Love That Dog by: Sharon Creech

Ages: 9-12

When Jack begins the school year, he is not excited to take on Miss Stretchberry’s poetry writing assignments. Throughout the year, Miss Stretchberry reads the works of great poets and encourages Jack’s writing efforts. He really enjoys a poem called “Love That Boy” by Walter Dean Myers. He even writes the poet to invite him to his classroom. Over the course of the year, Jack’s attitude about poetry changes. He realizes that he enjoys poetry and has a true talent for creative expression. Miss Stretchberry even displays some of his work in the classroom. Will Walter Dean Myers make Jack’s dream come true and visit his classroom? Find out in Love That Dog.

Love That Dog is a wonderful children’s poetry novel! I loved the book, and could not put it down. It was a quick read that made me laugh. The text in the book is very simple. It is written in free verse and journal format. The text is also written in blue, which is unique and unlike any other book I have read. The writing explores word choice and rhythm. The book shows the many different ways peoety can be written, expressed, and explored. I enjoy how a story still evolves from the series of short poems written by Jake. Although the reader never sees the teacher’s responses to Jake’s entries, it is easy to infer the teacher’s comments. Many kids will be able to relate to Jack, whether they like dogs or don’t enjoy writing. This book is likely to make the reader want to write a poem after reading the book. An added bonus is a collection of poems from Miss Stretchberry’s classroom. The development of Jack’s confidence as a writer throughout the story is very captivating and motivating for readers. The book contains a message of facing your fears of being made fun of. It also shows that anyone can write poetry, and there is no right or wrong way to write poetry. This book is written for any child who enjoys dogs, who enjoys poems, or who resists reading and/or writing poems. Children and adults alike will enjoy this book. Love That Dog is a wonderful book that I highly recommend!