Love That Dog (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "I don't want to because boys don't write poetry..." (more)
Key Phrases: blue car, yellow dog, Walter Dean Myers, Robert Frost

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech's Love That Dog, a funny, sweet, original short novel written in free verse, introduces us to an endearingly unassuming, straight-talking boy who discovers the powers and pleasures of poetry. Against his will. After all, "boys don't write poetry. Girls do." What does he say of the famous poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"? "I think Mr. Robert Frost / has a little / too / much / time / on his / hands." As his teacher, Ms. Stretchberry, introduces the canon to the class, however, he starts to see the light. Poetry is not so bad, it's not just for girls, and it's not even that hard to write. Take William Carlos Williams, for example: "If that is a poem / about the red wheelbarrow / and the white chickens / then any words / can be a poem. / You've just got to / make / short / lines." He becomes more and more discerning as the days go by, and readers' spirits will rise with Jack's as he begins to find his own voice through his own poetry and through that of others. His favorite poem of all is a short, rhythmic one by Walter Dean Myers called "Love That Boy" (included at the end of the book with all the rest of Ms. Stretchberry's assignments). The words completely captivate him, reminding him of the loving way his dad calls him in the morning and of the way he used to call his yellow dog, Sky. Jack's reverence for the poem ultimately leads to meeting the poet himself, an experience he will never forget.

This winning, accessible book is truly remarkable in that Creech lets us witness firsthand how words can open doors to the soul. And this from a boy who asks, "Why doesn't the person just / keep going if he's got / so many miles to go / before he sleeps?" (Ages 8 to 12) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly

Wolf's (Party of Five) bright, boyish voice brings to life Creech's novel-in-free-verse about a student's enlightening year of course work. As school starts in September, Jack is not eager to embark on Miss Stretchberry's poetry writing assignments. "I don't want to/ because boys/ don't write poetry./ Girls do." But Jack's attitude soon changes. As Miss Stretchberry reads the works of great poets (Robert Frost, Valerie Worth, William Blake) to the class and encourages Jack's writing efforts, Jack discovers his unique voice--and a true talent for creative expression. The culmination of Jack's great year is a classroom visit from Mr. Walter Dean Myers, who wrote what Jack considers "the best best BEST/ poem/ ever," called "Love That Boy," a selection that has become the boy's biggest inspiration. Wolf plays Jack with a realistic, respectful and contemporary tone. He nimbly conveys surprise, wonder and heartfelt emotion without sounding sentimental or affected, a quality that will have many young listeners enthralled. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (July 24, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060292873
• ISBN-13: 978-0060292874
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (162 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,770 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Written and Inspirational....., October 29, 2001

By	Roz Levine (Virginia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

As Jack tells us in his writing journal on the first day of his class' poetry unit: "I don't want to/because boys/don't write poetry./Girls do./I tried./Can't do it./Brain's empty." But as hard as he resists the idea, poetry begins to seep into that empty brain. At first the works his teacher, Miss Stretchberry, introduces make little sense to him. "Why doesn't the person just/keep going if he's got/so many miles to go/before he sleeps?" Eventually, the poetry seductively captures him, and he writes about William Blake's, The Tiger: "I am sorry to say/I did not really understand/the tiger tiger burning bright poem/but at least it sounded good/in my ears./Some of the tiger sounds/are still in my ears/like drums/beat-beat-beating." When Miss Stretchberry reads Walter Dean Myers', Love That Boy, it all comes together, and Jack is finally hooked, "I copied that BEST poem/and hung it on my/bedroom wall/right over my bed/where I can/see it when I'm/lying/down." As the story continues, he begins to open up, write his own verse, and with the guidance of his teacher and inspiration of his new favorite poet, finally puts down on paper the poem that's been inside of him all along just waiting to come out; the story of his beloved dog, Sky, who was hit by a car..... Newberry Award Winner, Sharon Creech, has outdone herself with this marvelously sensitive, sometimes poignant, often amusing little masterpiece. Her simple text, told in free verse, and written in the voice of a ten or eleven year old, explores the power of words, their rhythm, and energy, how they can inspire, captivate, and elicit feelings. Young and old, alike will be entranced as they begin this wonderful journey with Jack on his lifelong adventure with the love of words. Ms Creech has included the poems used by Miss Stretchberry at the end of the book, and this is a good starting point for young poetry lovers. Perfect for kids 9-12, Love That Dog is a treasure to be read and shared by everyone.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love that poem, February 9, 2002

By	Alyssa A. Lappen (Earth) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This short 86-page poetic novel is made for every child who has ever resisted reading a poem, or writing one.

The story pulls details from eight poems. In September, Jack, the child narrator in Miss Stretchberry's Room 105, can't understand an unnamed "poem about/the red wheelbarrow/and the white chickens" (William Carlos Williams). In October, a few pages later, he fails to grasp "the tiger tiger burning bright poem/but at least it sounded good in my ears" (William Blake). By January, he's concluded that "Mr. Robert Frost/ who wrote/about the pasture/ was also the one/ who wrote about/ those snowy woods/ and the miles to go/ before he sleeps---well!"

That is also the month Jack writes a poem about his family's trip to the dog pound. There, he chose from among "big and small/ fat and skinny/ some of them/ hiding in the corner/ but most of them bark-bark-barking and/ jumping up against the wire cage" a yellow dog standing "with his paws curled around the wire/and his long red tongue/ hanging out".

By March, Jack has waxed enthusiastic about a poem by "Mr. Walter Dean Myers/ the best best BEST/ poem/ever." He has even related it to his experience with the yellow dog, whom he named Sky. In April, Jack writes to Mr. Walter Dean Myers. And in May the poet agrees to visit the school. As Mr. Walter Dean Myers reads poems to the class on June 1, Jack finds "All of my blood/in my veins/ was bubbling/and all of the thoughts/ in my head/ were buzzing." That's about how it feels to love a poem.

Several other important details make this book a keeper--not least, what happened to Jack's dog, and his closing poem.

At the end, Creech shares the eight poems to which she refers throughout: William Carlos Williams' "Red Wheelbarrow," Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and "The Pasture," William Blake's "Tiger," Valerie Worth's "dog," Arnold Adoff's "Street Music," S.C. Rigg's "The Apple," and Walter Dean Myers' "Love That Boy."

If you want children to love poems, just give them this one. Alyssa A. Lappen

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love that book!, August 15, 2001

By	Elizabeth S. Gallaway "Information Goddess" (New England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

With apologies to Creech and Myers: Love that book / Like a dragon loves to hoard / I said I love that book / Like a dragon loves to hoard / Love to read it in the morning / Love to see it / Win a Newbery award.

Elementary school student Jack, convinced that only girls write poetry, completes his poetry assignments in a journal that is part monologue to his teacher and part homework and all poetry (whether he realizes it or not). Jack's enthusiasm for the genre slowly grows until Walter Dean Myer's poem "Love That Boy" inspires an invitation for an author visit. This novel in verse is much a glimpse in the writing process as it is an example of the power of words connect us, and a story of a boy and the golden dog he loves. As an added bonus, the first stanzas of the classic poems Ms. Stretchberry assigns are appended. This is excellent work by award-winning novelist Creech, who has a talent for writing about journeys and growths of all kinds, and a lovely tribute to award-winning author Walter Dean Myers. Highly recommended for purchase.