Diamond Willow

by Helen Frost

There's
more to me than
most people
see.

Twelve-year-old Willow would rather blend in than stick out. But she still wants to be seen for who she is. She wants her parents to notice that she is growing up. She wants her best friend to like her better than she likes a certain boy. She wants, more than anything, to mush the dogs out to her grandparents' house, by herself, with Roxy in the lead. But sometimes when it's just you, one mistake can have frightening consequences . . . And when Willow stumbles, it takes a surprising group of friends to help her make things right again.

Using diamond-shaped poems inspired by forms found in polished diamond willow sticks, Helen Frost tells the moving story of Willow and her family. Hidden messages within each diamond carry the reader further, into feelings Willow doesn't reveal even to herself.
Diamond Willow is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Genres: Poetry, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adventure, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Animals

128 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2008

About the author

I'm dipping my toes into goodreads to see how it works. Thanks for finding me here, and thanks to everyone who has read and written about my books. I love to know you're there, even if I don't come here too often to say so.

Helen Frost is the author of eleven novels-in-poems and seven picture books for children and young adults. She lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/helenf...

Reviews

[J.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful and finely-crafted book, lent to me by my friend John, who is on GR but who is also a neighbour. He met the author when she paid a visit here. I started it late last night, and had to stay in bed this morning until I finished it! I’m writing this review before attending to the long list of household chores that await, because I’d like to try to capture my impressions immediately.

It’s written for young people in their early teens, and I will be looking a copy, for one of my grandchildren whom it will suit perfectly, but as an aged adult I found myself entranced by it. It probably helps if you’re a dog-lover, but it’s not necessary; you’ll be caught up in this story of fragility and endurance, of vulnerability and strength, in the wilds of Alaska.

The author explains in some length the origin of the title, which is perfect for the book, as we realise as the story unravels.

“Most of the story is told in diamond-shaped poems, with a hidden message printed in darker ink in the centre of each one . . . Diamond willow grows in northern climates. It has rough gray bark, often crusted with gray-green lichen. Removing the bark and sanding and polishing the stick reveals reddish-brown diamonds, each with a small dark centre . . . The diamonds form on several different kinds of shrub willow when a branch is injured and falls away. The dark centre of each diamond is the scar of the missing branch.”

The main character, a girl from an Athabascan community, is called, “Diamond Willow”, and when it is her voice we hear, the story is in the shape of a diamond, with, as the author says, a hidden message in bold (though I didn't see the text as poems, as she calls them). What she doesn’t prepare us for is the nature of the hidden messages, which reveal a deeper layer of thinking or meaning. It is not always Willow’s voice we hear, and therein lies another dimension in the book, delicately explored and interwoven with the story.

I really don’t want to give too much away here, but in a simple tale Helen Frost manages to capture the harshness of daily life in such a clime with the warmth and love of human emotions, the value accorded to ancient beliefs and tradition, the terrible beauty of life and death, with the vibrant energy of the young girl and her journey through teenage emotions as she begins to find her place in her world, and her full identity.

The dogs reminded me of the Jack London tales (thank you, Elena, for your recent review of “The Call of the Wild, White Fang and Other Stories" on
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The dogs are essential to the survival of human beings in this tale, but they are also honoured and beloved members of the family. Jola, after the thread on Elena's review I want to tell you that you can read it – I promise that there is no cruelty to dogs! On the contrary, it is a celebration of their loyal, intelligent and loving natures.

I had read another book by this author that left me with questions and issues about her intended audience, and suchlike – I didn’t review that book, as I didn’t feel I gave it the attention it deserved – but this one is spell-binding. Highly recommended for young people (and their oldies).

[Sam Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I make a point of telling everyone who will listen that the best writers are children's/YA authors. The last two books I finished - The Underneath by Kathi Appelt and this one - are perfect examples. Books that are funny, heartbreaking, suspenseful, hopeful without crossing the line into sappiness... just beautifully written books.

Diamond Willow is written in a sort of prose, with 90% of the pages containing diamond-shaped text. Within each diamond-shaped page is a "hidden" message in bold print. This may seem gimmicky, but it works because Frost is such a great writer who has so much respect for her audience (10-14 year olds, by my reckoning). The character of Willow is a bit of an outcast, as so many lead characters in young adult literature tend to be, but she is so believable... the choices she makes, the things she does, the words she says... very true. Willow lives in a remote town in Alaska, where she longs to take her family's sled dogs out for a run on her own. One of the dogs, Roxy, is particularly special to Willow (and her father). I don't want to give away much of the story, so I'll stop there, but I can say that it took me about 3 hours total to read. Oh, and Helen Frost lives in my hometown of Fort Wayne.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sentence "I told you so!" is deeply satisfying. Granted, the satisfaction you feel when you say it only lasts a minute or two, but for a little while, as you do your "I told you so" dance, you get to feel that thrill of vindication sweeping through your veins. I often feel this way when an author or illustrator I've liked over the years starts garnering a little more notice. Admittedly Helen Frost is maybe not the best example I could call up. After all, she won a Printz Honor a couple years back for her book Keesha's House and her recent picture book Monarch and Milkweed has been getting nothing but sweet sweet loving from professional reviewers. All that aside, I've never felt that anyone has ever given Ms. Frost enough attention for her cleverness. When The Braid was published several years ago it was so smart, so sharp, and so interesting that it took everything I had not to bop people over the head with it at dinner parties. "BOP! Read this!" "BOP! Read this!" No such bopping will be necessary with her newest novel, though. Diamond Willow aims younger than Frost's usual teenaged fare. Examining the relationship between a girl and her sled dog, Frost combines her standard intelligent wordplay with a story that will catch in the throats of dog lovers and people lovers alike.

Take the branch of a willow tree, carve it down, get to the center, polish it, and there where the scar of a living branch remains you will find the shape of a diamond. A diamond willow branch is pretty special but middle schooler Diamond Willow, named after the natural wonder, doesn't feel very special at all. She has a hard time making friends at school and sometimes it seems like her dad loves his sled dogs more than her. Not that Willow doesn't love the dogs too, particularly Roxy, the smart and clever lead dog who always knows the way. Willow's getting older and one day she convinces her parents to let her take the dogs to her grandparents' house. When tragedy strikes and Roxy's eyes are harmed along the way, Willow does whatever she can to protect her furred friend from her parents' flawed intentions. As she does so, secrets long since buried begin to come to light and Willow gets a better idea of who she is and what Roxy really means to her. Every page containing Willow's thoughts appears in the shape of a diamond, a buried message found at the heart of each of these free verse poems.

Maybe the reason Frost's The Braid never got the attention it deserved was that it was too clever for its own good. As I recall, Frost braided her poems over and under themselves, weaving sentences and even details like her characters ages into the mix. Or maybe the reason was simpler than that. Maybe people just don't appreciate it when a poem is smarter than they are. None of this is to say that Frost hasn't been doing some pretty fancy footwork with this book too.

The fact that a shrub willow's diamond pattern forms when a piece of it has been roughly hewn away in some matter is more than a little significant to this tale. As with a real diamond willow, the center of each diamond poem contains a dark spot at the center. Often Frost will place certain letters in bold at strategic moments. If the reader chooses to read these dark words on their own, they'll encounter thoughts and feelings hidden within Willow. Many of these feel as if they are her innermost feelings. The kind of gut reaction or subconscious understanding that she may not even be aware that she feels. On page six, for example, Willow describes her state in life. "In the middle of my family in the middle of a middle-size town in the middle of Alaska, you will find middle-size, middle-kid, me." It doesn't look like much when I pull the sentence apart and place it on a page like this, but the message of "find me" is clear as crystal. This is someone who wants to be found, even if she can't express it directly. Authors always try to find new and interesting ways to have their characters say what they think, and at the same time express what they mean. Frost's technique is perfect for child readers and may cause them to concentrate a little more as they read each section.

Willow is part Athabascan, a fact that is important to the story. As she continues along her way her narrative, which began entirely with her diamond-shaped thoughts, is broken up by the voices of animals. And a few of these animals appear to be related to her. The first time you see one of these sections, usually written in a straightforward prose-style, it is introduced with, "John, Willow's great-great-grandfather (Red Fox)". And sure as shooting, we're hearing the impressions of a fox who just so happen to have also have been related to Willow in a past life. It's tricky territory taking any particular ethnicity and assigning a spirituality to it that may or may not belong to the author herself. I'm not saying I was offended, but it's a difficult path to walk and I don't know that Frost need have gone that route. Due to the fact that Roxy's speech near the end wraps up a lot of loose ends, I understand the desire to make someone else talk beforehand, but it's still sketchy territory. At least Ms. Frost handles it tastefully in any case.

Far more kid-friendly than her previous books, Helen Frost has a knack for writing free-verse novels that never feel like someone took a page of prose and broke it up arbitrarily. Every sentence, word, and syllable in this book is crafted and honed. If a diamond willow branch needs to be polished to look and feel right then I think it's safe to say that just as much polish must go into Ms. Frost's four-sided works of art. A dog story sure, but one that definitely (forgive me) separates itself from the pack. Animal poetry done right.

Ages 8-14.

[Wendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, wow, did I hate this book.

And sure, I didn't care for the diamond-shaped text, which I felt took me out of the story every time I turned a page; and the bolded words that formed the extra message on each page really interfered with tracking the words as I read the regular text; but that wasn't really a big deal.

The story was basically fine with me up until Willow decides to "rescue" Roxy. For one thing, I would expect a girl raised around sled dogs whose parents and grandparents hunt to be much more practical about the need to euthanize a severely injured dog. But instead, she thinks that if she can take the dog to her grandparents', they'll say "oh, sure, we'll keep this injured dog that belongs to your dad that he and the vet decided to euthanize"? And even though she's already proven to herself and everyone else that she can't be trusted to take the dogs and sled out by herself, she decides to make the journey anyway? WITH her best friend, who doesn't know a thing about mushing--putting her in danger, too, and clearly getting her into trouble? I certainly wasn't surprised when they got lost and had to stay out overnight, but I didn't have any sympathy for Willow.

And then no one's angry, even a little bit?

When I got to the point where it turns out that the special sled dog is Willow's reincarnated twin sister that her parents AND her older brother never told about, I almost stopped reading... disgusted with her parents, disgusted with the book. But I was near the end, so...

All along I had doubts about the creepy/folksy presence of the reincarnated animals, but thank goodness, they weren't all as heavy-handed as the first one (and I didn't really believe the voice of the Athabascan ancestor who seemed so grumpy about technology). I do wonder about assigning Athabascan spiritual beliefs to white ancestors.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diamond Willow is told through a series of narrative poems interspersed with prose chapters. The poems are from the viewpoint of the protagonist, and the prose chapters are from he perspective of other characters.

The poems are in the shape of a diamond, with words in bold in the center that form additional sentences. This is to mimic the look of diamond willow wood, which is a pretty cool idea.

However, I have a hard time with using format to try and add meaning to words. Would the bold words have made better titles for each poem? Was any of the narrative improved by the format? Not for me, and the centered justification was a bit much to take.

That being said, this is a shorter book, and I can see some in the target audience (3-5 grades) really enjoying this aspect.

Onto the narrative itself, the story is excellent and well-paced and will really get readers thinking about family, friends, and what makes life so special. Highly recommended to any interested in native Alaskan culture, animals, nature, or just looking for a good story about a 12-13 year-old finding her place.

[Becky Soledad · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first picked up this book I thought it was a very strange layout. Students love free verse novels but I was concerned that this layout would be difficult for them to follow. But once I started reading the book I realized that your eye just follows the lines automatically and the little hidden messages in each poem only added to your understanding of the story. So often we say when you listen to someone you have to hear what is not being said as well as what is and that is exactly what is going on here.

[Clare Lund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started a bit slow, but I really liked the ending. Written in a very similar style to Hidden by the same author, with the story told in verse with an additional message revealed on each page. Ages 8 and up.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Willow (Diamond Willow is her full name – named after the trees that have diamond shaped scars) lives in a small, remote town in Alaska with her parents and her younger sister and their sled dogs. She’s rather shy and doesn’t have a lot of friends, but she loves her dogs – especially Roxy, their lead dog. Willow convinces her parents that she’s responsible enough to take the team to her grandparents’ house – 12 miles away along a packed snow trail. The trip out goes without a hitch, but on the way back, Willow gives Roxy her head and as they’re running at top speed, they crash into a fallen tree. Roxy is injured (blinded by the branches), and Willow must use her wits to save the dog and herself. When they return, Roxy is taken to the vet, whose prognosis is not good – he recommends that she be put to sleep, because she’ll never see or lead a team again.

When Willow learns what her parents plan to do, she comes up with a plan of her own – she will take Roxy to her grandparents’ house and see if they will keep her. She can’t do it alone, though, because someone has to make sure Roxy stays on the sled. So, Willow enlists the help of her only friend, Kaylie. A storm catches them out in the open – on the wrong trail – and they’re forced to build a shelter for themselves and the dogs. Minutes from Willow’s grandparents’ house, they are discovered – Kaylie’s boyfriend finds them and takes Kaylie home. Willow makes it to her grandparents’ shortly thereafter and she and the team are taken in and cared for until her parents arrive. Everyone has an opportunity to talk about how much Roxy means to them, and together they decide to keep her. That’s also when Kaylie learns that she’s a twin, and that she lost her sister, Diamond (although she kept her name), 4 days after she was born.

Everything starts to change after that. Willow makes some new friends – people are interested in her adventures and her dog – and Willow finds that she’s not so afraid of people; she’s willing to open up a little and share something of herself with them. Willow and Roxy also share a secret – Roxy can see, but she doesn’t want anyone except Willow to know (her wish has always been to be an inside, family dog, even though she was a talented sled dog).

This is written in a very unusual visual format – diamonds (to match the Diamond Willow), each with several words highlighted in the center that have special meaning. It has a very multi-layered, free-verse feel to it as a result. There’s a lot of possibly Inuit (?) folklore woven into it, too – the idea that ancestors come back as animals to look in on (and look after) their still-living, human families. All of the animals in this story are relatives – a mouse, a lynx, even the dogs. Roxy, however, is closest of all, being the reincarnation of Willow’s twin sister. Helen Frost even narrates some of the story from the animals’ points of view. I thought it worked very well, stylistically, and I really liked this. It’s a little spare because of the verse and the nature of Willow (she’s quiet and shy, as well as strong and resilient). But it fits the setting (Alaska, also quiet and remote). I wish the author had included full-color photos of actual Diamond Willow branches/sticks. There are some black and white images (small) that head the ancestors’ chapters, but they don’t really give you a sense of the real thing.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this story on CD. It has received the following awards: Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award (Pennsylvania Center for the Book), Mitten Award (Michigan), and Texas Lone Star Reading Lists: 2009.

This is a story about a girl named Diamond Willow (she goes by Willow) who lives in Alaska. Willow sees herself as an average girl that doesn't stand out at all. She doesn't have many friends, but she loves her family's sled dogs. Unfortunately there is an accident while she has the dogs out and one of them, Roxy, becomes blind. The author goes on to finish a story about love, family, and friendship.

I'm disappointed I did not also have the actual book. I read reviews that explain how the author writes the poetry of the story in the rough shape of a diamond. The lines of the verse also contain "hidden" notes designated by bold words throughout the writing. I will definitely be getting the book so I can see how it is written.

One of my favorite aspects of the writing and the CD is that intermittently, there are voices of animals which are her ancestors. These animals play interesting parts in the story, and help the reader to understand a little bit more about Willow's culture. I only gave it 4 stars because it was a little slow at the beginning.

I would use this book with upper elementary students, perhaps to study story elements and plot. This storyline nicely follows the typical story structure.

[Maureen Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. I couldn't get over how clever the author was by writing poetry within poetry. I found myself looking forward to turning each page and going right to the bolded words so I could figure out what was going to happen next (and what Willow was thinking). In addition to this unique and compelling literary element, the author told a great story. The main character, Willow, is so likable and you really found yourself cheering her on while she attempted to take the dogs (or mush them) to her grandparents' house. The story took a sad turn when Roxy, her favorite dog, got injured. The author did a terrific job of keeping the reader interested in how Willow dealt with this injury and in telling the reader how important Roxy was to her. The addition of various viewpoints from other people in the story added an extra layer of understanding for the reader. One of my favorite parts was the addition of Roxy's POV, which explained her feelings towards Zanna. Overall, this was a very heartwarming story with a good ending and an intriguing delivery. I think any elementary or middle school student would enjoy this book.

[Anusha✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading Diamond Willow by Helen Frost. Imagine looking outside and seeing a blanket of sparkly white snow. In Diamond Willow a girl named Willow lives in Alaska and gets to see sparkly snow everyday. One day Willow goes to her grandmother's house with her dog Roxy and gets hurt because she slips on ice. The external conflict is that Willow doesn't want to listen to her parents about giving Roxy away.Her parents say she can never go to her grandmother's house again without them and that they have to give Roxy away because she becomes blind and now is useless. The internal conflict that Willow faces is giving Roxy away. She Gets so upset about this so she runs away to her grandmother's house and gets stranded for 2 days without food or water in the cold. The moral or lesson in the story is that you should take your parents advice when they tell you not to do something because it's dangerous.. I liked all the describing words the author used to make the story sound interesting. I think a 5th, 6th or 7th grader would like this book. Overall this book was a pretty easy read.

[Roxanne Hsu Feldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aside from the fact that I don't believe all the pieces are poems (indeed, I don't think MOST of them are) so the author's claim (in her introduction) of these being "diamond shaped poems" does not gel with my perception of poetry, the book is really STRONG.

Of course, love the design and the hidden heart/message in each piece. Love the magical realistic spirited animals of the deceased. Love the surprising twists toward the end about Roxy/Diamond. Totally enjoyed the realism of this young girl's search for self and the missing half (even without knowing it at first.) Much enjoyed the setting and the supporting characters.

This has been such a pleasure to read.

Notes to self:

p. 69 - If the Spruce Hen can recognize Albert in the Lynx form, why couldn't the Chicadee recognize the Spruce Hen as Jean? -- Ah... some of them could figure out who others are, but others can't. So glad that it got resolved.

[sarah gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

luminous and heart-striking and full of life and life-after-death, this book had me dripping tears through the rise and fall of its story arc, and still sniffling to the end. who writes likes this for children? it's a mother's tale, told through a twelve-year-old's eyes. they're always twelve, aren't they. and as willow comes of age, it's in a silent yearning for the true self that can only be found through solitariness, pain, ripping physical and emotional and terrifying. yet even alone, independent with a child's fierceness, she is surrounded by her own and her friends' families, alive in their native Alaskan animal spirits.

I expected to find the gimmickiness of the diamond-shaped 'poems' trying; instead it was lovely. less than perfect were the animal spirits' passages; forced, a bit, perhaps, rushed into square 'prose.' either way, I'll recommend this to any middle reader who's ever told me he has no friends.

expect my eight-year-old to ask me for a sled dog by the weekend.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve year old Willow doesn't feel very special..her best friend likes a boy better than she likes Willow and her dad seems to love his sled dogs more than her. When she finally convinces her parents to let her take the sled and dogs to her grandparents she is beginning to feel pretty special. Tragedy strikes along the way and Roxy's (her favorite dog) eyes are harmed. As she tries to do what is best for Roxy, Willow finds herself on a path that leads directly into a snow storm. Every page is written in free verse in the shape of a diamond, and the author buries Willow's most secret thoughts in the heart. Beautifully written.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book in verse! I really enjoyed the story of this girl who just isn't fitting in, but has a heart of gold. The book is set up in such a clever way, and I really enjoyed the spirit animals (I guess that is what you call them.) All this girl wants to do is take her sled dogs to grandma and grandpa's, but as with real life, things happen. This book will make you cry, and you won't see something coming. Sweet, heartbreaking, and full of feels. This is a story that needs to be read!

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifth- and sixth-grade readers will like this story of a twelve year-old girl in Alaska whose error in judgment causes an accident that injures her sled dog, Roxy, while they are "mushing." The story is told in free verse poetry with the text on each page resembling a diamond shape. Although this concept could have been merely gimmicky, Frost is such a strong writer that the storytelling is enhanced by the free verse form.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diamond Willow was one of the best fiction books I have read for a long time! It was an extremely captivating book and made me keep turning the pages. It was a short read and the book was written as a concrete poem, with all the shapes being diamonds. I thought this was creative and made the book more interesting to read. Overall, the book was different from other books I have read and I advise people to read it.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Completely, absolutely loved it. I must have read this book at least five times! The way each page was written in diamond poem form, along with the bolded words, really added to the story, in my opinion. Though I know that not all people would like it, I still recommend this book to pretty much everyone who's willing to try it.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a brief but touching tale of a young girl's coming of age - fun to read aloud to my 10yo because of an unusual, puzzle-like structure, the unusual landscape, and the surprising plot twists. It's on the spiritual side, but works nicely in capturing something about the unfamiliar Inuit culture. Recommend it!

[Kellyflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, can't remember why I picked this book up. I've had it for over a month and finally decided to crack it open last night.
What a great little story. It's told in free verse with each page's words in the shape of a Diamond.
Even if you're not a free verse kinda reader, I recommend this.
Was not expecting to cry, but I did.

[Patricia Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much that now I must read everything that Helen Frost has written. The writing is so solid and the "puzzles" or secret bits only add to the experience. So often, something clever can distract and detract from the story. But this was inspired, all part of the whole.

[Suzanne Dix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely extraordinary. The shape poems add to the uniqueness but it is the plot itself that is so engrossing.
Warning: have a tissue box at the ready! Grades 6 and up with universal appeal.

Roxy and Willow will stay with me for a long long time.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the format, love the dogs, love Alaska!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very uniquely written in a diamond shape on each page, there is also a set of words bolded on each page that give a deeper message about the plot.

[Shawn Jaquiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent piece of juvenile literature. I loved the setting, the story, the style and the hidden messages.

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Hidden nuggets in every diamond shaped verse. I never knew about Diamond Willows but thanks to this book and its preface I do.

Thanks to Ryan for suggesting that I try it.

[Kailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I chose to read for my good reads review is "Diamond Willow" by Helen Frost. It is about a twelve-year-old girl that lives on snowy woods of Alaska and she is helping her parents train dogs to tow supplies, like firewood and food. Willow, the twelve-year-old girl, has a favorite dog, Roxy. Roxy has a tragic event that makes the father of Willow want to put the dog down, due to injuries. Obviously, Willow was not a fan of his decision, so they placed a bet. If Roxy can still run the routes in 9 months after recovery, she can stay. If not, they will put the dog down.
I genuinely enjoyed reading this book over summer break, which is something you normally would never hear me say. I like how it kept you on the end of your seat, from exciting news to sad injuries, this book really has it all. It also had something I have never seen in a book before, which is the descendants of the family were actually animals, which I found quite fascinating because never in a million years I would’ve thought of having a point of view like that. The author was truly creative and skilled to write such a thought through book like this one.
Another thing I loved about this book was the fact that it was a poem book. Poem books always grab my attention because the shapes of the words and how they all perfectly form a beautiful page of writing, is truly astonishing to me. Another literary element I liked was the little bolded texts that had secret messages on each page that where in the text. I cannot even fathom how hard it was and how much work was put into making each line have a word to makeup a secret message.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that like animals, nature, or fantasies, because this book was obviously fiction. It’s fiction because they had animals that were the characters deceased family members, which would obviously never happen in real life. I would give this book a 5/5 stars, I really did enjoy reading it.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book, which means I missed out on the opportunity to enjoy the writing style (but I did flip through a copy at the library and saw what it was about, which leads me to the question, would it have really added anything to the story? I'm gonna say no). That aside the plot was captivating enough. A girl living in Alaska makes a strong bond with one of her sled dogs while learning that the animals she is surrounded by containing the souls of her ancestors. As the story goes on there is a family secret revealed as well as a deeper understanding of the love she has for her dog. A feel-good story without a whole lot of actual feel good. It wasn't a waste of my time (especially since it was so short), but nothing life-changing either. For those who love dogs, sled racing and Native American culture it will have enough there to keep your attention.

[Pam Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a quiet treasure. I had to put it down at one point (Roxy and the sled, no spoilers) as I knew what was coming may not be cheerful. It would be ideal for a book chat/literature circle text for year 5/6/7. It has much to discuss but all done very gently and not too long.

It is set in Alaska and some Australian readers may need a little background on dog sledding and the cold, serious cold experienced by those who live inland close to the Arcti . The main character Willow is feisty, determined and strong although incredibly shy.

The author describes it as poetry but I didn't feel they were, each page written in the shape of a diamond with some text bolded with message to reenforce the message of the page, this would help many students. I was never sure if I should read the bold text first or second. There are some longer pieces narrated by those keeping watch over Willow. I actually liked these best.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting ancestral influences. I’m curious about the Native American back stories. Middle grade novel in verse.