Stone Fox

Based on a Rocky Mountain legend, Stone Fox tells the story of Little Willy, a young boy who lives with his grandfather in Wyoming. Little Willy loves living on the farm with his Grandfather, but one day Grandfather falls ill and is no longer able to work the farm. Little Willy tries to work the farm himself, but then he learns their farm is in danger of foreclosure. If they cannot come up with the money in time, the government is going to take away their home and break up their family.   

Little Willy is determined not to let this happen. Then one day, he discovers a solution. He is going to enter and win the National Dogsled Race, because the prize money will be enough for Little Willy to save the farm and his grandfather! But he isn’t the only one who desperately wants to win. Willy and his brave dog, Searchlight, must face off against experienced racers, including a man named Stone Fox who has never lost a race.  

Stone Fox will keep readers up late into the night because once they start the book, they will not want to put it down. While most readers may not want to read about a potato farmer, Stone Fox makes the protagonist so relatable that his life becomes interesting. Readers will connect with Little Willy because all readers can understand wanting to save someone they love. While Little Willy’s love for his grandfather is admirable, it is his persistence and hard work that make Willy a compelling protagonist.  

Since Stone Fox has never lost a dogsled race, many townspeople tell Willy that he is foolish for entering the race. But this doesn’t deter Little Willy! Instead, he works harder. Readers will root for Little Willy and his dog, Searchlight, but the unexpected tragic ending may leave readers in tears.  

Stone Fox is a compelling story about the love of family and Little Willy’s refusal to give up. When his grandfather becomes sick, Little Willy takes on the responsibility of caring for his grandfather and the farm. Through it all, Little Willy treats others with respect even when he disagrees with them. Little Willy’s action-packed adventure shows that “there are some things in this world worth dying for.”  

When Stone Fox was published in the 1980s, it was well-received and was taught in many classrooms. However, the book describes Stone Fox, a Native American man as “an Indian—dressed in furs and leather, with moccasins all the way up to his knees. His skin was dark, his hair was dark . . . His eyes sparkled in the sunlight, but the rest of his face was as hard as stone.” Due to Stone Fox’s portrayal, some, such as American Indians in Children’s Literature, now believe the book uses stereotypes and should not be read in schools, while others disagree.  

One thing is certain: Stone Fox is an exciting book that adults can discuss with their children. If you’re looking for a book that portrays Indigenous people in a more diverse light, you can read Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac and Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story by Andrea L. Rogers. If you’re interested in Navajo mythology, read Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. 

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• When little Willy gets home, a man is standing at the door, “holding a small derringer and pointing it at Searchlight. His hand was shaking.” An illustration shows the silhouette of the man holding the gun. 
• The town drunk tells a story about Stone Fox. There “was this time in Denver he snapped a man’s back with two fingers.” But people don’t believe the story.  
• Willy hears dogs barking in an abandoned barn. He goes in and sees Stone Fox’s dogs. When Willy “held out his hand to pet them. . . There was a movement through the darkness to Little Willy’s right. A sweeping motion. . . A hand hit Little Willy right in the face, sending him over backward.” That night, “Little Willy couldn’t sleep—his eye was killing him.” The next day, Little Willy’s eye is swollen shut. 
• Little Willy thinks about how he killed a bird with a slingshot. He never killed another animal again. 
• At the end of the race, Searchlight “gave it everything she had. She was a hundred feet from the finish line when her heart burst. She died instantly. There was no suffering.” 
• To allow Little Willy time to carry Searchlight across the finish line, Stone Fox draws a line in the snow. When the other racers appeared, “Stone Fox fired his rifle into the air. They came to a stop. Stone Fox spoke. ‘Anyone crosses this line—I shoot.’”

Drugs and Alcohol  

• While at Little Willy’s house, Clifford Snyder, a tax collector, “lit up a long, thin cigar and blew smoke toward the ceiling.”  
• Little Willy goes to the bank to see Mr. Foster, the president of the bank. “Mr. Foster was a big man with a big cigar stuck right in the center of his big mouth.”  
• Before the race, Little Willy sees Mr. Foster “chewing his cigar” and the town drunk, “took a powerful swig from a whiskey bottle.” 
• The town drunk is mentioned several times. 

Language  

• Doc Smith tells Willy, “I think you’re a darn fool for using your college money to enter that race.” 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None