DIAMOND WILLOW by Helen Frost

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frost, Helen. 2008. DIAMOND WILLOW. NewYork: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374317763

2. PLOT SUMMARY
No one truly understands Willow except her two best friends, Kelsey and her dog Roxy. Willow is not “sparkling” or outgoing; she is as plain as the Diamond Willow stick that is her namesake. This verse novel follows her on a journey of self-discovery. She is twelve and wants to take the sled dogs to her grandparents’ house by herself. The trip ended in disaster when an accident strikes and Roxy ends up blind. Attempting to save her dog’s life from inevitable euthanasia, she flees with Kelsey and a team of dogs to beg her grandparents to take care of Roxy. After a fretful night of snowstorms and survival, Willow discovers what she is made of, and a few secrets that she never knew.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This verse novel was intriguing, leading the reader through Willow’s journey of self -discovery through both direct storytelling and an implied meaning. Each verse that Willow narrates takes the form of a diamond. Several words in each verse are set in a bold type, relaying the implied meaning of each verse. For example, one verse describes how Willow saw herself at the beginning of the story “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.” Of that, the words “find” and “me” are bolded, telling the reader that Willow wants to be noticed.

Deceased ancestors took the form of wildlife who attempted to guide Willow on her journey of self-discovery. For example, Willow’s great-great-great grandmother Jean was in the form of a Spruce Hen that looked after Willow and did her best to guide her in the right direction. Whenever these ancestors were narrating the story, the form strayed from the diamond verses to and opted more for traditional paragraphs. Reading through the various points-of-view gave depth to the story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “This complex and elegant novel will resonate with readers who savor powerful drama and multifaceted characters.”
BOOKLIST review: “this story in easy-to-read verse blends exciting survival adventure with a contemporary girl’s discovery of family roots and secrets.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Invite students to write a verse about who they are, their likes and dislikes, or their family
*Other engaging books
Law, Ingrid. SAVVY. ISBN 0803733062
Gaiman, Neil. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. ISBN 0060530928