l***@yahoo.com
2019-07-17 13:36:08 UTC
Born in Portland, Oregon in 1919, she lived in San Mateo, California, lived her last years in Eastsound, Washington, and died on Feb. 28, 2007.
"Sarah and Katie" was her only book.
From the book's back cover:
“Sarah can’t believe that someone in her class stole the teacher’s diamond ring. And now the principal suspects HER. If only Sarah could ask Katie to help solve the mystery. But Katie is still angry with her. Then a secret phone call gives Sarah a clue.”
One of the main themes of the book is "appearances are deceiving." (I promise you, you'll never guess, regarding the ring - even though it's a kids' book!)
http://melissawiley.com/blog/2014/09/15/sarah-katie-dori-white/
(blog from 2014, about why the book tends to stick in the memory of those lucky enough to find it; there are 23 comments)
Some more info on White from "Contemporary Authors":
Family: Born July 13, 1919, in Portland, OR; daughter of Charles Elmer
(an educator) and Jessie (Hyde) Cleveland; married first husband,
1940; married second husband, Irle E. White (a teacher), September 16,
1957; children: (first marriage) Elizabeth (Mrs. Dean Douglas),
Ronald. Education: Attended Whitman College, 1938-40; University of
Iowa, B.A., 1940; University of Oregon, M.A., 1956. Memberships:
California Writers Association (honorary member), Burlingame Writers
Association (president, 1966). Addresses: Agent: Elizabeth Otis,
McIntosh & Otis, Inc., 475 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10017.
CAREER
Marylhurst College, Oswego, OR, drama teacher, 1956-57; Kresge Eye
Institute, Detroit, MI, research assistant, 1957-60.
The book was turned into a play. Here's the description:
"The class bully, a new girl from Hollywood, and the disappearance of
a (teacher's) diamond ring hamper the efforts of a Depression-era
class of sixth graders trying to raise donations for impoverished
local families at Thanksgiving. Adapted from the novel by Dori
White."
And here's a picture:
Loading Image...
From Amazon, by a male reader:
H. F Merritt
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm a guy, and even I liked this book when I was a boy!
January 11, 2004
As I recall, one of my sisters ordered this book through the Scholastic Book Club newsletters that used to be handed out every month or so at Bird Elementary School in Sun Prairie, WI (do schools still do that, let kids order their own books? I sure hope so), back when I was in 4th grade. I used to read anything and everything when I was younger, and I guess one day I found their copy, dove right in, and loved it. I reread it countless times in the years following - not at school, though; I wouldn't DARE be caught reading a GIRL'S book! However, with that being said, "Sarah and Katie" is not a typical example of a gender-specific elementary school book from that era. Right from the start, Dori White is superb at establishing the era and place the story takes place in; she doesn't just say "This is the Great Depression in Portland, Oregon", she established the setting through little hints in the dialogue, a gust of wind, etc. And her characters are fully drawn out, as opposed to one-dimensional representations of school kids. Sarah and Katie mesh as friends because both girls are slightly outside the mainstream at their school (Sarah, due to her olive skin and ethnicity; Katie, due to her family's economic status). While both are fairly popular, each yearns for some better life, of imagined wealth and glamour. When pretty Melanie comes to town from Hollywood, each girl sees aspects in her life they would like to emulate. However, while Sarah is dazzled by Melanie's beauty and the excitement around her, Katie sees that and more; the negative aspects of Melanie's personality. As Sarah & Melanie grow closer, Katie slips back in 'outsider' status. Only the mystery of the teacher's lost diamond ring and the performance of the Thanksgiving play Sarah and Katie wrote together can resolve this situation.
Other great characters include 'mean' Mrs. Mulkey (who turns out to be not quite so mean after all), and Danny, the school bully and troublemaker, and main suspect in the loss of the ring. All in all, this is a very mature work. While written for the pre-juniou high crowd, it has depth and richness, and an unstated moral at the end - "appearances can be deceiving" - that will appeal to pre-teen readers. It is a very highly recommended book.
(end)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2898135-sarah-katie
(reader reviews)
Lenona.
"Sarah and Katie" was her only book.
From the book's back cover:
“Sarah can’t believe that someone in her class stole the teacher’s diamond ring. And now the principal suspects HER. If only Sarah could ask Katie to help solve the mystery. But Katie is still angry with her. Then a secret phone call gives Sarah a clue.”
One of the main themes of the book is "appearances are deceiving." (I promise you, you'll never guess, regarding the ring - even though it's a kids' book!)
http://melissawiley.com/blog/2014/09/15/sarah-katie-dori-white/
(blog from 2014, about why the book tends to stick in the memory of those lucky enough to find it; there are 23 comments)
Some more info on White from "Contemporary Authors":
Family: Born July 13, 1919, in Portland, OR; daughter of Charles Elmer
(an educator) and Jessie (Hyde) Cleveland; married first husband,
1940; married second husband, Irle E. White (a teacher), September 16,
1957; children: (first marriage) Elizabeth (Mrs. Dean Douglas),
Ronald. Education: Attended Whitman College, 1938-40; University of
Iowa, B.A., 1940; University of Oregon, M.A., 1956. Memberships:
California Writers Association (honorary member), Burlingame Writers
Association (president, 1966). Addresses: Agent: Elizabeth Otis,
McIntosh & Otis, Inc., 475 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10017.
CAREER
Marylhurst College, Oswego, OR, drama teacher, 1956-57; Kresge Eye
Institute, Detroit, MI, research assistant, 1957-60.
The book was turned into a play. Here's the description:
"The class bully, a new girl from Hollywood, and the disappearance of
a (teacher's) diamond ring hamper the efforts of a Depression-era
class of sixth graders trying to raise donations for impoverished
local families at Thanksgiving. Adapted from the novel by Dori
White."
And here's a picture:
Loading Image...
From Amazon, by a male reader:
H. F Merritt
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm a guy, and even I liked this book when I was a boy!
January 11, 2004
As I recall, one of my sisters ordered this book through the Scholastic Book Club newsletters that used to be handed out every month or so at Bird Elementary School in Sun Prairie, WI (do schools still do that, let kids order their own books? I sure hope so), back when I was in 4th grade. I used to read anything and everything when I was younger, and I guess one day I found their copy, dove right in, and loved it. I reread it countless times in the years following - not at school, though; I wouldn't DARE be caught reading a GIRL'S book! However, with that being said, "Sarah and Katie" is not a typical example of a gender-specific elementary school book from that era. Right from the start, Dori White is superb at establishing the era and place the story takes place in; she doesn't just say "This is the Great Depression in Portland, Oregon", she established the setting through little hints in the dialogue, a gust of wind, etc. And her characters are fully drawn out, as opposed to one-dimensional representations of school kids. Sarah and Katie mesh as friends because both girls are slightly outside the mainstream at their school (Sarah, due to her olive skin and ethnicity; Katie, due to her family's economic status). While both are fairly popular, each yearns for some better life, of imagined wealth and glamour. When pretty Melanie comes to town from Hollywood, each girl sees aspects in her life they would like to emulate. However, while Sarah is dazzled by Melanie's beauty and the excitement around her, Katie sees that and more; the negative aspects of Melanie's personality. As Sarah & Melanie grow closer, Katie slips back in 'outsider' status. Only the mystery of the teacher's lost diamond ring and the performance of the Thanksgiving play Sarah and Katie wrote together can resolve this situation.
Other great characters include 'mean' Mrs. Mulkey (who turns out to be not quite so mean after all), and Danny, the school bully and troublemaker, and main suspect in the loss of the ring. All in all, this is a very mature work. While written for the pre-juniou high crowd, it has depth and richness, and an unstated moral at the end - "appearances can be deceiving" - that will appeal to pre-teen readers. It is a very highly recommended book.
(end)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2898135-sarah-katie
(reader reviews)
Lenona.