Diamond Willow

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Bibliography:

Frost, Helen. 2008. DIAMOND WILLOW. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. ISBN 9780374317768

Summary:

Twelve year old Diamond Willow is an introverted Alaskan girl who wonders if she will ever be shiny like the Diamond in her name or always just plain Willow.  No matter though because she has love and affection for her sled dogs and is a capable dogmusher.  But is this really enough?  Through persuasion she convinces her parents to let her sled to her grandparents for the weekend and on the way home tragedy strikes her beloved dog Roxy.   Through this tragedy, Willow journeys on self-discovery and a mission to save the one she loves.  In turn, she gains a new outlook of herself and the world surrounding her.

Critical Analysis:

Diamond Willow by, Helen Frost is poetry written in the first person verse novel form.  In fact, each poem is written as a diamond shape poem encompassing another poem within.  These poems are eloquent and parallel to whom Diamond Willow is.  Each embedded poem is an insight into Willow’s innermost thoughts and feelings.  In addition, Willow’s character parallels the diamond willow stick that she is named after.  This is a stick that looks rough and plain on the outside, but when the bark is peeled away and the wood is sanded, you see beautiful diamond scars that are from where its branches have broken away.  Frost helps to poetically portray this emotional parallelism by slowing revealing Willow’s true scars of losing her twin soon after birth.  A great addition to this verse novel is the well-chosen sensory language that Frost uses.  With this language, the reader feels the cold, “quiet air” of Alaska, sees the “sparkling” snow, and feels Roxy’s blinding pain.  Willow’s happiness is truly felt at the end, “I am flying… like my twin sister Diamond is alive inside me.”  Through Helen Frost’s eloquence, the reader follows Willow’s realization of who she really is because of the consequences that befall her and the ones she loves after the fateful tragedy that strikes Roxy.  This poetic novel is brilliantly written and a true surprise to its readers.

Awards:

2009 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award

2008 Mitten Award - Michigan Library Association

2009 The Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry Honor Book

2009 Winner of Best Books of Indiana, Children and Young Adult Book

2009 CCBC Choices List

Review Excerpts:

“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.” – Kirkus Reviews

"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

Connections:

-Read other written works by Helen Frost:

Keesha’s House

Spinning Through the Universe

The Braid

Monarch and Milkweed

-Research diamond willow 

-Write a diamond shape poem

-Write a haiku using Alaska or winter as the topic