Stone Fox: The Race

BOOK NAME: Stone Fox
AUTHOR: John Reynolds Gardiner

Welcome to today’s book club meeting!

We just finished reading Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardner. It was a short book, and a sad one, but we enjoyed reading it.

If you have finished the book, click “See More” to go to the meeting.

If you haven’t finished yet, stop here!

Do you have an idea for what book we can read in December? Leave a comment, and your pick might be a future Book of the Month!

There’s a lot at stake in the upcoming dogsled race. Willy needs to use the prize money to pay the taxes, but he has used money he is supposed to use for college to enter the race. With Stone Fox as one of the competitors, not many other racers have joined. After all, Stone Fox has never lost a race.

Doc Smith sends Willy into town to get some medicine for Grandfather. While there, he sees Stone Fox’s beautiful team of Samoyeds. When he tried to pet them, Stone Fox hits him. When Willy wakes up the next morning, his eye is swollen shut. He harnesses Searchlight to the dogsled and heads into town.

The kids’ race is held first, but Willy doesn’t pay much attention. He’s waiting for the main event. All of the other racers are mountain men with dog teams. Willy’s just a kid, and he only has Searchlight. Even though it’s only the two of them, Willy isn’t afraid.

At the start of the race, Willy and Searchlight are in first place while Stone Fox and his team are in last place. As the race goes on, though, Stone Fox catches up. Willy manages to hold onto his lead until one hundred feet from the finish line. Then something terrible happens to Searchlight. She dies while running, and she, the sled, and Willy skid to a stop ten feet from the finish line. Stone Fox doesn’t finish the race, though. He holds all of the other racers off while Willy carries Searchlight the final ten feet.

The author says that he based this book on a Rocky Mountains legend, and that the ending of the story reportedly happened.

Why do you think that Stone Fox hit Willy?

Why do you think Stone Fox does what he does at the finish line when he could have easily finished the race?

What do you think of the ending? Is it happy, or sad, or both? Why?

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

Forge: To form or bring into being especially by an expenditure of effort.

Mountain Man: An American frontiersman (as a trapper) at home in the wilderness.

What did you think of the book? Leave a comment and let us know! We’re also looking for a book to read in December, so if you have an idea, leave the book title and author in a comment.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-DogEared

Comments

BooksandPuppies
November 24, 2010, 4:56 pm

I think you should read Dinsey at Dark or On
Christmas Eve. I’ve read both twice, and they are GREAT!
2whitie
November 24, 2010, 8:37 pm

It made me feel so sad reading just the review. A good book would be Give Me Liberty by L.M. Elliot. it is a tad long, but it is the story of a young indentured servant, a close to broke svhoolmaster, cruel people, slaves, and a country on the brink of the american revolution. It is super, and i would have to place it in the top tem books i EVER read.
moongoddess_60
November 25, 2010, 10:45 am

HI! I read this book and it is very good. I’m not going to give away alot of the book but, some of it is very sad. I recommend this book to people who love dogs and can stand at least a main character dying.
adam savage from mythbusters
November 26, 2010, 9:21 am

hmm… i reqest sign of the beaver. ive heard its a good book
thepageturner123
November 26, 2010, 9:49 am

This sounds like an extremely interesting story for wintertime! It’s about a nasty, boastful. child-hating villan who becomes good in the end. I have read the story 3 or 4 years ago and cannot remember much, but what happens to Willy’s dog, Searchlight? Doesn’t he faint or something at the end of the race? I’m not sure… if others could answer me in their commments that would be great. My idea of a book for December would be one of these four books. They are all books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

1. The Hobbit
2. The Fellowship of the Ring
3. The Two Towers
4. The Return of the King

These are classic, fantasy, and thrilling books, and they have been made into blockbuster movies. Sure, they’re a bit long but they are some of the best books of all time. So-see you in December!
2whitie
November 26, 2010, 10:29 am

That is sad. I hate it when authors end like that. It makes me feel bad, and then I’m wishing 4 a different ending, because they died . A good book would be Give Me Liberty by L.M. Elliot. Its historical fiction
kitkatgirl
November 26, 2010, 3:58 pm

my homework is easy
crystal64901
November 26, 2010, 7:49 pm

Sounds like an interesting book !!!!!
crystal64901
November 27, 2010, 7:33 am

I love the illistrations on the front cover !!! Probably will read it! Looks interesting .
escape2books
November 27, 2010, 9:56 am

Sisters Grimm is a really good series, and I would recomend the first book,The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley. I am 13 and I loved it, also my Dad, Mom, and 11 year old brother loved it too. This book is for all ages, and is very funny!!
DanielRadcliffe4586
November 28, 2010, 11:38 am

I think your next book should be The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogal Fredrick
crystal64901
November 28, 2010, 7:00 pm

Love the illistrations on the front cover !!!!!!!!!
2whitie
November 28, 2010, 10:31 pm

This book is so sad. Why???? I like happy endings, but a sad ending males it kinda seem empty. I think a good book would be Give Me Liberty by L.M. Elliot
starstruck 101
April 20, 2011, 10:40 pm

I love that book. It has a lot of good ditals. Well I also like dogs. Its sad at the end. i almost started to cry.
shadeux
April 28, 2011, 8:07 am

i red that. sooooooo sad but a good book very exciting
funinthesun
June 10, 2011, 1:13 pm

Hi this book is really sad at the end. it haunted me for the rest of the day.i finished it yesterday why did the dog have to die.
shess7
July 13, 2011, 2:05 pm

great book
girlsrok4
September 16, 2011, 8:39 am

I read it for school last year, since we read it in class it went a bit slow but it was good.
jamieshae
February 6, 2012, 10:18 pm

In 2nd grade we read this and then whatched the movie. so good
kodonnell
April 23, 9:35 am

My overall opinion about Stone Fox is I thought the book was awesome. The part I liked the most about the book was the National Dogsled Race because it was very exciting.The racers got to ride on the sled and Willy almost did not win. The part of the book I liked the least is when Grandfather was sick and had to stay in bed. My favorite character was Little Willy, because he was helpful and brave. I would have changed the boy into a girl because I like to read about a girl, because it would be more fun.
mbartolo
April 23, 10:00 am

Overall, I liked Stone Fox. I think that the book Stone Fox should have had a happy ending than having one of the characters die. Also, people telling little Willy, one of the main characters, in the book to sell the grandfather’s farm was something I did not agree with. Furthermore, in chapter 4, a man called Clifford Snyder who works for the state of Wyoming tells little Willy that his grandfather owes 500 dollars. Finally in the story another one of the characters is called Stone Fox who is an Indian and is a snow dog racer but I think they should have not made one of the character named after the book. The part I enjoyed about the book is when little Willy and Searchlight race each other after they go in to town then they race home together. The character that was my favorite in the book Stone Fox was Little Willy because he is brave, strong, kind and determined.
malloryruby2
April 27, 2:12 pm

Okay! When is did this story take place. Year,Date, and such. If you see this please let me know. I have a report due tues, and I really need to know.. Thanks!