LOVE THAT DOG

Sharon Creech manages to connect several themes and lessons in this simple yet touching book about a boy and his dog. At school Jack just doesn't understand poetry or why he has to learn to write it. In free verse, as the words start out simple yet clear, we hear this reluctance to look for deeper meaning and his lack of confidence in writing anything that will be seen by others. But slowly, as he reaches deeper, Jack finds his voice--full of warmth, love, sadness, and loss. Scott Wolf does a memorable job, finding the right intonations, pacing, and emotion to make Jack's journey very real. As a story alone or a wonderful accompaniment for teaching poetry, this book gets high marks all around. W.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]