Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
  1. Bibliography
Frost, Helen. Diamond Willow. Square Fish, an Imprint of Macmillan/Farrar Straus
Giroux, 2011. ISBN 9780312603830.
  1. Plot Summary
Diamond Willow “Willow” is a 12 year old girl living in the harsh climate of rural Alaska.
She enjoys taking trips with her sled and dogs. On a trip back home from visiting her
grandparents, Willow is involved in an accident that blinds her lead dog, Roxy. Willow soon
has to learn how to fight for what she believes to be right. She tries to save Roxy’s life
by sneaking the dog, along with her best friend, Kaylie, to the grandparent’s home. A huge
snowstorm hits and the girls struggle to survive throughout the night. As day breaks,
Willow and Kaylie learn more about survival and family than they had intended when they
set out on their initial trip.  

  1. Critical Analysis
This was an excellent book! Poetry is not normally my favorite thing to read,
however this book far surpassed my expectations. I found myself cheering on the
main character, Willow, as she raced to return Roxy home after running into tree
branches. I felt the grief that Willow felt, as she learns that Roxy was blind. And
I felt the confusion when Willow finds out about her twin sister.
The author, Helen Frost, cleverly shows the Alaskan Native belief of reincarnation
by putting the reincarnated spirits of past relatives in paragraph form to separate
from the otherwise diamond-shaped poems throughout. This book is a story of
friendship, family, and the power of healing. 
  1. Review Excerpts
  • Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year, 2009
  • “This complex and elegant novel will resonate with readers who savor powerful drama and multifaceted characters.” ―School Library Journal
  • “Frost presents her story in a series of poems in Willow's voice, using a form inspired by the marks on a diamond willow stick.” ―Kirkus Reviews
  • “Set in a remote part of Alaska, this story in easy-to-read verse blends exciting survival adventure with a contemporary girl's discovery of family roots and secrets.” ―Booklist
  1. Connections
  • Read this story while teaching a unit over Diamante Poetry. Have students
try to find patterns in the novel that correlate with a diamante poem. 

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