Diamond Willow

by Helen Frost

109 pages for middle grade readers (and everyone else too.)

It took me a while to get and read this book.  I don’t know why.  I loved it!  Jenny, if you read this review – this book is for you.  You’ll relate to Willow.  She is strong and determined.  She is a survivor who depends on herself and her unbreakable connections with her family.  She’s not a sparkly girl – but she does realize she can have friends.  Caroline, if you’re reading this review, this book is for you.  It is a dog book, written in verse.  You will love Roxy and want so much for great things to happen for her.  She loves to run.  She is the lead dog – so smart and with almost a second sense when Willow is there.

For all other readers, it is that and so much more.  I love the diamond verse with the secret message in the heart of each one.  I love the connection between people and the land.  It is a wonderful way to understand a bit about life in Alaska and to get an introduction to the close connection between animal spirits and the ancestral heritage of the Athabascan. You’ll read it from start to finish and then close the book with a sigh – full of wonder.  Can you imagine writing like that?!