Love that Dog

Title: Love that Dog
Author: Sharon Creech

Plot: Jack is writing poetry because his teacher is making him. He doesn't like poetry, he just doesn't get it -people write about things that don't make sense. So Jack writes about what is happening in class, and he writes about his dog Sky.

Assessment: This poetry written as though by Jack, expresses a lot of feelings that children as they get older feel about poetry. That the combination of words is often confusing or that the point of the poem is not clear. But as the reader progresses through the book, Jack's appreciation for poetry grows -which is pretty amazing.

Jack's perspective on poetry and life made me laugh and cry. It really shows how poetry or journal writing can help children deal with their thoughts and feelings.

Creech, S. (2003). Love that dog. HarperCollins Publishers.