Diamond Willow by Helen Frost- VERSE NOVEL- MODULE 3

Helen Frost. 2008. Diamond Willow. New York. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.  ISBN 978-0-374-31776-8.

Diamond Willow written by Helen Frost is an easy to read verse novel.  The book is set in a remote area of Alaska.  Twelve year old Willow does not have a lot of friends and loves to spend time sledding with her father's sled dogs.  Willow finally gets to take her first dog sledding trip alone on a twelve mile journey to her grandparents house.  The trip goes terribly wrong when Roxy, the loved lead dog is blinded on the way back home after she runs into a fallen tree of a curve where Willow should have slowed down.  They end up having to put Roxy down which is extremely hard for Willow to deal with. 

This story is set in a fictional town in Alaska.  The story is told in a series of poems from Willow's point of view. The form that each poem takes on is inspired by the marks on a diamond willow stick.  Each poem is roughly in the shape of a diamond but there are no two poems that are exactly alike.  A really neat thing that Frost has added into each poem is a hidden meaning.  The words in bold face type come together to create their own message.  The poems do not rhyme but have so much sense imagery and emotional impact.  The love and compassion that you feel for Willow when she is about to lose her only friend, Roxy, is truly touching and is a tear jerker for sure. The characters are so well developed that you feel so close to them it's almost like this tragedy is happening to you while you are reading it.

There is so much appeal to this book.  The topic is naturally appealing to young people and will retain their attention.  I don't think you see a lot of books about the Alaska dog sledding sport and that topic is so interesting to children.  Children can connect with the animals and the girl in this story.  Children have to deal with putting an animal to sleep sometimes and dealing with the loss and sadness of this can be overwhelming.  Children will be able to connect with Willow on this feeling and sympathize with her.      

There are no illustrations to accompany this story but with the hidden meanings the poems children are sure to have just as much fun reading this book.  The poem that I are going to share with you is the poem where Roxy runs into the tree. 

The

dogs love

going fast as much

as I do.  When we come to

the curve at the bottom of the hill

I'll slow them down a little.  But not yet-

this is too much fun! Here's the curve.  What?

Whoa! Easy, Roxy! I brake hard, the dogs stop-

but not fast enough.  Roxy's howl cuts through me.

I set the snow hook, run to her-as fast as I can

through the deep.  I stumble; a branch

jabs into my leg.  Oww! It's my own

voice I hear, like the fault line

of an earthquake, with

everything breaking

around it.  Roxy

sticks her face

in the snow.

The snow

turns

red. 

Classroom/Library Connection

Recommended audience:  Ages 11-15

Before reading:  Before reading this poem I would ask the students what they think a diamond willow is and how is it formed? I would ask them if they have any pets and if so what kind of relationship do they share with their pets?  I would also ask them if they have ever read a verse novel before and what they think the features of a verse novel are?    

During reading:  Students will take turns reading one chapter out loud and going around the room. 

After reading:  After the entire book is read students will be divided into groups and discuss the hidden meanings to reveal Willow's thoughts and feelings.  After the book itself is discussed I will show the children a piece of a real Diamond Willow stick.  I want them to see how it is formed and what it looks like.