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Annotated Award-Winning Titles

Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Willow Awards
The Diamond Willow Award
(For more experienced readers)
Amber: The Story of a Red Fox
Shirley Woods
Illustrations: Celia Godkin
Markham, Ont.: Fitzhenry & Whiteside,
2004. 96 p.
ISBN 1550418114 (bound)
ISBN 1550418106 (paperback)
Ages 7 to 10

Amber is a young fox who shares the comforts of the family den with her four brothers. One day, she is allowed to go outside to play with her brothers and to develop the skills she will need in adulthood. With the coming of autumn, Amber will have to manage on her own. In the course of her wanderings, she experiences solitude, until she meets Flame, a young fox who eventually becomes her partner.

Shirley Woods is a well-known naturalist and this is his fifth novel for young readers. The story is full of facts about the red fox, which may slow down the narrative for some readers. The appealing illustrations of Celia Godkin accurately depict the scenes described in the story.

–FO