Love that Dog by Sharon Creech

Poetry isn't fun to read or write, or at least that is what Jack thought. But, his teacher Ms. Stretchberry continues to encourage him to read and interpret the poetry they read as a class, as well as to write his own poems. Jack slowly starts to find his own voice when he mimics a poem by Walter Dean Meyers, eventually meeting his favorite author and embracing a new found love of poetry. 

 Creech, S. (2001). Love that dog. New York, NY: HarperCollins. 


Love that Dog Discussion Guide

1. Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
1. The unique style of this book, as well as its relatively short length are aspects that will grab a reader’s attention. But, the poetic style of the entries might make readers reluctant. But, that is the point. The boy, Jack,  in the novel does not think poetry is good to read or that he can write his own poetry, but he quickly changes his mind when he finally reads a poem that makes him feel. This is the same feeling that I would hope students would take away from this novel: the realization that poetry can make an impact on a child and that everyone is a writer, even the ones who seriously doubt themselves.
2. Creech has also written Hate that Cat: A Novel, Walk Two Moons, and Ruby Holler. Hate that Cat follows the life of the same boy from Love that Dog as he learns new elements of poetry that intrigue him, but also learns to deal with other events in his life through this type of writing, such as getting a new pet, losing that pet, and understanding his life with a mother who is deaf. But, the other novels by Creech are different in some aspects. Walk Two Moons and Ruby Holler are not written in the form of poems or journal entries, but instead in traditional novel form. But, the themes of her novels are very similar: children who are unaware of the ability to step out of their comfort zones and find happiness.