more humorous than Blue Willow. I do wish the author had described things a little more clearly. For example, at one point their dad ends up fixing a boat and I was confused as to how he got there. Was he a repairman? There’s very little lead-up and some things like this made it hard for me follow. It’s also kind of jumpy and the ending is abrupt. Maybe it’s meant to be that way, but I feel like it could use some editing. It'd give it 2.5.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

C 1967. Very enjoyable.

[Cheryl]

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