Book Review: Stone Fox
| Stone Fox |
| by James Reynolds Gardiner |
| Illustrated by Greg Hargreaves |
| 1980. |
| Genre: Childrens, Historical Fiction |
| Age Range: 7 -11 years |
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| This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you! |
Summary
Based on a Rocky Mountain legend, Stone Fox tells the story of Little Willy, who lives with his grandfather in Wyoming. When Grandfather falls ill, he is no longer able to work the farm, which is in danger of foreclosure. Little Willy is determined to win the National Dogsled Race—the prize money would save the farm and his grandfather. But he isn’t the only one who desperately wants to win. Willy and his brave dog Searchlight must face off against experienced racers, including a Native American man named Stone Fox, who has never lost a race.
First Sentence: One day, grandfather wouldn’t get out of bed.
My Thoughts:
My daughter read this with her 3rd grade class last year and it became her favorite book for a time. Knowing how much I love to read and do book reviews, she insisted that I add Stone Fox to my list of books to read.
The first sentence gets straight to the point. One day, grandfather wouldn’t get out of bed. Thus begins the story of why a little potato farm boy, that goes by “Little Willy”, and his loyal dog, Searchlight, decide to compete in the great sled race.
Grandfather has lost the will to live because he can’t afford to pay his taxes after letting them go unpaid for 10 years… not sure how he thought those pesky taxes were just going to go away if he ignored them. No longer willing to face the fact that he is about to lose his farm, he becomes bedridden from heartbreak and leaves his 10-year-old grandson to take care of the home and farm all by himself. The kid manages to harvest an entire field of potatoes by himself! Thanks for the help, Gramps!
Poor Little Willy doesn’t know what to do to save his grandpa and the farm until he sees a poster for the dogsled race. He spends his college savings on an entry fee, believing that he and his dog alone can win the race against the more experienced adults with professional dog teams. But then Stone Fox, a Native American with a pair of unbeatable sled dogs, enters the race and things seem bleak for Little Willy’s chance of winning the prize money he so desperately needs to save his home.
The story is heartbreaking, not just because of the situation at hand from the very beginning of the book, but the way it ends is enough to make even adults cry! Despite how heartbreaking it is, however, I full heartedly believe that these sorts of sad stories are good for children to read. Why? One word: Empathy. This story is a great way to teach children empathy, and I am so happy that my daughter recommended it to me!read. Why? One word: Empathy. This story is a great way to teach children empathy, and I am so happy that my daughter recommended it to me!
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