Crossing Stones by Helen Frost

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frost, Helen. Crossing Stones. New York: Frances Foster Books, 2009. 
ISBN 9780374316532

2.  PLOT SUMMARY
Frost creates this beautiful free verse novel to entertain the young reader. It is about two Michigan families who live across each other in Crabapple Creek. Setting takes place during WWI.  Both families suffer many struggles that show the events of history. Such as, WWI, influenza outbreak of 1918 and Women’s suffrage. The main character is Muriel Jorgensen. She is outspoken and fights for social justice through her opinions which create conflict against the norm. Muriel becomes friends with Frank Norman who is part of the family that lives across the creek. Because it is during a time when women did not have the same rights as men Muriel finds herself in trouble for speaking her mind. She becomes upset and questions why “boys” are being sent to fight the war. Muriel becomes upset when Ollie ( Muriel’s sibling) enlists after lying about his age. The story ends when Ollie comes home traumatized  and loses an arm. Unfortunately, Frank never comes home and Muriel is heartbroken.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Frost created a unique poetic structure in this free verse in using a “stepping from one stone to the next."  She uses the middle rhyme of one sonnet  as the outside of the next. The 7th and 8th lines of  Emma’s poems rhyme with the first and last lines of Ollie’s poems. The 7th and 8th lines of Ollie’s poems rhyme with the first and last line of Emma’s poem. Helen Frost brilliantly creates Muriel’s free style verse like a creek running over stones. Ollie and Emma are like the stones. From the use of the vivid images one tends to feel the pain these characters are experiencing.  Students from middle and high school can relate to this coming-of-age historical fiction.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
*Kirkus Reviews "The Best Young Adult Books of 2009"
*Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choices 2010
*Booklist Editors Choice
*Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction for Youth
*Lee Bennett Hopkins Award, Honor Book
*YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2010
*2010 Amelia Bloomer List (Recommended Feminist Literature for Birth - 18)
*Book Links Lasting Connections

5. CONNECTIONS
*Use as a read aloud and discuss rhyme, rhythm, and alliteration.
* Discuss the feelings of the characters.
* Social studies unit highlighting women’s suffrage.