Search - Stone Fox

Cover picture is slightly different. 81 pages.
The book has excellent literary value.
The main character is somewhat foolish, but I do recommend this book for ages 8 and up.

Little Willy has a big job to do. His Grandfather refuses to get out of bed, so it is up to Willy alone to save their farm from the tax collector. But where can a ten-year-old get five hundred dollars in a hurry? Then Willy sees the poster for the National Dogsled Race.

The race pits Willy against the best dog teams in the country, including the Indian Stone Fox and his five beautiful Samoyeds, who have never lost a race. And Stone Fox wants the prize money as badly as Willy does. Willy's dog, Searchlight, is every bit as fast as the competition, and Willy knows the terrain better than anyone. But can one boy and one dog be a match for the unbeatable Stone Fox?

a New York Times Outstanding Children's Book
A Library of Congress Children's Book

A little boy who strives to win and has to face the inevitable sting of death.

There's just no stopping little Willy, Determined to keep their farm going- and to give his ailing grandfather a reason to live- the ten-year-old boy hitches his dog, Searchlight, to the plow and harvests the whole potato crop.

Now little Willy needs five hundred dollars to pay off ten years' back taxes, or the farm will be taken away from them. Dauntless as eer, he stakes everything on one wild hope: that he and Searchlight can outrun the best dogsled racers in the country- including the legendary Indian, Sone Fox. But the huge mountain man is every bit as intent on winning the big prize money as little Willy is. And he and his five beautiful Samoyeds haven't lost a race yet...

One of my son's favorites. Great story.