Stone Fox: Grandfather

Posted by DogEared in DogEared on November 10, 2010
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BOOK NAME: Stone Fox
AUTHOR: John Reynolds Gardiner

Welcome to today’s book club meeting!

This month, we’re reading Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardner. For today’s meeting, we have read the first three chapters.

If you’ve read the first three chapters, click “See More” to go to the meeting.


If you haven’t read that far, or if you haven’t gotten a copy of the book yet, stop here.


Little Willy lives on his grandfather’s farm in Wyoming, along with their dog Searchlight. When they’re not working, they have a great time together. One morning, Grandfather doesn’t get out of bed, and doesn’t answer Willy. Doc Smith comes to the house to examine him, and she says that Grandfather is healthy, but he doesn’t want to live any more.

Willy is determined to help Grandfather get better and to keep the farm going on his own. That’s a huge task for a 10-year-old boy! He soon discovers that Grandfather has no more money, so Willy cannot rent horses to plow the land. Even though she is an older dog, Searchlight pulls the plow. Willy and Searchlight harvest the potato crop, but Grandfather is still no better.

Winter comes, and Willy is still taking care of the house and his grandfather. Snow is everywhere, and Willy runs errands on a small dogsled that Searchlight pulls. One day, after dogsledding with Searchlight, Willy comes home to find a man standing outside of the farmhouse.

Does it snow a lot where you live? Do you think you could get around by dogsled?

Searchlight is a smart and loyal dog. Do you have a pet?

It’s amazing that Willy is able to take care of the house, the farm, himself, Searchlight, and Grandfather all at once. Do you have any responsibilities (such as chores) that you’re expected to take care of at home?

Here
are some
words you might not have seen before. (All definitions
from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.)

Loom: To appear in an impressively great or exaggerated form.

Strongbox: A strongly made chest or case for money or valuables.

We’ll read through chapter six for next week. Happy reading!

-DogEared

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Categories: DogEared

Comments

  1. Pinky Caine
    November 10, 2010, 12:50 pm

    i loved reading this book! I got ahead of the group and finished it! sorry but it is so good!

  2. 2whitie
    November 13, 2010, 10:44 pm

    Grrr, just a quick q, why does a boy rely completly on the dog, I mean, it sounds good, but the grandfathers behavior is a bit suspicios, happy to major depression

  3. KIPPster!
    November 16, 2010, 8:50 pm

    Hey in my school we have book club groups,and my book club group’s book is “Stone Fox” or as Lester calls him,”Big Indian”.What do you think Lester means when he says “Big Indian”?

  4. tersa1228
    November 16, 2010, 10:03 pm

    I really really really want to read that book I hear it is good! Sorry to give you some info but That guy punches Little Willie.

  5. Anonymous
    November 19, 2010, 12:31 pm

    That grandfather is up to something!

  6. nessiemo
    January 15, 2012, 10:27 pm

    I read this book in book club at my school. It really got you’re attention by all of the good words that they used, but the book was extremely sad. My teachers where even crying! They also made a movie but its even more sad than the book! I wouldn’t really recommend this book to a friend though.

  7. boostermonte
    May 31, 2012, 11:39 am

    i have read this book a billion times. i love it!

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