Love That Dog

Creech, S. (2001). Love That Dog. New York: Scholastic LLC.

Plot Description: Jack is a boy in Miss Stretchberry’s class that doesn’t understand poems and why he needs to write them. He is a boy and boys don’t write poems…only girls do! At the beginning of the book he only allows his poems to go on the board anonymously, but by the end he is inspired by a poet and is proud to display his work. The entire book is written in verse and the poems all center around his dog Sky.

Genre: Humorous

Age Group: This book would be appropriate for grades 4-7.

Series Information/Similar Books: The world according to dog: poems and teen voices By Joyce Sidman and Doug Mindell

Personal Thought: This is a humorous book that will be enjoyed by students, especially those, like Jack, who just don’t get poetry.

Subject/Themes: Dogs, Poetry

Character Description: Jack is a boy who initially does not understand poetry. He eventually gains a better understanding and learns to enjoy writing it.

Miss Stretchberry is Jack’s teacher. She encourages Jack to put his poetry on the wall and helps him to better understand it.

Annotation: Poetry can seem pretty unappealing to many young students. Learn to love it after reading the verses that Jack writes about his dog Sky.