LOVE THAT DOG

LOVE THAT DOG

by Sharon Creech

Image credit: www.sharoncreech.com

Bibliography

Creech, Sharon. 2001. Love that Dog. New York: Joanna Cotler Books. ISBN 9780064409599

Critical Analysis and Review

Written by award-winning author Sharon Creech, this verse novel is about one student's reluctance to love or even like poetry. Beginning in September, Jack writes every few days about his thoughts toward poems that his teacher shares with the class.  He has a negative attitude toward poetry and doesn't understand any of the poems.  The teacher convinces Jack to use his love for his deceased dog as inspiration and he begins to find his voice as a poet.  

By May, Jack is asking his teacher to type up his own poems to share with others.  The poetry of Walter Dean Myers particularly moves Jack to write a letter to the poet asking him to visit his school. Myers is actually able to come to the school and the students are spellbound with his presence.  Jack ultimately declares himself Myers' "number one fan."

Creech uses free verse to capture the voice of no-nonsense Jack and his transformation into a poetry lover.  Like many verse novels, the brevity of the poems make this book a page turner! There is an added element of intrigue as the teacher uses real poems from notable poets, like Robert Frost's "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" among others to inspire her students.  It is interesting to learn Jack's cynical response to these classic works.  Some of the poems Miss Stretchberry uses in the story are written at the end of the novel.  This book will appeal to students as the text is approachable and features a realistic character.  Additionally, the story elicits a range of emotion as the reader learns the truth about Jack's beloved dog, Sky. 

Spotlight Poem

NOVEMBER 9

by Sharon Creech

I don't have any pets

so I can't write about one

and especially 

I can't write 

a POEM

about one.

This poem exemplifies Jack's negativity toward poetry at the beginning of the novel.  I think students will identify with this character and his reluctance toward poetry.  As I read this verse novel with students, I would have them keep a running list on chart paper of Jack's assumptions about poetry.  The first one would be "it's for girls", then "you can't write a poem about pets if you don't have one", and so on.  After finishing the book, have students look at the list and discuss if Jack still believes any of these assumptions or has he changed his misconceptions about poetry?