Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

This book is written as if a boy named Jack is keeping a journal or diary because he has to for class. He writes it in poetry form. In the beginning of the school year, Jack doesn't like poetry. He thinks it is for girls. As the book progresses, he realizes that he actually does like poetry and he gets more comfortable with writing it. He writes a poem about his dog named Sky that has passed away and he models the poem off of a poet he really likes. He gets excited when he writes the poet and he comes and visits the school.

This book is a great tool for the classroom. Many students have trouble writing poetry or they aren't into it because they think it is only done a certain way. This book shows the many ways one can write poetry and the many purposes of it. This is a quick read so students would probably be interested in reading it but it does have a lot of deep meaning. I think students will each interpret this book differently and find ways that they can connect to it. I connected to it because when I was in 3rd grade, my dog died and I remember writing a story about it. I think it was a way for me to cope, just as Jack used his poetry to cope with the loss of his dog. You can also use this book to show students how they can write in their writer's notebook and it would also be useful for a lesson on poetry. I recommend this book for ages 8 and up.