Diamond Willow

by Helen Frost Narrated by Full Cast

Overview

Award-winning author Helen Frost takes us into the breathtaking Alaskan winter landscape in this thrilling adventure with a touch of fantasy. Twelve-year-old Willow-whose heritage is both Athabascan Indian and European-wants nothing more than to mush the sled dogs to her grandparents' home. After pressing her parents for some time, she is finally allowed to go alone. But when she commits a critical mistake, Willow wonders how she'll ever make things right again. ". a thrilling outdoor escapade that will entrance the reader. This delightful novel is a must-read."-VOYA

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

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 spirits-Red Fox, Spruce Hen, Mouse, Chickadee, Lynx-and 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

Kirkus Reviews

Diamond Willow, a young Alaskan of Athabascan and European descent, doesn't have many friends; she's happiest when she's sledding her father's dogs and visiting her grandparents. When her first solo dogsled trip to her grandparents ends with a terrible crash that blinds her father's favorite dog, Roxy, she sets to making sure that Roxy will live out her days with care and not undergo euthanasia-a decision that leads to an amazing revelation about her family. 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; roughly diamond-shaped and no two exactly alike, each contains a "hidden message" printed in boldface that spans several lines and encapsulates the poem. It's a novel idea, and largely works quite well. Less effective are interstitial narratives in the voices of the characters' ancestors, who take part in the story as animals. This device, although integrated into the narrative as a whole, serves to distract the reader from the quiet power of Willow's story. Flawed, but not fatally so. (author's note) (Fiction. 10-14)

From the Publisher

Frost invents an ingenious poetic form for her story that is both stable and fluid; like the diamond willow branches that she is imitating, the diamond shapes of her poems vary. . . . Frost has spun metaphoric gold out of an evocative natural landscape, and she knows just how to craft it into an elegant and moving story of a young girl's deepening understanding of the relationships she shares with those around her.” —The Bulletin for Center of Children's Books, Starred Review

“This complex and elegant novel will resonate with readers who savor powerful drama and multifaceted characters.” —School Library Journal

“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

“This delightful novel is a must-read.” —VOYA

“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

“Twelve-year-old Willow longs to take the family's beloved sled dogs on her first solo run to her grandparents' cabin. Inspired by gifts created from diamond willow, Helen Frost has composed unique diamond-shaped poems that reveal the touching story of Willow, her immediate family, and her ancestors, whose spirits reside in many of the animals of the Alaskan wilderness she encounters.” —Tish Gayle, The Blue Marble Bookstore, Fort Thomas, KY

“As it takes us gliding along on a dogsled with Willow into the depths of the snowy Alaskan interior, Diamond Willow illustrates oneness, forgiveness, joyfulness, and how a child can sometimes teach her parents well.” —Richie's Picks

APRIL 2009 - AudioFile

Jennifer Ikeda and the Recorded Books Repertory Theater narrate this lyrical and heartfelt tale of survival in Alaska. Twelve-year-old Willow, who is part Athabascan Indian, convinces her parents to let her mush the dogs alone to visit her grandparents. Returning home, Willow causes the head dog, Roxy, to become seriously injured. When she learns Roxy is to be euthanized, Willow embarks on a perilous journey in a snowstorm to save her. Ikeda effectively portrays Willow's youthful inadequacies while also revealing her pluck. The other cast members add their voices to the story as various animals that are the reincarnates of Willow's ancestors. The print book's unique format, which listeners cannot see, is explained in an author's note. An engaging story. L.A.C. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171051709
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	01/18/2013
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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