Love That Dog    by Sharon Creech Order:  USA  Can HarperCollins, 2003 (2001) Hardcover, Paperback, Audio Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Love That Dog is aimed at ages 8 to 12, but can be enjoyed well beyond that age range. It covers Jack's poetry submissions to Miss Stretchberry (who sounds like a remarkable educator). The style reminded me somewhat of Don Marquis' verses about a cockroach and a cat, Archie and Mehitabel. Jack begins: I don't want to because boys don't write poetry. Girls do. As his poems continue, they reflect Jack's gradually evolving attitude to the subject, for which he has a true talent. His comments on poetry (such as William Blake's The Tiger) presented in the class are funny, and these poems are all included at the end of the book, for reference. Then there is Jack's puzzling first submission about 'a blue car spattered with mud'. When asked to write a poem about a pet, he is reluctant, but as he begins to open up to poetry, Jack also opens up about his 'straggly furry smiling dog Sky'. Jack writes his own version of Walter Dean Myers' Love That Boy, and when he finally shows it to the poet and to us, it explains everything. Love That Dog is a lovingly developed story in verse about a boy whose voice and feelings speak eloquently from the pages. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews