Customer Reviews

Love That Dog

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many students are leery of poetry. They often don't "get" the meaning the teacher thinks is obvious. They don't understand why it doesn't all rhyme. They are unsure of how to read it and struggle to find the cadence of the poem. Jack, the narrator of Love that Dog, feels all of these emotions and relates them to the reader in a way only straight-shooting boys can do. He begins the novel by writing "I don't want to/ because boys/ don't write poetry./ Girls do." (Creech 1) in what appears to be a reading/writing journal for class. Through the book, Jack grows as a reader and a write, often sharing insightful reflection to the poems his teacher Miss. Stretchberry reads to the class.

The beauty of this capturing tale of free verse is the honest, reflective voice of a boy who is hurting from the loss of his dog, Sky. From the first page, the reader feels for Jack, who is reluctant to even attempt to write a poem. His honesty epitomizes how many students feel about writing poetry when he says, "Then any words/ can be a poem./ You've just got to/ make/ short/ lines" (Creech 3). Jack's simple words at the beginning grow to elaborate poems, including one shaped to look like his dog, that the teacher is able to share with the class. (Jack insists that they be kept anonymous.) By the middle of the of the book, the boy who at first thought he couldn't write a poem and that poems didn't make sense later shares that his brain was "pop-pop-popping" (Creech 35) as he read poems and began to write his own. At the end of the book, Jack shares what he couldn't before: the story of his own dog's death. Poetry opened a world up for Jack, and it can for other students.

This gripping tale shares a lesson for many people. For students, it shows how poetry should be written to the beat of the writer's heart, no matter what form that may be. For teachers, it shows how poetry should be shared and celebrated as Jack's teacher hung up poems by her students and encouraged Jack to write Walter Dean Myers. (Also, the book is set up as an interactive journal that the teacher read regularly, which fosters a sense of security for the students to write openly.) And for the pleasure reader, it is a heartwarming reminder of the loss of a pet and those emotions that come with it.

The first poem (quoted above) is a terrific way to start this book although I believe the whole book is one to be shared with students. This book would serve well as a book club book or a literature circle book. It's a book to be shared, discussed, and used as a springboard for writing. One poem taken and read alone doesn't do this wonderful book justice.

Although I read this book with the intention of reviewing it for class, this book gripped my heart. As I type this review, I am sitting near my father as he fights his last battle with cancer. This book reminds us of the loss of ones we love. The poem by Walter Dean Myers and then by Jack make me think of my dad, and I could replace it with "Love that Dad."

Love that Boy

By Walter Dean Myers

Love that Boy,

Like a rabbit loves to run

I said I love that boy

Like a rabbit loves to run

Love to call him in the morning

Love to call him

"Hey there, son!"

Love that Dog

Inspired by Walter Dean Myers

By Jack

Love that dog,

Like a bird loves to fly

I said I love that dog

Like a bird loves to fly

Love to call him in the morning

Love to call him

"Hey there, Sky!"

Love that Dad

Inspired by Walter Dean Myers and Jack

By Laura

Love that Dad,

Like a book loves words

I said I love that Dad

Like a book loves words

Love to call him in the morning

Love to call him

"Hey there, Dad!"

The book is fantastic! It is blank verse, poetry and inspiration to write your own poetry all rolled into one. Kid's will love it!!

This book was a very old copy of the book and the pages had turned brown a little. Good book but a little disappointed with quality. Would have at least liked a heads up.

This is a book, I really love. The book arrived bundled in a very reasonable time and in the stated condition.

Delightful! Enchanting! - Not words I often use to describe boy's preteen literature, but I actually used those very words to describe this book to a friend.

Disclaimer: I love poetry. I love, love, love poetry. I didn't always love it, but I blame that on the "poetry" (hardly worth bearing the name poetry) that is often taught in schools. I don't know why textbook companies insist on anthologizing the ones they do when there are so many others students of all ages would love.

My love of poetry runs so deeply that for my son's first Christmas I bought him A Family of Poems (Introduction by Caroline Kennedy) and inscribed these words on the end sheet: "English is not a romance language like French or Italian; however, throughout the centuries, talented poets have managed to capture its beauty and depth of thought. May you hear the music words can bring - always." Over the last 6 years, this book has been well-loved and become well-worn.

When my son marched through the house shouting, "Upstains, downstairs, all-around stairs," I squealed in delight, "That's iambic pentameter!" When he began reciting the first stanza of "Hope is the Thing with Feathers" and "The Tyger," I proudly prompted him to "do it again" to anyone who would listen. So it is no surprise that upon opening Love that Dog and seeing that it was written in free-verse form, I audibly gasped in delight; it is a somewhat rare form in literature, especially pre-teen literature. I crossed my legs and sat down, Indian-style right there in the middle of the bookstore aisle and proceeded to read the first page:

JACK

R00M 105 - MISS STRETCHBERRY

SEPTEMBER 13

I don't want to

because boys

don't write poetry.

Girls do.

Not only did I hold in a my hands a book written in free verse, but a book with a male narrator, who like many boys consider poetry "girl's stuff." The combination of title (Love That Dog ), form (free verse), and narrator (preteen male) had me plunking down the $5.99 without reading any further.

I couldn't wait to read it cover to cover with my son, and I didn't have to wait long. The next stop was an oil change, and we certainly brought a bit of culture to the waiting room. If I was enchanted before, I quickly became utterly delighted. Creech not only writes the story of a dynamic narrator who learns the beauty of language and the joys of its manipulation, but also seamlessly incorporates famous poems by William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost and William Blake. The only allusions my son recognized were the ones to "The Tyger," but thanks to Creech's foresight copies of all the poems referenced are included at the end.

The narrator was charming; the story, endearing and the poems, quality. My only criticism is that the end appeared a bit hurried, yet perhaps it was intentional, recognizing the attention span of her audience. Still, Love that Dog has quickly become one of my favorites and Hate that Cat will surely be our next book purchase.

This book is wonderful. I use it in the classroom to teach poetry and for a quick two week novel study. It's a creative way to introduce different types of poetry to students.

This book is about a boy named jack that is learning how to write poetry in his class he thinks he can't do it and he thinks writing poems is for girls but his teacher sees something in him so she keeps pushing him. it is a great book about a kid that learn to write poetry it also has some good poems in it.

It is good for almost any age it has 86 pages plus about 20 pages of poems I would really recommend it because it is a really well written book

What a great book for any teacher to use to introduce a poetry unit. I used this book with 5th grade students...what a great way to introduce your students to keeping a poetry journal. Within its unique style...students are exposed to not only poems but a students response to those poems. I highly recommend this for students in grades 3-6.

The book is in excellent condition. Have no trouble with get the book on time