Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

From Goodreads,

"Jack hates poetry. Only girls write it and every time he tries to, his brain feels empty. But his teacher, Ms. Stretchberry, won't stop giving her class poetry assignments -- and Jack can't avoid them. But then something amazing happens. The more he writes, the more he learns he does have something to say."

Goodreads - Love That Dog

Awards:

• Claudia Lewis Award (2002)
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (2003)
• New Mexico Land of Enchantment Award for Young Adult (2004)
• Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Nominee (2004)
• Zilveren Griffel (2007)

It's finally National Poetry Month again!  That means that all month I will be reviewing books that are filled with poetry and prose.  I received this book in a Scholastic book order and figured it would be a quick and easy read to kick off National Poetry Month.  

This book is written in poetry by the main character Jack.  At the very beginning he doesn't like poetry, but he does his class assignments as he is supposed to.  He starts by writing poems about a blue car and about the dog he used to have.  Over the course of this short book we learn why the blue car and his dog are so important and why Jack continues to write poetry about them. 

Favorite poem from Love That Dog, 

"Tiger! Tiger! burning bright

 In the forest of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" 

When I first started this book I didn't think I was really going to enjoy it.  It was choppy, as some poetry books seem, and it wasn't going into a lot of depth.  But as the book went on we learned about Jack and the dog he used to have.  The title of the book is actual a play on the title of the poem "Love That Boy" by Walter Dean Myers.  This poem, along with other popular poems are included in this book.  I love the incorporation of popular and famous poetry in this book.  I would definitely use this book in a classroom while teaching a poetry unit.  There are just so many references to other poems, plus there is the whole story of Jack thinking that poetry is for girls and that he isn't good at it.  The book really breaks some stereotypes and helps students understand that poetry isn't that difficult.  I would break this book up into sections with a class and we would read a section a day and we would discuss the different styles of poems and we would definitely do a lot of poetry writing.

One thing I didn't like about this book is that the only people we really got to know in this book was Jack, his dog, the teacher, and Walter Dean Meyers.  Jack didn't talk about friends or about family in detail.  I somewhat felt like this book is being written in a journal or composition notebook that has to stay at school.  It seems as if Jack is writing to his teacher in response to a poem that was read to the class.  I would have enjoyed getting to know his friends or his family a little better.  And if I'm being completely honest I would have enjoyed getting to know Jack a little more in this book.  I just felt so disconnected from the characters.

Overall I give this book 3 stars.  I would recommend it to teachers to use in the classroom.  I don't think a child would just willingly go pick up and read this book.  There's a lot of potential for discussions in this book and I think it would be best suited for a teacher to lead students with this book.

Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech

From Goodreads,

"Perfect for fans of Charlotte’s Web and The One and Only Ivan, Saving Winslow is an uplifting modern classic in the making about a young boy who befriends an ailing newborn donkey and nurses him back to health, from New York Times bestseller and Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech.

Louie doesn't have the best luck when it comes to nurturing small creatures. So when his father brings home a sickly newborn mini donkey, he's determined to save him. He names him Winslow. Taking care of him helps Louie feel closer to his brother, Gus, who is far, far away in the army.

Everyone worries that Winslow won't survive, especially Louie’s quirky new friend, Nora, who has experienced loss of her own. But as Louie's bond with Winslow grows, surprising and life-altering events prove that this fragile donkey is stronger than anyone could have imagined.

Written in the spirit of Creech favorites Moo and Love That Dog, this standout tale about love and friendship and letting go will tug at the heartstrings."

Goodreads - Saving Winslow

I ordered this book through Scholastic.  Upon receiving my box I realized that this book was missing.  They sent me an e-mail and said that the book was on back order and that they would send it as soon as they had more in stock.  After school started I received the book in the mail.  I had some spare time while my kids ate snack and decided to start reading it.  As I read, my students would sit staring at me, mesmerized as I read to them.  It was the most amazing spectacle to see a group of kids so focused and interested in a book.

Saving Winslow is about a baby donkey that is quite sickly after it is born on Uncle Pete's farm.  Uncle Pete takes the baby donkey to his nephew Louie who decides he is going to save the poor donkey.  Louie names the baby donkey Winslow and vows to make sure he survives.  While he is trying to keep the baby donkey alive he continues to miss his brother Gus who is in the Army.  As time progresses Louie continues to miss his brother, but he also gets to experience Winslow growing up and going through firsts.  The book comes to an exciting climax as neighbors start complaining about Winslow being in the neighborhood.

Not only is this book adorable, it has a wonderful message about hard work, determination, and perseverance.  Everyone told Louie that the baby donkey was going to die, but Louie was determined to make it live.  He wanted to make sure that the donkey thrived the same way that he had as a baby.  Everyone around him continued to tell him how hard it was going to be to raise a baby donkey, but Louie still persevered and put in the hard work.  I think this is a wonderful message for kids.  They need to learn that if they want something bad enough they just have to be determined, put in the hard work, and persevere when it gets hard.

One thing that I didn't like about this book is the mystery of Louie's brother Gus.  We know that he is away in the Army and that Louie misses him.  But we don't know if he is gone to training or if he is gone to war.  There was a lot of mystery surrounding him and I felt like we just lacked information about him.  I think that my students would have enjoyed this book more if Gus had come home at the end of the book instead of Louie just getting a letter saying he was coming home.  My students and I wanted more closure with Gus and Louie and their relationship. 

Overall, this was a wonderful book.  My students really enjoyed it and they were sad when it ended.  I passed it on to another class and hope that they take the time to read it.  I give this 5 stars and recommend this to young students and to teachers.