BookBright
ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSWillow is twelve years old. She is part Athabascan and lives in Old Fork, a small town in interior Alaska. Every morning before school and every afternoon after, she helps her father take care of the family's six sled dogs. Most of the book is told through short poems shaped like diamonds, written in Willow's own voice. A few words in each poem are printed in darker ink. Read in order, those words spell out a hidden second sentence, usually something Willow is thinking but not saying out loud. Between her poems come short sections written by animals who are quietly watching over her. Willow would rather blend in than stand out, but she still wants her parents to notice that she is growing up, and more than anything she wants to mush the dogs twelve miles to her grandparents' cabin, all by herself, with her favorite dog Roxy in the lead. When Willow finally convinces her parents to let her make the trip alone, one mistake on the trail leads to trouble she never expected, and it takes a surprising group of friends to help her make things right.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Diamond Willow
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Diamond Willow. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does a girl take off her shirt in bitter cold to bandage her dog's eyes?
✓ Answer
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
Willow bragged that she had packed everything, then realized she left the first aid kit at home. Stripping off her own shirt to stop Roxy's bleeding is the moment she quits panicking and starts working with what she actually has.
- First half
In what book does a girl argue that a dog should get a vote about her own life?
✓ Answer
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
Willow is furious that the grown ups are deciding whether her dog lives without asking anyone, including the dog. The question captures how powerless she feels, and it is what sends her looking for someone to help her sneak Roxy away.
- First half
In what book does a girl taste panic in her throat and swallow it in a blizzard?
✓ Answer
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
Willow has gone up and down the same stretch of trail three times without finding the fork, and the snow is blinding. Admitting even to herself that she is lost is terrifying, so she swallows it down and keeps her friend from seeing.
- Second half
In what book does a blind sled dog tuck her head down to shield her eyes?
✓ Answer
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
Roxy rides in the sled with bandaged eyes and keeps her head down out of the cold wind, but her right ear still perks up when she hears dogs ahead. Willow loves her for it, and it is one more clue that Roxy is smarter than anyone gives her credit for.
- Second half
In what book does a girl learn she once had a twin sister who lived only four days?
✓ Answer
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
Willow is nearly thirteen before anyone tells her about the baby who died. Her mother explains that she always meant to tell her but could never talk about it without crying, and Zanna breaks the tension by saying not to blame her.
- Near the end
In what book does a lead dog take a wrong turn on purpose to find shelter?
✓ Answer
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
Cora saw the storm coming and headed down the overgrown old trail toward the one place she knew the girls could sleep. She only found it because the spruce hen flew along and landed on the right low branch.
