# Stone Fox

**Author:** John Reynolds Gardiner
**Lexile:** 550L
**Grade range:** Grades 3–5
**Age range:** 8–11
**First published:** 1980
**Page count:** 96
**Genre:** Middle Grade Fiction
**ISBN-13:** `9780064401326`
**ISBN-10:** `0064401324`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/stone-fox
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

Ten-year-old Little Willy enters a Wyoming dog sled race to win $500 to save the family farm, up against the legendary Native American musher Stone Fox. Gardiner's short novel has a devastating ending and is a fixture of 3rd-5th grade read-alouds.

## Themes

- family
- determination
- sacrifice
- loss

## Content notes

- death of a beloved animal
- poverty

Common Sense Media age recommendation: 8+

## Where this book is assigned

### Common Core State Standards (ELA)

- **recommended** · 4th grade — [source: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 4-5 exemplar](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699)

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