Sharon Creech's Love That Dog

Love That Dog is a phenomenon free verse piece written by Sharon Creech that talks about a young boy named Jack’s inspiring journey with poetry. Jack finds poetry difficult and irrelevant to his life; however, as he progresses the school year, his poetical journal responses to his teacher, Miss Stretchberry, significantly improve. Jack begins to share sensitive and moving topics through his poetry. Poetry becomes inspirational to him to an extent that will astound the reader and keep them on their feet. This book is best suited for students ages 8 - 12. The book falls under the genre of poetry (realistic fiction and tragedy). The genre provides condensed, evocative language, causing the reader to interpret beyond literary meaning. Instead of analyzing this book from a simplistic point of view, one can delve more in depth based on its genre. The concepts discussed in this book are universal and applies to humanity at large.

The most important theme covered in this book is growth mindset. As Jack’s journey deepens, readers, observe multiple ways in which he experiences growth mindset. The theme

allows the book to bear its fruit since it reveals the power of the mind. Once one positively reframes their outlook of a particular topic, then they are able to master it and overcome their fears regarding it. For instance, after his teacher introduces Jack to varieties of poetry styles, he exclaims,
“My brain was pop-pop-popping
When I was looking at those poems.
I never knew a poet person
Could do that funny
Kind of thing” (Creech, p.35)
The significance of this excerpt is it clearly displays a growth mindset.

For instance the description that the brain was, “pop-pop-popping “portrays the sensation that the brain is plastic; hence, it can be expanded through knowledge and perseverance. Also, the author cleverly uses the phrase, “I never knew a poet person” to emphasize lack of knowledge leads to false perceptions of reality. Jack uses the absolute word “Never” to describe his feeling. If one never thinks about the endless possibilities of success, then they will become their own culprit. The articulate, yet simple language of the author adds rich content to the story making it more relatable to all age groups. The novel instills the value of hope in readers. It encourages readers not to fear the unknown. Indeed with a growth mindset, one can beat the odds and live a meaningful

life.
Moreover, this novel dispels myths people have regarding poetry. For instance, in the beginning of the book, Jack discards writing poetry by stating,
“I don’t want to
Because boys
Don’t write poetry
Girls do” (Creech, p.1). The author lightly mentions gender prejudices and how society associates boys and males in an aggressive field such as engineering and the like; whereas, girls are associated with soft career fields such as writing, etc. The author deliberately makes Jack have enthusiasm for poetry causing readers to understand that poetry is not meant for a specific gender and that we can all benefit from the input of all genders in literature. The design of this book facilitates close reading as the text is short and clearly written. If this statement was found in another book, then readers would not have considered it to be significant because the phrase would mesh with the rest of the story. However, with the free verse novel, the author is able to have an impact and tell a story effectively. Simple messages embedded in the sentence help children learn not to hold themselves from discovering opportunities. It is clear in this novel the author instills the love of poetry in childrens’ heart because she makes the main character develop significantly. At the end of the story, Jack falls in love with poetry, although he initially believed it was not meant for boys to write poetry. It also teaches children not to confine their limits and label themselves as one category by claiming to be either good or bad at a given task.
Furthermore, this book meets the criteria of excellence since it teaches children an important life skill. Through this book, the author was able to communicate that in times of difficulties, one should use write out their feelings. In the story, Jack eventually learns to appreciate poetry. Once he gets the hang of it, Jack decided to write about his beloved dog. The painful memories he reiterate hurt him; however, by writing the poem, he was able to think about what happened on the dark day. Although Jack constantly thought of the death of his dog, he never got the chance to think or moan about it in a therapeutically way. As we know, writing ones’ feelings regarding painful matters is a cure in dealing with pain. Doctors and therapists suggest writing down our feeling when we are down because they will help us unload the negative feelings and help us move on. This is important aspect of this novel because when children read about Jack’s poem about his dog, they too will be persuaded to write about painful memories they had in their lives. It will encourage children to come out of their shells and deal with their personal circumstances in an effective way. This book creates meaning in the world of young children. Parents and caregivers are not always around to respond to children’s needs; hence, if children find out ways to deal with mild dilemmas, then it is a win-win situation for all involved.
Likewise, the author introduces poetry icons to students at such a young age. The poetry that inspires the main character jack is “Love That Boy” by Walter Dean. The author also references classical poems from other poets such as Robert Frost and more. This is important component to have in the free verse novel because actual poets will inspire young children to become future poets. Children can refer to their favorite poet’s poetry collection and become experts on their own. They will also appreciate the variety of poetry genres since there are multitudes of them. This aspect of the book encourages and builds networks for young readers to engage them outside the text. Children will know that poetry does not end at the last page of Love That Dog, but rather, it begins with it. It strengthens the momentum of learning and acquiring new skills and developing new hobbies.
Overall, Love That Dog is a unique free verse novel that will instill meaningful morals in readers of all ages, but particularly those between 8-12yrs. The book introduces the simple and profound aspect of poetry to children at such a tender age. It also provides sequels such as “Hate That Cat” and the like that will motivate readers to continue reading free verse and appreciate the deep and analytic messages embedded in that genre.