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Bibliographic Information
Frost, Helen. DIAMOND WILLOW. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0374317768
Plot and Critical Analysis
Similarly with most 12 year olds, Diamond Willow wonders why she does not fit in with her peers and trying to prove she is not a little girl anymore – both to her parents and to herself. This verse novel has a clear and direct voice in its main narrator, but also flows easily from narrator to narrator. Her self assertion takes a turn when on her solo dog sled trip to her grandparents a dog is accidentally injured due to a fallen tree in the path. As Willow travels through the story, both figuratively and metaphorically, reincarnated family members watch over her and even interact with her to assist in her actions and comprehension. While the point of view changes regularly, the verse is conversational and easy to follow. She flees with Roxy, the injured dog, to take Roxy to her grandparents house so they’ll keep her. As they get stuck in the snow, the town begins to look for them all the while animals in the forest (all reincarnated family relatives) protect Willow. As she learns of a family secret, Willow becomes honest with herself and finds that she is listened to and that she does have friends. Without giving the end away, both girl and dog find themselves where they’ve always wanted to be and are much happier due to their friendship with each other.
The title, and narrator’s name, refers to a type of bark that has a darker diamond shape throughout the bark. This novel itself has a hidden jewel within the plot. The author takes this reference and not only makes it the narrator’s name and the title, but uses this diamond shape in the layout of text. Similarly to the artistic darker diamond in the bark, there are bolded words throughout each page to give the hidden, deeper meaning to the text. Such phrases as “It is my fault” (26) and “I want a true friend” (74) are bolded in paragraphs with the surrounding text acting as background to the overall point of each page. While the diamond shaped text of each page changes among points of view, it reads clearly even though visually, the text is not in a traditional form.
Awards and Reviews
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award (Pennsylvania Center for the Book)
Mitten Award (Michigan)
Texas Lone Star Reading Lists: 2009
Pritz Honor Book author
School Library Journal
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 --Marilyn Taniguchi (Reviewed June 1, 2008) (School Library Journal, vol 54, issue 6, p140)
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) (Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2008)
Connections
Not poetic in rhyme, but poetic in story, Diamond Willow shows a new style of writing to its young readers. Visually, the diamond shapes on each page, made by the text, is interesting and assists the reader as they quickly read through this book. While younger children may find talking animals or animals with human thoughts funny or exciting, this book may cause a question for older children as it supports reincarnation. As Willow travels through Alaska and in the story she is monitored by ancestors who are now living as animals. While they are a comfort to her and provide security at times, some parents may not want their children being introduced to the concept of reincarnation. Also, the secret the family shares with Willow at the end is great for a storyline, but may be too serious for younger readers. I would encourage kids to read other verse novels for a new form and possible as a way to get them more comfortable with poetry.
Similar Reads:
Thunder from the Sea (Joan Hiatt Harlow): Another tale of a child and his best friend, his dog, living in a remote area and not knowing of their purpose when a new baby comes home.
Out of the Dust (Karen Hesse)Set in prose, this is a story of a girl and her family living in the Dust Bowl era and their hardships.
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