Love That Dog
Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech'sLove 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--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.