60 pages • 2 hours read
Sharon CreechLove That Dog
Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2001A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
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.
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?
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?
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.
Discuss the relationship between art and healing throughout Jack’s journey.
Discuss how the setting lends to Jack’s development as a writer.
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?
How might Jack’s experiences with mentor texts challenge readers’ preconceptions about the nature and purpose of poetry?
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