Little Willy is the main protagonist of the book and is central to the bildungsroman narrative. He is a 10-year-old boy who lives with his Grandfather and his dog, Searchlight, on a potato farm in Wyoming. Willy becomes responsible for taking care of his grandfather and the entirety of the farm after Grandfather is unable to leave the bed. Little Willy does his best to try and solve the problem and give his grandfather the will to live again; he harvests the potatoes, pays the bills, and eventually, participates in a race with Searchlight to win the prize money. Little Willy ultimately wins the race after Searchlight dies and succeeds in saving the farm. He must shoulder the fate of the farm and also his grandfather’s life. Willy proves himself to be more responsible than the average 10-year-old in his dealings with Grandfather and the farm, as well as more empathetic in his interactions with Stone Fox. 

A bildungsroman follows the growth of a young child, usually to adulthood. While Stone Fox only follows Willy for a relatively short span of time, Willy undoubtedly goes through a loss of innocence, an integral part of coming-of-age stories.