DIAMOND WILLOW By Helen Frost (genre 3 book 3)

Trying to come up with the words to describe Diamond Willow, a novel in verse was challenging. In reading it, the words flowed almost effortlessly. The main character is twelve but the narrative reads in a way that is simple enough for a nine year old to read and captivating enough to hold an adults attention. The writing style creates a simple read, however, there is nothing simple about this book.

Printz Honor Book author Helen Frost writes the story of Willow, a girl trying to find herself in the midst of interior Alaska. Most pages are illustrated with a variety of diamond shaped verse which mirror the markings found on a diamond willow branch.  When the bark is stripped away and the wood polished, diamond shapes are revealed creating beauty from what began as a scar. The narrative evolves in a similar fashion as Willow's thoughts unfold. 

The individual poems on each page contain highlighted words within them. As a reader follows the page the bold text jumps out and creates a poem within the poem. Interspersed within pages of diamond shaped poems are additional pages of narrative from other character's points-of-view. These are animals that are given voices in this novel as souls of Willow's ancestors who keep watch over her. The animals create a unique imagery within the story. Such as Willows great-great-great grandmother as a Spruce Hen who watches over her when she gets stranded in a blizzard; and Diamond, Willow's twin sister who came back to the family as a puppy. This book will appeal to many readers with its coming of age story, strong adventure theme, and animal characters.  


Review excerpts:
"This story in easy-to-read verse blends exciting survival adventure with a contemporary girl's discovery of family roots and secrets." -Booklist

"This complex and elegant novel will resonate with readers who savor powerful drama and multifaceted characters." -School Library Journal


Connections:
*Children can be asked to write a diamond shaped poem of their own. For an extra challenge ask them to put a hidden message inside of it.

* The structure of different types of poetry can also be discussed. Students could even create their own rules and try to follow them. 

* A person's relationship with an animal can be discussed in relation to friendship. How is it different than a friendship with another person?

*Death could also be a topic of discussion. Have any readers ever felt like someone who had died was still with them?   


Bibliography:
Frost, Helen. 2008. Diamond Willow. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. ISBN 9780374317768.