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Book Review: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner

Title, Author & Publisher:Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner (HarperTrophy)

Length: 81 pages; average words per page about 155. 12 pencil-sketched illustrations.

Print size: Bigger than most "adult" books but not childish-appearing; probably about 15-point.

Comments: This book is a good book to start reading with students, especially if you're not sure how well they read. It is based on a Rocky Mountain legend, offering the opportunity to discuss the nature of legends and lending it the flavor of a true story. It has a straightforward plot that proceeds linearly - there are no dramatic shifts in time or place, and no challenging inferences to be made about different characters. It is set in rural Wyoming, so the culture will be foreign to many. There are many opportunities for making inferences and predictions about people, conflicts, and events throughout the book.

Plot summary: Little Willy has to find a way to raise enough money to keep the tax collectors from taking his grandfather's farm; the National Dogsled Race pits Little Willy against Stone Fox, who has never been beaten.

Typical words: Typical multisyllable/irregular words - you may want to see how many of these words your students can identify before expecting them to read independently (I strongly recommend that the book be read with the students, especially ones who may not have had success with independent reading before.)

More Comments::

• Some language challenges: "Grandfather's eyes were wide open and fixed on the ceiling." -- Multiple meaning of "fixed" may need to be clarified.

• There is enough plot action to appeal to the adventure lovers, while the characters are interesting enough to appeal to the people-oriented reader.