Kids will likely relate to Jack’s initial bout with writer’s block (“I tried./Can’t do it./Brain’s empty”) and his inability to understand the meaning of the poems his supportive teacher, Miss Stretchberry, introduces in class. One of the real strengths of Love That Dog is that it gives us a great peek into how a kid’s thoughts and feelings can grow and change with the help of a little inspiration over the course of a school year. This proves to be a great format choice, since kids will find Jack’s poems both easy to read and very accessible. Jack tells his story in his own free-verse poetry (which Creech cleverly models after the work of minimalist poet William Carlos Williams). With this bold opening declaration about who can (and can’t) write poetry, we’re introduced to the engaging, opinionated voice of young Jack, a reluctant writer and the focus of award-winning author Sharon Creech’s funny and profound short novel.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |