Love That Dog Summary

Overview Love That Dog is a Newbery Award-winning middle grade book by Sharon Creech. Published in 2001, the book combines comedy and tragedy in detailing young Jack’s journey to loving poetry—a journey that takes form via free verse journal entries. Though Jack initially scoffs at the idea of writing poems, he later learns the value of his own voice. This guide refers to the 2002 Bloomsbury Children’s Books paperback edition. Plot Summary Jack, a student in Miss Stretchberry’s class, initially spurns her writing prompts. He doesn’t understand poems—nor what makes them poetry—and dislikes his own work. Nevertheless, he begins incorporating new phrases and structure in his journal. Though reluctant, Jack allows Miss Stretchberry to post them on the class board, albeit anonymously. She asks Jack to write about a pet, but he claims to not own one. Jack reveals that he used to have a pet—a yellow dog named Sky—but he rarely speaks of him in detail. As the class reads more famous poems, Jack starts to appreciate elements of poetry, growing more comfortable with his own reading and writing. Jack’s classmates enjoy his anonymous poems about Sky’s adoption and how he used to play. Still, Jack fears that his writing isn’t real poetry. When he finally comes forward, his classmates compliment him. Jack asks Miss Stretchberry to encourage other anonymous poets to share their names. Jack’s understanding of poetry grows upon discovering Walter Dean Myers, the poet behind “Love That Boy.” Jack sneaks one of Myers’s books home so that he can copy the poem and hang it on the ceiling above his bed. Jack writes a secret poem that borrows Myers’s phrases and structure. He encloses the poem in an envelope as he doesn’t want to anger Myers by plagiarizing. Miss Stretchberry quells his fears and offers to include a caption denoting the poem’s inspiration. Jack likes the idea but doesn’t want his poem posted. He doesn’t disclose the poem to readers until the book’s final page. Upon learning that Myers is a living poet, Jack asks Miss Stretchberry if they could invite him to visit. Miss Stretchberry encourages Jack to write Myers a letter. Jack is elated at the thought of meeting his favorite poet, but Miss Stretchberry tempers his expectations by informing him of the publishing process. 4 Jack asks Miss Stretchberry to teach him how to type his own poems. Jack’s first typed poem tells the tragic story he withheld for the whole book. The story begins with Sky playing with the neighborhood kids on the street. Jack noticed his dad coming home before hearing one of the kids warn everyone about an oncoming car. He saw Sky chase a ball into the street, only for the dog to get hit by the car. Jack’s dad moved Sky to the lawn, but the dog died shortly after. Jack thinks the poem is too sad for Miss Stretchberry to post, but she convinces him to do so with his name. Miss Stretchberry has exciting news: Myers agreed to visit the class while visiting a friend in town. Jack is ecstatic and takes extra care to hide his secret poem. In a second letter to Myers, Jack describes his visit: Myers smiled the whole time, read the class’s poems, and mentioned that he would feel honored if someone wrote a poem based on his own. Jack includes one more paper in the thank-you note: his secret poem “Love That Dog.” 5 Chapter Summaries & Analyses Pages 1-9 Pages 1-9 Summary Jack, a young boy in Miss Stretchberry’s class, opens his journal by insisting that only girls write poetry. For the first few weeks, he refuses to engage with his lessons. The first poem Jack considers is William Carlos Williams’s “The Red Wheelbarrow,” but he doesn’t understand what makes it a real poem as the lines are too short and don’t rhyme. Jack begrudgingly writes a poem on the condition that Miss Stretchberry not post it on the class board. Using the same structure and meter as Williams’s poem, he writes about “a blue car / splattered with mud / speeding down the road” (4). Jack becomes defensive when asked about the blue car’s significance. The class reads Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” and William Blake’s “The Tiger.” Jack doesn’t understand the poems’ literal meaning but increasingly appreciates their rhythm and sounds. Pages 1-9 Analysis Jack’s first poem clearly responds to a teacher’s instructions: “I don’t want to / because boys / don’t write poetry. / Girls do” (1). This entry establishes his attitude toward poetry. Because of the book’s journal format, readers only hear Jack’s side of any given conversation or question. The next entry, which further elaborates on the previous one, only spans three lines: “I tried. / Can’t do it. / Brain’s empty” (2). Jack rejects this assignment; he increasingly defies grammar, dropping subjects and possessive pronouns. He follows the archetype of many a classic novel of a stubborn youth who resists convention—who resists effort. When reflecting on “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams, Jack is confused about what makes it a real poem. If Williams can write about chickens, he reasons, “then any words / can be a poem. / You’ve just got to / make / short / lines” (3). Jack mimics the writing style of his class’s mentor texts (literature studied for craft) as depicted in his own short lines. The next entry shows Jack mirroring Williams’s poem further; he borrows the poem’s format and inserts his own image, a “blue car” (4). In these first few entries, Jack appears 6 unimaginative, as though he only participates out of obligation. The story later reveals a genuine, heartfelt motive behind this resistance, his choice of imagery being more precious to him than he originally suggests. Pages 10-21 Pages 10-21 Summary Jack gives Miss Stretchberry permission to display his poems, but he doesn’t want his name displayed. He concedes that they look nice when she types and prints them out. Miss Stretchberry asks Jack to write about a pet, but he resists, saying he doesn’t have one. He had one once—a yellow dog—but refuses to write about him. Jack comes to enjoy short poems with vivid imagery, particularly “dog” by Valerie Worth. Miss Stretchberry wants to display more of Jack’s poems, especially his own dog poem, but Jack insists on remaining anonymous as he doesn’t believe his writing is actually poetry. Jack likes the way his work looks posted but has a few suggestions: He wants more space between the lines, and though he likes the picture of the yellow dog next to his poem, it doesn’t look like his own yellow dog. Jack reads another Frost poem called “The Pasture,” but he struggles to connect with it as much as Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Pages 10-21 Analysis This section reveals more of Jack’s character. Jack begins to yield, allowing Miss Stretchberry to anonymously publish his poems. He makes an innocent comment that betrays his blooming curiosity: “(And what does anonymous mean? / Is it good?)” (11). Readers don’t know Miss Stretchberry’s response, but they can assume she explains how “anonymous” is neither good nor bad. The fact that Jack wishes to know this shows that he cares more about his poems’ quality than he led on. This innocence reemerges as he continues reading, particularly when confused. For example, after reading his second Frost poem—“The Pasture”—Jack doesn’t understand why Frost would spend time and energy writing things that don’t make sense. Jack concludes that Frost “has a little / too / much / time / on / his / hands” (21). Throughout the book, Jack questions why people read and write poetry. Poetry doesn’t appear to serve a practical purpose, but it 7 increasingly draws Jack’s attention and influences his character development. Readers also learn how much Jack loves his dog. After studying Valerie Worth’s poem, “dog,” Jack compares the poet’s imagery to his own dog’s characteristics. Jack demonstrates his feelings through an affectionate description: “That’s just how / my yellow dog / used to lie down, / with his tongue all limp / and his chin / between / his paws” (16). Jack cherishes each small detail, revealing the boy’s sensitivity; his genuine tenderness was previously shadowed by resistance. Jack begins questioning what components make a true poem. He’s not convinced that his journal entries—responses to poems read in class—qualify as poetry. The publishing process affects his perception of his own work; Miss Stretchberry typing one of his poems on yellow paper validates his developing authorial identity. Jack even suggests improving the next typed poem by adding more space between the lines like he originally wrote it. Seeing his published work gives Jack the confidence to take more ownership of his writing. Pages 22-41 Pages 22-41 Summary Jack theorizes that poems are just words that create mental pictures—and drawing on his own experience—thinks that the famous poets simply believed their work were true poems after seeing them printed on nice paper. The other students begin to notice Jack’s work, though he chooses to remain anonymous. Jack writes a poem about the first time he met Sky, his yellow dog. Jack’s father surprised him with a trip to the animal shelter, the two adopting Sky by the end of it. The poem bluntly concludes that the other dogs will “get killed dead” if people don’t adopt them (27). Jack allows Miss Stretchberry to publish the poem but tells her to omit the sad ending. He titles the poem “You Come Too,” a name derived from Frost’s “The Pasture”—the poem Jack doesn’t like. Jack later reads “Street Music” by Arnold Adoff and applies the poem’s musical sounds to a poem about his neighborhood. He writes about kids playing in the street and how the older ones call out “Car!” He also describes the “Caution! Children at play!” signs and how cars don’t follow said warnings at times (33). 8 Inspired by S. C. Rigg’s poem “The Apple,” Jack creates a concrete poem (one physically modeled after the poem’s subject). He takes credit for this one and his classmates compliment his creativity. Jack asks Miss Stretchberry to encourage another anonymous poet—one who created an admirable concrete poem about a tree—to publish their name as well. Pages 22-41 Analysis Jack becomes more open-minded about poems he initially disliked. He rejected Frost’s “The Pasture” out of a lack of understanding; however, the title of Jack’s poem about the day he met Sky references a line from “The Pasture.” The line “You come too” (25) also finds its way into the poem itself. Frost’s message was lost on Jack, but elements of it still left an impression on his writing. Good poetry, even if enigmatic, sticks with readers—something Jack notices in several poems he initially criticized. Jack also learns how flexible poems can be. While prose adheres to grammar, spelling, and specific punctuation, Miss Stretchberry’s class reads poetry that plays with words and sounds. Inspired by S. C. Rigg’s “The Apple,” a concrete poem filled with apple-themed adjectives and nouns, Jack writes a similar poem about a dog. The poem’s structure not only outlines a recognizable dog, but the letter arrangement within words creates an effect that may require more than one read. Jack writes the word “head” twice, one above the other, with a large space after the “e” to create the illusion of a face: “he ad” (37); the second “head” is used to depict other features. Jack’s playfulness shows that his poetry-writing experience centers around exploration and innovation. Jack’s name first appears in-text, within the story, when he finally chooses to publish under his name. Readers know Jack’s name from the book’s first entry—but story-wise, he remains anonymous until he links himself to his latest poem. With this poem, Jack takes ownership as a creator, a position that also calls for vulnerability as his feelings and thoughts become accessible to his classmates. Despite his initial embarrassment, his classmates respond positively. Due to the book’s first-person point of view, readers can’t perceive events outside of Jack’s own experiences. The other students’ responses help readers understand Jack from a new point of view and demonstrate his impact on the class. Pages 42-63 Pages 42-63 Summary 9 The class reads a poem by Walter Dean Myers called “Love that Boy,” which Jack instantly adores. He steals the book to copy the poem, which he then tapes to his bedroom ceiling so that he can read it again. He sheepishly apologizes for taking the book without permission. Jack writes a secret poem about Sky and Miss Stretchberry posts it on the board. Jack tells her not to display the poem as it borrows too many words from Myers’s work, and he doesn’t want to anger his favorite poet. Miss Stretchberry assures Jack that Myers wouldn’t be angry and she adds a caption: “Inspired by Walter Dean Myers” (50). Jack likes the idea but still doesn’t want the poem displayed. Jack asks if Miss Stretchberry could invite Myers to visit their school. When she suggests that Jack invite the poet himself, he insists that he can’t as “I think Mr. Walter Dean Myers / would like to hear / from a teacher / who uses big words / and knows how / to spell / and / to type” (54). Jack ends up writing the invitation. Miss Stretchberry mails the letter but informs Jack that Myers might not read it for months as the publisher must process it first. Disappointed, Jack stifles his hopes. Pages 42-63 Analysis Readers can immediately recognize the significance of Myers’s poem, “Love That Boy,” as it mirrors the book itself. After reading “Love That Boy,” Jack shows unprecedented enthusiasm. In his excitement, Jack’s syntax (word order) reflects that of children sharing a new obsession. He likes the poem for two reasons: “One is because / my dad calls me / in the morning / just like that / [...] / And also because / when I had my yellow dog / I loved that dog / and I would call him / like this— / I’d say— / Hey there, Sky! / (His name was Sky)” (44-45). Jack’s repetitive syntax —“just like that,” “like this—,” and “I’d say—” (45)—breaks straightforward communication like free verse poetry does prose, his redundancy emphasizing the depth of his feelings. The syntax is also distinctly childlike, which further endears readers to his character and growth. Jack mirroring other poets was originally framed as unimaginative or uninspired, but a later entry casts this tendency in a different light. Jack hides a poem heavily inspired by Myers’s work, revealing that he feels self-conscious about borrowing from him. But Miss Stretchberry encourages Jack, legitimizing his work by captioning the poem: “Inspired by Walter Dean Myers” (50). The disclaimer relieves Jack, who writes, “Now no one / will think / I just copied / because I / couldn’t think / of my own words” (51). Throughout the book, Miss Stretchberry’s 10 class learns to write based on mentor texts—ones that showcase different poetic conventions such as free form structure and a variety of topics. Myers’s poem sparks Jack’s creativity, which he uses to fuel more of his reading and writing. Jack still curbs his enthusiasm when insisting that Miss Stretchberry write a better letter to Myers. He finally writes the letter himself, albeit one listing reasons why Myers might not be able to visit: “And the phone is ringing / and the fax is going / and the bills need paying / and sometimes they get sick / (I hope you are not sick, / Mr. Walter Dean Myers)” (56). Though Jack finds many reasons to hold himself back, he still writes to his new hero—which has profound implications later in the book. Pages 64-74 Pages 64-74 Summary Jack can’t shake the nagging hope that he might meet his new hero. Miss Stretchberry wants to publish the poem he wrote about anxious anticipation, but he insists he didn’t pay much attention to the words. Jack wishes to type his next work himself and Miss Stretchberry shows him how to do so. Jack types a poem called “My Sky.” In the poem, Jack plays on the street with Sky and the neighborhood kids. Jack’s father returns home from work and distracts him at the moment a blue car whips down the street and hits Sky. Jack’s father moves Sky to the lawn, but the dog dies shortly after. Jack is afraid the poem may depress his classmates, but he allows Miss Stretchberry to display it with his name. Pages 64-74 Analysis The quality of Jack’s journal improves as he hones his skills. Jack doesn’t always write to publish, but Miss Stretchberry wishes to legitimize his work anyway. Jack doesn’t understand the significance of his anticipation poem, claiming that it’s “just words / coming out of [his] head / and [he] wasn’t paying / too much attention / to which words / came out / when” (65). Throughout the book, Jack’s understanding of poetry develops, the writing process feeling more and more accessible to him. Even if Jack didn’t intend for anyone to see his anticipation poem, his writing skills developed enough to create an honest work that even utilizes literary 11 devices: He uses a simile to compare how anxiety spins him around “until your brain / feels like / a squished pea” (64). The simile, though simple, describes the experience of overthinking. Miss Stretchberry’s decision to publish the poem shows Jack that even spontaneity can create impactful art as such poems come from the heart. Jack finally provides more details about Sky. Jack announces that this entry is the first he typed by himself, nudging readers to pay close attention. The poem starts by polishing and unifying details from earlier entries: a blue car, the neighborhood kids playing in the street, and Jack’s dad calling out, “Hey there, son!” (69). Jack continues, using italics for emphasis: “And I turned around / and I saw / blue car blue car / splattered with mud / speeding down the road” (70). These lines harken back to Jack’s response to William Carlos Williams’s “The Red Wheelbarrow.” It is this moment that links the aforementioned unrelated details and Jack’s various characteristics, from his guarded persona to the curious and eager writer at his heart. The moment readers process these connections coincides with the secret closest to his heart: Sky’s death. While spontaneity can lead to impactful art, the slow reveal of Jack’s loss speaks to the thoughtful side of poetry and the power of words in working through one’s pain. Pages 75-86 Pages 75-86 Summary To Jack’s delight, Myers has a friend in the city and agrees to visit the school. Bursting with excitement, Jack writes about the preparations for his arrival. He also asks Miss Stretchberry to hide his Myers-inspired poem. Myers enthralls Jack: “All of my blood / in my veins / was bubbling / and all of the thoughts / in my head / were buzzing / and / I wanted to keep / Mr. Walter Dean Myers / at our school / forever” (81). Jack writes a thank-you note complimenting Myers’s reading voice, his laugh, and his mention of being “flattered” if someone wrote a poem inspired by his own (84). Jack also includes the secret poem, titled “Love That Dog.” Pages 75-86 Analysis Jack’s syntax continues to reflect his youthful enthusiasm. As Jack develops his skills, he implements more literary devices such as repetition, exaggeration, and diction—each choice mirroring his innocence and growth alike. He repeats words like “wow,” “really,” and “best” upon learning of Myers’s visit. This repetition not only nudges readers to pay close attention but also showcases Jack’s state of mind in an exaggerated—but no less genuine—way. He 12 sees Myers’s visit as “the best best BEST / news / ever” (75) and later describes Myers “smile smile-smiling” (82). Jack exaggerates without use of repetition as well, thanking the poet “a hundred million times” for taking a break from his busy life to visit (82). Jack’s diction nearly doubles as onomatopoeia, like when he describes Myer’s laugh as “bubbling up and / rolling and tumbling / out into the air” (83). He chooses sounds that express his emotions, the fast paced rhythm of the consonants representing excitement. Jack’s linguistic creativity shows how both his mind and heart grew throughout the book. After the climax—Jack’s heavy poem “My Sky”—he writes a shorter poem that allows readers to sit with the emotional fallout. The brief pause also signals the start of falling action, which doesn’t remain melancholy for long. Jack soon hears exciting news about his favorite poet, which provides a lively closure to another narrative thread. The book’s overall suspense lessens and the mood shifts from sad to inspired. Though Jack still grieves his dog’s death, wonderful experiences await him in the future—with Myers’s visit proving that the end of one chapter doesn’t necessarily mark the end of one’s story. The story’s resolution manifests via Jack’s secret poem, which he sends to Myers. The poem ties a few loose ends: Readers get to read Jack’s long-hidden poem; readers fully understand Sky’s narrative and emotional context; and Jack makes himself (and his poems) vulnerable to not only his teacher and classmates but also to his literary hero. 13 Character Analysis Jack Jack is the first-person protagonist through whom readers experience the story. He never confirms his age, but his classroom descriptions and speech suggest that he’s a late elementary school student. In Jack’s first few journal entries, he demonstrates a stubborn exterior, which derives from insecurity. Jack seems to disregard Miss Stretchberry’s instructions based on the entries’ lack of content. But Jack reveals his deep-seated insecurities when relinquishing a poem to his teacher: “Do you promise / not to read it / out loud? / Do you promise / not to put it / on the board? / Okay, here it is, / but I don’t like it” (4). He fears his classmates’ opinions; the final line also suggests that Jack is either his own worst critic or he always prepares for the worst. The latter is consistent with his experiences; Jack loved Sky unconditionally, but the worst-case scenario still happened. Either way, Jack works to overcome these insecurities and step outside of his comfort zone. After readers break through Jack’s stubborn exterior, they discover his innocent and sincere heart. He’s quick to uplift others’ writing, as he does for a classmate’s tree poem. He addresses Miss Stretchberry with respect, even when requesting that she type his poems differently for the future; he reassures her with a “That’s okay, though” (30). When Jack’s favorite poet, Walter Dean Myers, agrees to visit the class, his reaction reveals nothing but genuine enthusiasm: “That was the best best BEST / news / ever / I can’t believe it” (75). Jack’s relationship with poetry develops from adamant resistance to a willingness to confront confusing poems and experiment with creative ideas. Miss Stretchberry Miss Stretchberry is Jack’s teacher. Readers don’t know much about her from the text itself— only that she teaches poetry and sometimes makes brownies for her students. However, her personality shines through subtext and Jack’s responses to her questions and comments. Jack’s first few journal entries are often evasive. While others may look at Jack’s one or two liners and chide him for lacking effort, Miss Stretchberry never seems frustrated by his stubbornness. Instead, she gently prods him to let her share his poems at his own pace. She doesn’t publish Jack’s work until he gives permission, and when he does, she takes extra care to make the poems feel special by typing them on nice paper and even including a supplementary picture with one. Miss Stretchberry makes her students feel comfortable and 14 valued, which becomes evident in Jack’s increasing love for poetry. Miss Stretchberry also empowers her students by giving them opportunities to take responsibility for their own creativity. She does so by typing her students’ work on professional-looking paper and posting them to the class board. Later, she presents Jack with a particular challenge: When he asks if his favorite poet, Walter Dean Myers, could visit their classroom, she suggests that he write the invitation himself. When Jack responds by saying, “You should do it. / You’re a teacher” (53), readers are not yet privy to the question being implied. The next entry clarifies this: “I don’t agree / that Mr. Walter Dean Myers / might like to hear / from a boy / who likes his poems” (54). Jack finally addresses Myers directly and invites him to visit the school. Miss Stretchberry could easily write the letter—using sophisticated language—but she wants to give Jack the opportunity to take initiative and observe what can result from his courage and vulnerability. Myers’s visit is as significant as it is due to the event being Jack’s idea. Miss Stretchberry gives voice to her students, bolstering their confidence to try new things and share their hearts with the people around them. 15 Themes What Makes a Poem Jack resists his class’s poetry unit at the beginning of the school year as he doesn’t understand what makes a poem. Poems confuse him at first, as they do many students, due to their eccentricities in form, language, and topic. Jack also has a preconceived notion that only girls write poetry. Whatever excuses he makes, his hesitance really stems from feeling unqualified to make good art. After reading a short poem by Valerie Worth, Jack writes a response in verse that Miss Stretchberry wants to publish: “It’s not a poem. / Is it? / I guess you can / put it on the board / if you want to / but don’t put / my name / on it / in case / other people / think / it’s not a poem” (17). Jack can’t determine whether his own poem qualifies as poetry, but the more he reads and writes, the more confident he grows. Miss Stretchberry helps her students’ poems appear professional by typing them on nice paper and “publishing” them on a board, which helps Jack feel like his own work is worthy of an audience’s consideration: “I guess it does / look like a poem / when you see it / typed up / like that” (18). Jack’s poems look like they could sit beside Worth’s own in a book, which changes how he sees his potential. Jack further explores what makes a poem when he questions works beyond his own. Students are often quicker to doubt themselves than professionals; they trust that professionals know what they’re doing, whereas students are amateurs. However, despite appreciating elements of Robert Frost’s “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” earlier in the story, Frost’s “The Pasture” leaves Jack baffled: “somebody’s going out / to the pasture / to clean the spring / [...] / and he wants YOU / (who is YOU?) / to come too. / I mean REALLY” (20). Though Jack’s attitude may appear ornery to adults, his is an important question about the nature of poetry. He wrestles with what makes words on a page poetic. Drawing on his own experience with classroom publication, Jack wonders if people assumed Frost’s poems were poems because they looked nice on a page. This analysis is simplistic, but Jack eventually learns that poetry is largely experiential. The beauty of sight, sound, and rhythm contributes to the impact poetry has on a reader, and once they understand this, they can go on to experiment with writing of their own. As Jack reads more poems, he observes conventions that the poets employ to make their work unique. Jack finds this diversity inviting; he, too, can make short lines, small poems, and recognizable images. When studying concrete poems such as S. C. Rigg’s “The Apple,” he 16 comments, “I never knew a poet person / could do that funny / kind of thing” (35). Jack loves that playful exercises, like creating images out of words, are considered forms of poetic expression. Once Jack learns to have fun creating poetry, he gets excited about honing his craft. Voices Have Power Jack’s voice becomes more powerful as he grows bolder. His early poems are short, stubborn, and obligatory, reflective of his guarded nature. His ideas and stories resonate with his teacher and classmates, but he must first find the courage to be vulnerable. Jack only wants his poems published anonymously as he doesn’t want to embarrass himself. His classmates’ positive reception does embarrass him, but it also encourages him. Upon receiving praise, he notices another anonymous poem on the board and asks Miss Stretchberry to reassure him or her “that [their] tree poem / is really / a poem / really really / and a good poem, too” (41). Jack wishes to uplift his classmates’ voices so that they, too, can participate in the economy of sharing work. Jack grows more confident as the story progresses, but when Miss Stretchberry encourages him to write a letter to his new hero, he recoils. He insists, “I think Mr. Walter Dean Myers / would like to hear / from a teacher / who uses big words / and knows how / to spell / and / to type” (54). Jack is now comfortable sharing with his peers as they write at the same level, but he assumes a professional poet has stricter standards. Miss Stretchberry, by Jack’s reasoning, can appeal to Myers with higher quality writing. However, as Miss Stretchberry intuits, the opposite is true. Jack’s diction and syntax endear others not because he uses big words or eloquent phrases but because his language reflects his innocent nature. Jack endorses his school by telling Myers it’s “a clean place” (57) full of students and faculty who are “mostly nice” (57), and that Miss Stretchberry might “make brownies for you / because she sometimes / makes them for us” (58). Myers likely doesn’t receive many letters from awestruck children in contrast to professional—and likely boring—messages. Jack’s voice, in its simplicity and sincerity, holds power that not only fulfills his own dreams but also positively impacts his teacher and classmates. Jack’s voice also establishes an endearing tone that readers can connect with. Jack’s writing choices showcase his character and create rapport between protagonist and reader. His voice invites readers and writers, especially beginners, to a personal journey by acknowledging that he, too, doesn’t understand poetry’s purpose or function. Readers don’t need to have poetry figured out because Jack doesn’t either, and he creates a safe space to 17 explore these questions and experiment with new techniques. The Purpose of Poetry In addition to learning about what makes poetry, Jack develops a better understanding of why Miss Stretchberry leads a year-long poetry unit and, more so, why people read and write poetry to begin with. Jack learns that poetry explores humanity, invites readers to pay closer attention to the world and people’s experiences within it, and mirrors said experiences without being confined to prose conventions. Jack initially resists his teacher’s prompts, but as he becomes more comfortable with poetry’s unconventional rhythms (that is, unconventional when compared to prose), he realizes that poetry, on a basic level, is simpler than he first understood: “Maybe the wheelbarrow poet / was just / making a picture / with words” (22). Jack doesn’t become enamored with poetry merely because he realizes his capacity to write poems, but rather it provides a creative outlet to express and process past experiences. Jack connects with some poems out of shared experiences. Jack likes the rhythm in Arnold Adoff’s “Street Music” even though the poet’s experience doesn’t quite align with his. Jack alters the poem to reflect his own street: “it has / quiet music / most of the time / whisp / meow / swish” (32). Jack also connects with Myers’s poem through shared experience, which becomes the primary reason he idolizes him. Jack adores “Love That Boy” because his father also calls him by saying, “Hey there, son!” (44); Jack used to call his dog over with “Hey there, Sky!” (45). He feels a kinship with Myers because the poet speaks to something meaningful in his own life. Jack finds that poetry invites readers to pay closer attention to the world by introducing different perspectives. When Jack finally publishes a poem under his name, a classmates comments, “How’d you think of that, Jack?” (39). What may seem obvious to Jack is fresh and interesting to his peers because, through his poetry, he invites others to see the world through his eyes. Myers embodies this idea by both living and writing the worldly beauty he sees. When Myers visits, he enchants Jack with his “voice / low and deep and friendly and warm” and a laugh that “com[es] from way down deep / and bubbling up and / rolling and tumbling / out into the air” (83). As a poet, Myers doesn’t simply write; he lives heartily and shares his perspective of life’s beauty where most may only see the mundane. Poems reflect human experience without being confined to prose conventions. Writers can 18 adhere to grammatical rules in poetry, but the twisting and breaking of these rules are what push readers to see the world as they do. Jack appreciates his anonymous classmate’s tree poem because it looks “like a real tree / with straggly branches” (39). Jack is excited to recognize the poem’s image; its likeness reflects the poem’s subject in a different way than he’s seen before. Jack also implements literary devices such as repetition and line structure to give his poems a non-prosaic feel. Repetition in Jack’s work emphasizes and illustrates continuity. In “My Sky,” Jack describes Sky’s “wag-wag-wagging” and “slob-slob-slobbering” (68)—which both draws the reader’s attention to said details and establishes wagging and slobbering as continuous traits. Jack also uses short lines—often one-liners—to encourage pauses that reflect disjointed time and stresses words of significance. An example of this occurs after a blue car hits Sky: “it couldn’t even stop / and / Sky / was just there / in the road / lying on his side” (71). The rapid line breaks force readers to slow down and match the rhythm of Jack’s panic and confusion. At the end of the same poem, Jack implements one liners for emphasis: “and / Sky / closed his eyes / and / he / never / opened / them / again / ever” (72). Jack processes the finality of death, the poem’s structure demonstrating how this moment marked a significant milestone in his life. Jack can freely express himself this way as poetry provides a space in which he can abandon convention and imbue emotion in the language and meter themselves. 19 Symbols & Motifs Sky Sky, Jack’s yellow dog, is the most prominent motif in the story—supporting the theme that the purpose of poetry is to explore the human experience. Jack only reveals details about his dog’s life and fate as he grows more comfortable with vulnerability. In the beginning, Jack guards his heart from addressing the difficult feelings wrapped up in Sky’s death. Jack doesn’t know what to do with his sadness, so he bottles it up for as long as he can. When Miss Stretchberry suggests that Jack write about a pet, he responds, “I don’t have any pets / so I can’t write about one / and especially / I can’t write / a POEM / about one” (12). Jack doesn’t reveal much about Sky until he reads poems that stir his memory. After reading Valerie Worth’s “dog,” he describes the ways his own pet was similar to Worth’s. The poets he reads inspire him to write, the most genuine topic on his mind being his dog. Once Jack opens his mind to poetry, it provides him a creative outlet to process his grief and honor Sky’s memory. Writing about Sky gives Jack space to explore difficult emotions at his own pace; it helps him to accept what happened. Jack writes about Sky in such a way that the dog not only lives on in his memory but is also preserved and celebrated in that of the reader. Jack’s poem “My Sky” recalls former grief and happiness alike. Jack remembers choosing Sky at the animal shelter among many others, recalling how his yellow dog seemed to cry, “Me me me! Choose me!” and “Thank you thank you thank you!” (27). Jack writes poems about Sky’s most endearing features—such as his loose skin—and creates a concrete poem admiring every inch of his appearance. Most importantly, Jack writes about their relationship, recounting how Sky would play in the street with him and the neighborhood kids and how he would call him by saying, “Hey there, Sky!” (48). Sky’s death impacts readers because of these earlier glimpses at his personality and positive influence in Jack’s life. The dog outlines Jack’s journey to becoming vulnerable for art’s sake and sharing his knowledge of life’s joys and difficulties with an audience. Poetry Miss Stretchberry introduces numerous types of poems to show Jack—and by extension, the reader—what makes poetry. Poetry’s particular strength lies in its range of conventions. While some poetic forms can be rigid in rhyme and meter, poets can choose which ones suit their ideas best. Miss Stretchberry introduces an accessible writing style in free verse. Using free 20 verse, Jack can focus on his poems’ content rather than fussing over prescribed structures. But, Jack doesn’t overlook structure entirely; he pays close attention to word length, order, and direction when creating his concrete poem. Free verse poetry suits young students as it offers them more freedom to experiment with language in expressing ideas and telling stories. After reading a few poems, Jack realizes that poetry largely involves “making pictures with words” (23). Though prose can also achieve this, poetry dedicates itself to imagery and sensory details that highlight the reading experience. Poets create art with language, similar to how painters make visual art with brushes or musicians use instruments. Art serves to tell compelling stories and share human experiences. Jack continues in this tradition, learning to utilize his voice based on those of other poets and his own progression as a writer. Yellow Paper When Jack finally allows Miss Stretchberry to post his poems on the class board, she takes extra care to type them on nice paper. She takes the writing process—brainstorming, drafting, revising, proofreading—and the final step of publishing seriously. She believes in publication as it helps students feel like their hard work means something. The students can take pride in their poems knowing they look professional and worthy of an audience. The nice paper, yellow like Sky, is a motif that represents Jack’s growing authorial voice, particularly as it relates to publishing and sharing his work. The color yellow appears in a few different images—including Sky’s fur and the caution signs at each end of Jack’s neighborhood. Though the color may kindle difficult memories, Jack responds favorably to the nice yellow paper that Miss Stretchberry uses for publication. The yellow paper appears in conjunction with publication, following Jack as he accepts more ownership of his ideas and name. Jack takes ownership of how he wants his typed poems presented. This process begins with Jack suggesting structural edits such as more spacing between lines and paper color. He doesn’t allow Miss Stretchberry to publish his name until later in the school year, this moment marking a significant milestone in his confidence. Before the year’s end, Jack asks Miss Stretchberry if she can teach him to type his own work. In doing so, Jack no longer needs his teacher or anyone else to assist in this step. By the end of the school year, Jack’s newfound confidence allows him to take greater pride in his work and feel like his writing truly conveys his voice. 21 Literary Devices Setting Setting is a literary device that establishes a narrative’s place and time. Love That Dog takes place in a classroom—specifically, Room 105 with Miss Stretchberry. From the book’s first page, readers can make a few assumptions: Jack attends school—but doesn’t necessarily want to be in class—and his teacher requires her students to write poetry. Jack also dates each journal entry according to the school year (September to June). With dates provided throughout the story, readers can easily track Jack’s character development and writing style. Allusion Allusions reference generally well-known people, places, or literary works in passing. The book makes allusions to various poems as Miss Stretchberry introduces them to her students. Miss Stretchberry is Jack’s only audience—bar the class seeing his later poems—so when he makes references, he knows she understands their context. Still, Jack provides enough context for readers to identify which poems are being discussed. In Love That Dog’s Bloomsbury edition, its final pages contain the heavily alluded mentor texts and relevant excerpts. Foreshadowing Foreshadowing hints at a story’s future events—like when Miss Stretchberry asks Jack to write more about a “blue car / splattered with mud / speeding down the road” (6). Jack refuses, implying that the blue car holds more meaning than he lets on, though readers don’t learn the truth until he mentions Sky’s death. Diction Diction equates to word choice, and more specifically, how words sound to a reader. Because many poems aim to “mak[e] pictures with words” (23), poets painstakingly select ones that align with their poems’ atmosphere and imagery. Jack’s voice suits a young boy while maintaining a poetic lyricism. For example, Jack reacts to a concrete apple poem by writing, “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” (35). Jack’s language is informal, his ideas concise without sacrificing clarity or details. Sharon Creech infuses alliteration—words that begin with the same consonant sounds—to make Jack’s voice distinct and phonetically 23 dynamic. Creech’s diction makes the story believable, immersive, and reflective of the poetic medium the story promotes. 24 Important Quotes 1. “I don’t want to because boys don’t write poetry. Girls do.” (Page 1) Jack’s claim that only girls write poetry speaks to his personal bias—and is contrary to literary history. Historically, readers took male writers as a whole more seriously than women. The first two poems the class reads are written by men, but Miss Stretchberry’s curriculum also comes to include women. 2. “I don’t understand the poem about the red wheelbarrow and the white chickens and why so much depends upon them.” (Page 3) Miss Stretchberry uses poems such as William Carlos Williams’s “The Red Wheelbarrow” as mentor texts. These texts provide acclaimed writing examples that students can study and imitate. As students read more poetry, they acclimate to different styles and accumulate resources with which to create their own work—even if the process is confusing at first. 3. “What do you mean— Why does so much depend upon a blue car? You didn’t say before that I had to tell why. 25 The wheelbarrow guy didn’t tell why.” (Page 5) Miss Stretchberry pushes Jack to consider diction and think critically about his writing. Williams doesn’t explain why the red wheelbarrow matters, but his poem still makes an impact; readers can form their own interpretations based on the brief imagery and setting given. Jack doesn’t reveal the blue car’s significance until the climax, but it’s clearly a sensitive topic. 4. “I don’t want to write about that blue car that had miles to go before it slept, so many miles to go in such a hurry.” (Page 7) Jack imitates mentor texts in many journal entries, like he does here with Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”—albeit with a few simple substitutions. Jack associates Frost’s diction with his own blue car; this entry begins with his own thoughts before lapsing into borrowed lines when he mentions the blue car again. In the final line, Jack even infuses his own voice—plain and colloquial—with Frost’s famous lines. 5. “(But still don’t tell anyone who wrote them, okay?) (And what does anonymous mean? Is it good?)” (Page 11) Jack punctuates these lines with parentheses to show that he’s speaking to Miss Stretchberry in confidence—which subsequently implies that these are thoughts about which he is sensitive. Jack is protective of the poetry that he shares. The second stanza reveals that he doesn’t want to look ignorant, so he asks what a particular word means and whether it’s a good thing. 26 6. “It’s not a poem. Is it? I guess you can put it on the board if you want to but don’t put my name on it in case other people think it’s not a poem.” (Page 17) Jack questions what makes a poem a true poem. He also betrays his self-conscious side when implying that he cares about his peers’ opinions of his work. Yet, he’s also curious about said opinions upon receiving his teacher’s positive feedback. 7. “And I liked the picture of the yellow dog you put beside it. But that’s not how my yellow dog looked.” (Pages 18 - 19) Jack is extremely protective of Sky’s memory. As the story progresses, Jack commits more energy to fashioning an accurate and honorable tribute to his dog—a sentiment that fuels much of his poetry. 8. And you said that Mr. Robert Frost who wrote about the pasture 27 was also the one who wrote about those snowy woods and the miles to go before he sleeps well! I think Mr. Robert Frost has a little too much time on his hands.” (Page 21) Jack voices a thought that many poetry students have: Poets dedicate their entire careers writing (often) confusing poetry, and some may wonder what the point is. The story delves into this, but every student must wrestle with this question before arriving at a meaningful answer. Jack’s distinctly boyish humor permeates the second stanza to lighten the mood while still inviting readers to consider his accusation’s implications. 9. “Maybe the wheelbarrow poet was just making a picture with words and someone else— like maybe his teacher— typed it up and then people thought it was a poem because it looked like one typed up like that. 28 And maybe that’s the same thing that happened with Mr. Robert Frost. Maybe he was just making pictures with words about the snowy woods and the pasture— and his teacher typed them up and they looked like poems so people thought they were poems.” (Pages 22 - 23) Jack understands the world based on his own experiences, his first-person point of view inviting readers to get to know him. Even if readers disagree with Jack’s assessment, they can understand his feelings toward publication in relation to other poets. The burgeoning poet grows confident in his ability to incorporate new elements in his work—and that his work is of value. 10. “And that’s where we saw the yellow dog standing against the cage with his paws curled around the wire and his long red tongue hanging out and his big black eyes looking a little sad and his long tail wag-wag-wagging as if he were saying Me me me! Choose me! And we did. 29 We chose him.” (Pages 26 - 27) Jack narrates the day he took Sky home like a fairy tale, as though destiny prompted him to choose the yellow dog. He ends this stanza on a distinctly happily-ever-after note despite the story’s true ending being tragic. As Jack allows himself to remember and write about Sky, he recalls good memories alongside sad ones. 11. “And the other dogs in the cages get killed dead if nobody chooses them.” (Page 27) This stanza immediately follows Jack’s fairy tale-like narration of the day he took in Sky. Its blunt and morbid tone juxtaposes the previously whimsical one. These final lines reinforce Jack’s character as that of a sensitive, yet unfiltered young boy. 12. “My street is not in the middle of the city so it doesn’t have that LOUD music of horns and trucks clash flash screech. My street is on the edge of a city and it has quiet music most of the time whisp meow 30 swish.” (Pages 31 - 32) Inspired by the mentor text “Street Music” by Arnold Adoff, Jack experiments with onomatopoeia to describe his neighborhood. He chooses sounds that feel characteristic of a quiet street—an important detail relevant to Sky’s story. Jack also makes a connection between mundane life and music, discovering that poetry can make art out of everyday experiences. 13. “At both ends of our street are yellow signs that say Caution! Children at Play! but sometimes the cars pay no attention and speed down the road as if they are in a BIG hurry with many miles to go before they sleep.” (Pages 33 - 34) Jack emphasizes the color yellow throughout the book: the yellow dog, the yellow paper, and now, the yellow street signs. Yellow represents happiness in different ways; Sky is joy, the yellow paper is the pride Jack takes in publication, and the yellow street signs are supposed to represent safety. But when the aforementioned blue car ignores the yellow street signs, tragedy strikes. 14. “I am sorry I took the book home without asking. I only got one spot 31 on it. That’s why the page is torn. I tried to get the spot out.” (Page 42) Jack takes Walter Dean Myers’s poetry book home so that he can copy his favorite poem. Due to Love That Dog’s free verse format, there aren’t many words per page. This stanza feels like a strange detail to include in a book already so short on space, but details like these sprinkled throughout the story add character—strengthening readers’ connection to the protagonist and investment in his growth. 15. “And when us kids were playing outside kicking the ball he’d chase after it and push it with his nose push push push and getting slobber all over the ball but no one cared because he was such a funny dog that dog Sky that straggly furry smiling dog Sky.” (Page 47) Jack endears readers to Sky through vivid imagery. Even traditionally less appealing characteristics—slobber, straggly fur—are accepted because of Sky’s big, friendly personality, one that permeates the description. 32 16. “but don’t type up that other secret one I wrote— the one all folded up in the envelope with tape on it. That one uses too many of Mr. Walter Dean Myers’s words and maybe Mr. Walter Dean Myers would get mad about that.” (Page 49) Jack foreshadows the plot’s direction by mentioning, but not publicly sharing, a secret poem that borrows from Myers’s work. This detail evokes the reader’s curiosity and creates a loose end that comes to fruition on the book’s final page. Though readers only hear Jack’s voice in the story, this stanza counts as one of the few times in which he omits contextual details. 17. “And thank you for typing up my secret poem the one that uses so many of Mr. Walter Dean Myers’s words and I like what you put at the top: Inspired by Walter Dean Myers. That sounds good to my ears. Now no one will think 33 I just copied Because I couldn’t think of my own words. They will know I was inspired by Mr. Walter Dean Myers.” (Pages 50 - 51) Jack indeed feels uncomfortable plagiarizing other people’s work. Miss Stretchberry finds a way to appropriately reframe plagiarism as learning from a mentor text. Jack appreciates the phrase “Inspired by Walter Dean Myers” similarly to how he appreciates the rhythms and sounds in certain poems. Miss Stretchberry not only reframes the borrowed poem as exactly that, but she also makes the idea of borrowing—or inspiration—intrinsic to the poem’s greater meaning, making it feel intentional and professional. 18. “No. No, no, no, no, no. I can’t do it. You should do it. You’re a teacher.” (Page 53) Like Jack’s secret poem, this short entry is yet another example of how the story’s one-sided conversation creates suspense. Jack’s repeated “no” tells readers that his teacher made an important request; this mystery engages readers’ attention as they think of possible scenarios the young poet might be responding to. Readers must turn the page to Jack’s next entry before he provides context. 19. “So what I am asking you is this: If you ever get time to leave your house 34 and if you ever feel like visiting a school where there might be some kids who like your poems would you ever maybe think about maybe coming maybe to our school which is a clean place with mostly nice people in it and I think our teacher Miss Stretchberry would maybe even make brownies for you because she sometimes makes them for us.” (Pages 57 - 58) Jack does his best to sell a hypothetical scenario—Myers visiting his class—hoping that he might meet his favorite poet, his new hero. Jack recognizes the many moving pieces that must fall into place for his dream to come true, this willingness to hope being a brave act in itself. Jack’s pitch is childlike but earnest as he appeals to Myers with his school’s cleanliness, its “mostly nice people,” and his teacher’s brownies. His argument’s simplicity endears readers, and likely Myers, to his dream. 20. “and I understand if you can’t come to our clean school and read some of your poems to us and let us see your face which I bet is a friendly face. 35 My name is Jack. Bye, Mr. Walter Dean Myers.” (Page 59) At the end of Jack’s long letter to Myers—which is also one of the book’s longer journal entries —he finally introduces himself, creating a reverse structure that reflects the kind of excitement and forgetfulness endemic to young protagonists. Jack also emphasizes his age by always referring to Myers as “Mr. Walter Dean Myers,” a long but respectful way to show his admiration. 21. “maybe he’s away maybe he’s on vacation maybe he’s sick maybe he’s hiding in a room writing poems maybe he’s baby-sitting his children or his grandchildren (if he’s married and stuff) or maybe he has to go to the dentist or get that car fixed or maybe someone died (I really really really hope someone did not die)” (Page 62) Upon learning that Myers might not respond for a while (if at all), Jack quells his nagging hope by brainstorming reasons why the poet wouldn’t be able to visit. Jack starts rambling, his use of “maybe,” “or,” and parentheticals emphasizing his tumbling train of thought. The parentheses paired with Jack’s lack of other punctuation supplements this entry’s rambling effect. 22. “I didn’t know about the spell-checking thing inside the computer. It is like a miracle 36 little brain in there a little helper brain.” (Page 67) Jack utilizes simile to portray his first experience with a computer’s word processor. The simile compares the computer to “a miracle / little brain,” ethereal and oddly human in tandem. Even as Jack takes a step toward authorial independence, he finds comfort in technology’s unexpected help and guidance. 23. “blue car blue car splattered with mud hit Sky thud thud thud and kept on going in such a hurry so fast so many miles to go it couldn’t even stop and Sky was just there in the road lying on his side with his legs bent funny and his side heaving and he looked up at me and I said ‘Sky! Sky! Sky!’ and then my dad was there and he lifted Sky out of the road and laid him on the grass and Sky 37 closed his eyes and he never opened them again ever.” (Pages 71 - 72) Sky’s story encompasses the book’s most detailed plot as Jack spends most of his time reflecting on poetry as it relates to his dog and Myers. Processing poetry often requires some abstraction—like when readers experience Myers’s visit before and after the fact rather than experiencing it first-hand. Sky’s fate, which exists only in the past and can believably exist in the book’s journal format, incorporates a plot-driven storyline that helps balance Jack’s introspective thoughts. 24. “And the bookcase looks like it’s sprouting books all of them by Mr. Walter Dean Myers lined up looking back at us waiting for Mr. Walter Dean Myers himself to come to our school right into our classroom.” (Pages 77 - 78) Jack personifies the classroom’s library to emphasize his own expectant, hopeful attitude. Personification is a literary device that projects human traits onto inanimate objects. In this stanza, the books look back at Jack and wait for Myers alongside the eager protagonist. 38 25. “We hope we didn’t ask you too many questions but we thank you for answering every which one and especially for saying that you would be flattered if someone used some of your words and especially if they added a note that they were inspired by Walter Dean Myers.” (Page 84) Jack may not understand the implications of his own observation, but Miss Stretchberry likely discussed Jack’s concern with Myers before the visit—with the poet agreeing to grant the students permission to use his work. Miss Stretchberry’s likely intervention—and overall presence—demonstrates how much she cares for her students, Jack’s reaction showing the positive impact such actions (and Myers’s) can have on young writers. 39 Essay Topics 1. When Miss Stretchberry posts a yellow dog’s picture next to Jack’s poem, Jack says he likes it, but “that’s not how / my yellow dog / looked” (19). Adult poets often write about abstractions, but younger children—like Jack—tend to think more literally. Discuss to what extent Jack balances concrete images and figurative literary elements in his poetry, especially at various points throughout his character development. 2. Most people who write poetry recognize the gulf between amateur work and the great poets’ genius. What elements differentiate Jack’s amateur work from the class’s mentor texts? 3. Jack borrows many words and phrases from different poets. What draws the line between inspiration and plagiarism, especially as Jack matures and develops his own style? 4. Sharon Creech won the 1995 Newbery Medal for her children’s novel Walk Two Moons. Compare how Walk Two Moons and Love That Dog address grief and tragedy. 5. Discuss the relationship between art and healing throughout Jack’s journey. 6. Why does Jack name his dog Sky? Consider what Sky’s name suggests about the dog’s personality, Jack’s personality, and/or Jack’s perception of Sky. 7. Discuss how the setting lends to Jack’s development as a writer. 8. Jack’s classmates remain unnamed and don’t serve a significant narrative purpose. How does this detail affect the way readers experience Jack’s character? 9. S. C. Rigg, who wrote the concrete poem “The Apple,” is a pseudonym for Creech within the book’s world. What about “The Apple” makes it an important mentor text for Jack and/or Creech’s narrative purpose? 40 10. How might Jack’s experiences with mentor texts challenge readers’ preconceptions about the nature and purpose of poetry? 41