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Helen Frost has the remarkable ability to combine excellence in technique with powerful storytelling. Each of her verse novels depict time and place with just a few words which is something I wish many novelists who write for adults would learn. She is able to develop her characters through short, poetic vignettes which describe their feelings and the circumstances of their lives.
"Crossing Stones" is told from the point of view of four friends who have grown into young adulthood together. Their ...more
"Crossing Stones" is told from the point of view of four friends who have grown into young adulthood together. Their ...more
My first thoughts on picking up this book were "not another war novel". This year's Newbery hopefuls are replete with them. Helen Frost writes about WWI but I've read about WWII, 9/11, and the War in Kosovo.
Crossing Stones alternates voices but in a way that's not disruptive to the book's overall tone. I found myself understanding both Muriel and Ollie's viewpoint because their characters are well drawn. You understand why they make the choices they do. Muriel is "plucky" but not overbearing and ...more
Crossing Stones alternates voices but in a way that's not disruptive to the book's overall tone. I found myself understanding both Muriel and Ollie's viewpoint because their characters are well drawn. You understand why they make the choices they do. Muriel is "plucky" but not overbearing and ...more
This book pretty much blew me away. I will admit I am not a huge fan of novels told in verse, or at least I wasn't until I started reading books by Helen Frost. Amazing.
First, the story. Crossing Stones is set in rural Michigan in 1917 and touches on all the major issues of the day. War, the suffrage movement and the flu epidemic. The story is told through the 4 distinct voices of Ollie, Muriel,Frank and Emma, four young people faced with all the unpleasant realities of war and social changes. T ...more
First, the story. Crossing Stones is set in rural Michigan in 1917 and touches on all the major issues of the day. War, the suffrage movement and the flu epidemic. The story is told through the 4 distinct voices of Ollie, Muriel,Frank and Emma, four young people faced with all the unpleasant realities of war and social changes. T ...more
I didn't appreciate this book fully until I completed it. There are parts I want to re-read to appreciate the structure of the poetry. This is a bit different in that it takes place during WW I (so many others seem to be during WW II or Vietnam), and it's very unique because of the forms of poetry, which are explained in the back of the book. There are several predictable things that happen in the book (after all, it's a book about war), but as I whole, I liked it.
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The voices of four young people, two boys and two girls, tell a moving story of life in rural Michigan in verse. Two families live happily on either side of a creek until World War I breaks out and the boys enlist. In a slim volume, the author describes love and loss during the war, women's fight for the vote, and the influenza epidemic. This is a book to read slowly and savor for each of the verses differs in an enlightening way.
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I like books set around WWI but not so sure I am in the mood for a book written in verse...
Powerful and expertly crafted, this was just as good as Diamond Willow. Loved it.
Beautifully done, powerfully told
Lovely poetry, connected in a unique way that adds depth to the story.
I loved how a man could not spell kitchen.
Jul 15, 2009
Donalyn
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Dec 08, 2009
Shawn
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Gin
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Celeste
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Aug 08, 2013
Bekah
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Jun 08, 2015
Kathy
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Jan 26, 2016
Michelle
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