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Doris Gates, renowned author and editor of literary works for children, was born on November 26, 1901 in Mountain View, California. Raised on her family's prune ranch, Doris had a little gray burro and soon developed a fondness for horses that would later recur as a frequent theme in her children's novels, such as Sarah's Idea and Little Vic.

After receiving a degree in library science from Western Reserve University in 1930, Doris Gates launched her active and celebrated career in the field of children's literature. Her experiences ranged from her work as children's librarian at the Fresno Public Library in California from 1939 to 1940, to her long-standing association with Ginn and Company as editor and contributor for the basic reader and enrichment textbook series, and her own prolific career as an author. Although she had children of her own, Gates maintained contact with young readers through her frequent and popular guest lectures at elementary schools and children's libraries. Her deep interests in storytelling and mythology were evident in her oral and written narratives.

Gates also worked with older students and prospective writers as a lecturer at San Jose State College from 1940 to 1942, and the University of San Francisco from 1944 to 1948, as well as her editorial work for Ginn and Company. Gates spent the latter years of her life writing and raising horses at her "dream-home" overlooking the Pacific coast in Carmel, California, until her death in 1987.