Diamond Willow

June 1, 2008
Gr 5-8-When a diamond willow's bark is removed, sanded, and polished, it reveals reddish brown diamonds, the dark center of which are the scars of missing branches. Frost has used this image to craft an intricate family story in diamond-shaped verse. In her small Alaskan town, 12-year-old Diamond Willow, named for the tree, prefers to be just "Willow" but muses that if her parents had called her "Diamond," "]would I have been one of those sparkly kinds of girls?" Instead she describes herself as an average, part-Athabascan girl with one good friend, who finds herself more comfortable around her family's sled dogs than with people. Her story takes a heartrending turn on a solo dogsled trip to visit her grandparents, and Willow is soon caught up in an intense adventure that leads to the discovery of a family secret. As she unravels the truth, Willow comes to understand the diamonds and scars that bind her family together. She also gains awareness of her own strength and place in her community. Willow relates her story in one-page poems, each of which contains a hidden message printed in darker type. At key intervals, the narrative is continued in the voices of her ancestors, who take the form of animal spiritsRed Fox, Spruce Hen, Mouse, Chickadee, Lynxand her sled dogs. Frost casts a subtle spell through innovative storytelling. Her poems offer pensive imagery and glimpses of character, and strong emotion. This complex and elegant novel will resonate with readers who savor powerful drama and multifaceted characters."Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2008
Set in a remote part of Alaska, this story in easy-to-read verse blends exciting survival adventure with a contemporary girls discovery of family roots and secrets. Middle-schooler Willows dad is Anglo, and her mother is Athabascan.The girllongs to spend more time with her traditional Indian grandparents even though she knows she will miss computers and other things that are a part of her life. When her beloved dog, Roxy, is blinded in an accident (partly Willows fault), and her parents want to putthe dogdown, Willow tries to take Roxy to Grandma and Grandpa. The two are caught in a raging blizzard, and Willowis saved by the spirits of her ancestors, who live on in the wild animals around her. Frost, whospent years teaching in Alaska, blends the young teens viewpoint with a strong sense of place and culture. The casual diamond shape of thepoems reflects howprecious jewels of wisdom can grow around painful scars. Willows bond with Roxy is the heart of the tale. Give this to fans of dogstories and to readers who liked Gary Paulsens Hatchet (1987).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2008
Willow has lived all her life in interior Alaska, and at twelve feels she is old enough to mush the family sled dogs twelve miles to her grandparents' house on her own. But an accident on the way home leaves her favorite dog, Roxy, blind, and when Willow comes across a note written by her mother ("Vet -- 3:45. Bring blanket to wrap body. Tell the children? Okay, if old enough to understand"), she enlists a friend's help to transport Roxy back to her grandparents for safe-keeping. Snowy weather causes them to spend the night outdoors; the experience reveals Willow's maturity as well as a family secret. The first-person, present-tense narrative is typeset in diamond shapes echoing the pattern of diamond willow wood. Bold-faced words at the heart of each diamond hold an additional nugget of meaning. As a dog and dogsled story, this has appeal and wears its knowledge gracefully. Considerably less graceful is Frost's inclusion of animal guides who are the spirits of Willow's deceased relatives and who function as fairy-godmother figures to assist her; the blend of realism and magic-cum-religion stretches credulity just a little too far.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2008
After an accident leaves her favorite sled dog, Roxy, blind, twelve-year-old Willow must transport Roxy to her grandparents for safe-keeping. The first-person, present-tense narrative is typeset in diamond shapes; bold-faced words at the heart of each diamond hold an additional nugget of meaning. Despite some misplaced mysticism, as a dog and dogsled story, the tale wears its knowledge gracefully.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)