Review: Love That Dog

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech is a novel told through poetry. It is written from the point of view of Jack, 5th grader who hates poetry and thinks it's for girls. To Jack's chagrin, his teacher is making the class read and write poetry. Even worse, she wants to put some of the poems Jack wrote on the wall for the entire class to read. Jack reluctantly agrees to let her, under the condition that his work remain anonymous. Gradually, Jack learns that poetry is not only for girls, and that there are poems that he actually likes. He also learns to be proud of his work and is willing to claim his poems.

Throughout the book readers see Jack's reaction to poems by William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost, Walter Dean Meyers, and several other authors. Readers share Jack's delight when he reads a poem he likes, and his excitement when he finds out Walter Dean Meyers, Jack's new favorite poet, comes to visit his class. Along with that happiness, though, readers also experience Jack's loss when they learn how his dog died.

Love That Dog is a great way to show kids that not all poetry has to rhyme. It is a quick read, which makes it a bit less intimidating for young readers, and it is entertaining. I liked how expressive Jack was, and how excited he got about Mr. Walter Dean Meyers. The poetry throughout the book was simple and easily accessible, but did not feel juvenile. Twas a fun read and a nice way to pass an hour.