"Love That Dog" by: Sharon Creech

I thought the book Love That Dog was really cute book. It had a very simple plot, but the writing was what made it interesting. The book is written in short poems by a boy Jake. Jake is a student who is learning about poetry. At first he doesn't believe in himself as a writer so he refuses to let his teacher post his poems. He agrees to have his work posted in the classroom anonymously, and as the book goes on he gains confidence in his writing. Throughout the book we also get to hear his thoughts about other poems the teacher reads to the class. He really enjoys the work of a specific writer, Mr. Walter Dean Myers. Jake is encouraged by his teacher to write to him, asking if he can come to their school.
I thought this book was really cute, and I loved seeing the boy evolve as a writer. I also really liked how the book referred to poems by other authors. These poems are included at the end of the book, which was nice because I didn't know any of the poems before reading this book. What I really loved was how the author shows that poetry doesn't have to rhyme to be poetry, and she brings this topic up in the story too.
I think this would be a great book to read as a class because it a novel that is written in poetry. Exposing students to various types of books helps them become better readers and writers. I think by having students read this book they will gain a new understanding and appreciation for poetry. I also think it will encourage them to write in poetry more often because the book presents poetry in a very approachable manner. This book also encourages discussion about topics such as confidence and loss. Jake is able to write about his loss, and his confidence grows as he writes more poetry. I think that this was a really interesting book, and I can see reading it with a 3rd grade class and reading it with students as old as 6th grade.