John Reynolds Gardiner (1944–2006)

Well! The sudden ending certainly got me verklempt! It seemed emotionally manipulative and the portrayal of Stone Fox the Indian is a bit touchy in this day and age. But Little Willy's Disneyesque earnestness and the compelling story action actually make it work, even though part of me feels like it shouldn't. Go figure!

A super-cliched book that almost works, but it's just too corny.

It's up to ten-year-old Willy to save the family farm when his grandfather, his sole caretaker, falls into a near-catatonic state of depression. And then, oh no! The tax-collector threatens seizure of the land. But wait! The amount owed is exactly the same as the prize in the town's annual dogsled race! Oh no! There's an entry fee! But wait! It's exactly the amount Willy has saved up for college! Oh no! there's a Shoshone man -- show more the title character -- who wins the race every year with his amazing team of Samoyeds. But wait! Willy has a ten-year-old dog with amazing heart and energy who loves to pull him on a sled!

Ugh.

The ending might be a bit brutal for kids -- the dog dies! -- though it's going for an uplifting sort of thing. And it's also very, very cheesy -- I literally burst out in laughter at the most inappropriate time -- and quite abrupt, leaving a lot for the reader to assume. But the whole thing hinges on the shallow portrayal of Stone Fox, and that simply irks as it falls into the "Native rival" trope to buff up the white protagonist. show less

This book is reportedly based on a true story. If it is, it's one of the most bittersweet things I've read. If it isn't, it's still one of the most bittersweet things I've read, and I first read it many years ago. The story is simple - Willy and his grandfather live together on a small farm. His grandfather falls sick to what we learn is a psychosomatic problem from taxes that are owed on the farm. But Willy learns that the dogsled race in town has a winning purse of the amount they need, show more and he and his dog Searchlight enter. But Stone Fox - a large Native man - is also entering, and he is also determined to win.

The prose in this book is spare and gentle, like a ten year old would probably view the world. Even with it one can see the great love between Willy, his grandfather, and Searchlight. Stone Fox is kept as a mysterious dark figure until the very end, where he comes out to be one of the two heroes of the race. The final image of the book is one I knew I never would forget, and it is still as tragic and hopeful as it was far back then. That's some of the highest praise you can give. show less

There is something about this book that shakes up everything most kid books are built upon. While many can name more modern kids books with death, this one easily is short and shakes you up by the time you reach the end. You don't quite see it coming, but when it does, you might just go dang.