Stone Fox

Author: John Reynolds Gardiner
Publisher: Scholastic Inc. by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright: 1980
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 81
Reading Level: Ages 7 to 11 (Barnes and Noble)
Summary: Stone Fox is the story of a boy called little Willy who lives with his grandpa on a potato farm. Willy's grandpa gets sick and the doctor tells him it's because his grandpa has given up the will to live because he's worried about something. His grandpa doesn't move or speak at all. Willy believes that his grandpa is worried about the crops for the year because they don't have money to rent a horse for the harvest. Willy ends up harvesting the crop with his dog, Searchlight pulling the machine instead of a horse. When Willy's grandfather doesn't get better and a stranger shows up at his house, Willy learns that his grandfather's real worry is because he hasn't been paying his taxes on the farm and they don't have the money to pay them. In desperation to save his grandfather and help him get better Willy enters a dogsled race with his dog. He finds out that a Native American man named Stone Fox has entered the race. Stone Fox has never lost a race but Willy feels sure that he can still win because he is determined to do so. Willy is ten feet from the finish line in first place when Searchlight's heart bursts and she dies instantly. Willy gets off the sled and runs to hold his beloved dog. Stone Fox who is right behind Willy, draws a line in the snow and pulls out his rifle and shoots it in the air. The other racers stop and Stone Fox tells them that if any of them cross the line he drew, he would shoot them. Willy then picks up Searchlight and carries her across the finish line.
Who would you recommend this book to? I would recommend this book to young readers. Kids who like dogs would enjoy this book and I think that this is also one that you could read aloud to really young kids because the plot is simple but could keep their attention.
Potential problems or conflicts: I didn't see any potential problems or conflicts in this book.
My reaction: This was a fun book. It is an easy read but it's a good story. It has a very abrupt ending but I actually kind of liked it that way for the story. I enjoyed reading this book. I think that Little Willy is a good character. He shows real heart in the story.