Love That Dog
by Sharon Creech
Love That Dog Interpretive Questions - due Friday, May 9
Include textual evidence and cite quotes from the text for ALL questions.
1. Jack doesn't want to write poetry at the beginning of the book. Why doesn't he want to?
1. Jack doesn't want to write poetry at the beginning of the book because he thinks that poetry is for girls and doesn't know how to write poetry. "boys don't write poetry. Girls do."(p. 1)
2. In Jack's first poem, he writes:
So much depends upon
a blue car splattered with mud
speeding down the road.
Why was the blue car important to Jack?
2. The blue car is important to Jack because it was part of his first poem and because he is using personification on it. "that blue car that had miles to go before it slept"(p. 7)
3. What caused Miss Stretchberry to be so interested in Jack's first poem? Describe what Miss Stretchberry
does to get Jack to write more poems, especially about the blue car.
3. Miss Stretchberry is interested in Jack's first poem because she wants to know why the blue is so important. She persuades Jack to write more poems by putting up his poem nicely so he is proud of it and by leaving his poems anonymous. "still don’t tell anyone who wrote them” (p. 11)
4. How does Jack respond when Miss Stretchberry asks him to write about a pet? Why do you think Miss
Stretchberry insists he write the poem despite Jack's reaction?
4. Jack does not want to write a poem about a pet because he used to have a dog and now he might be sad about it. Miss Stretchberry insists that he writes the poem anyway so he might be able to get over it. “I don’t want to write about it” (p. 13)
5. What are Jack’s feelings toward Sky? Make a list of details from the book that describes Jack’s feelings
toward his dog.
5. . Jack loves Sky. “My Sky”(p. 68)
. Jack misses Sky and might not want to talk about him. “I don’t want to write about it” (p. 13)
. Jack cared for Sky and tried to protect him. “I called him… but it was too late” (p. 70)
6. Jack changes a great deal in the novel. Think about these changes. Then create a two- column chart with
two heading: "Beginning of school year" and "End of school year". Under each heading, list examples of the
things Jack does, thinks and says in the beginning of the school year compared to the end of the year.
6. Table is on the bottom of the page.
7. Imagine Miss Stretchberry has just asked Jack to write an essay telling what he has discovered about
poetry and how it can change a person's life. What would the essay say?
7. The essay would probably say that poetry can be hard at first but gets easier over time and can be meant for anyone.
8. Sky's death affected Jack deeply. If you had just lost a much-loved pet, what things could you, or other
people, do to help you cope with the loss? Create a list of ideas.
8. · I could pray for the lost pet.
· Others could pray for the pet
· (if cremated) I could give the ashes to a person I trust
· Others can comfort me
· I could write about it or draw a picture of the pet
9. Miss Stretchberry is able to convince Jack to write poetry and share his feelings even though he doesn't
want to. Point out the qualities Miss Stretchberry has as a person, and as a teacher, that allow her to reach
Jack.
9. Miss Stretchberry is nice, patient, very helpful, and caring for her students and those qualities help her help Jack.
10. Why does Jack fall in love with Walter Dean Myers' poetry? What effect does Mr. Myer's visit to the school
have on Jack? How do you know?
10. Jack falls in love with his poetry because the poem talks about things that he did with Sky. The effect the visit to the school had on Jack was that he was very excited and got mostly over missing Sky. I know because of the way that he tells the story that he is excited and happy.
11. There are many ways a poet can paint a picture in a reader's mind with words. They include similes,
metaphors, onomatopoeia, and more. Find examples of the techniques the poets use in Love That Dog.
As a group, choose three verses from the novel that created the most vivid pictures.
11. “So much depends upon a blue car splattered with mud speeding down the road.”(p. 4) “There is not too much traffic on my street – not like in the middle of a city” (p. 32) “Mr. Walter Dean Myers is really really really coming to our school” (p. 75)
12. How might Jack's life have been different if he hadn't had Miss Stretchberry as his teacher?
12. He would not have been introduced to poetry, he would still be very sad about Sky, and he would not have met Mr. Walter Dean Myers.
13. It's the end of the school year, and Jack wants to thank Miss Stretchberry for being such a great teacher.
Compose a letter or write a poem from Jack that show his appreciation for Miss Stretchberry.
13. Dear Miss Stretchberry, Thank you thank you thank you For teaching me How to Write a Poem
Your student,
Jack
14. How did reading Love That Dog change your point of view about poetry. Explain your answer.
14. It made me like reading poetry a lot more because this book was fun and easy to read.
15. At the end of the book, the author includes poems by seven famous American poets. Which poem did you
like the best, and why?
15. Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost was my favorite of the poems because of the setting, the characters, and the way its written.
Activity
Include textual evidence and cite quotes from the text for ALL questions.
1. Jack doesn't want to write poetry at the beginning of the book. Why doesn't he want to?
1. Jack doesn't want to write poetry at the beginning of the book because he thinks that poetry is for girls and doesn't know how to write poetry. "boys don't write poetry. Girls do."(p. 1)
2. In Jack's first poem, he writes:
So much depends upon
a blue car splattered with mud
speeding down the road.
Why was the blue car important to Jack?
2. The blue car is important to Jack because it was part of his first poem and because he is using personification on it. "that blue car that had miles to go before it slept"(p. 7)
3. What caused Miss Stretchberry to be so interested in Jack's first poem? Describe what Miss Stretchberry
does to get Jack to write more poems, especially about the blue car.
3. Miss Stretchberry is interested in Jack's first poem because she wants to know why the blue is so important. She persuades Jack to write more poems by putting up his poem nicely so he is proud of it and by leaving his poems anonymous. "still don’t tell anyone who wrote them” (p. 11)
4. How does Jack respond when Miss Stretchberry asks him to write about a pet? Why do you think Miss
Stretchberry insists he write the poem despite Jack's reaction?
4. Jack does not want to write a poem about a pet because he used to have a dog and now he might be sad about it. Miss Stretchberry insists that he writes the poem anyway so he might be able to get over it. “I don’t want to write about it” (p. 13)
5. What are Jack’s feelings toward Sky? Make a list of details from the book that describes Jack’s feelings
toward his dog.
5. . Jack loves Sky. “My Sky”(p. 68)
. Jack misses Sky and might not want to talk about him. “I don’t want to write about it” (p. 13)
. Jack cared for Sky and tried to protect him. “I called him… but it was too late” (p. 70)
6. Jack changes a great deal in the novel. Think about these changes. Then create a two- column chart with
two heading: "Beginning of school year" and "End of school year". Under each heading, list examples of the
things Jack does, thinks and says in the beginning of the school year compared to the end of the year.
6. Table is on the bottom of the page.
7. Imagine Miss Stretchberry has just asked Jack to write an essay telling what he has discovered about
poetry and how it can change a person's life. What would the essay say?
7. The essay would probably say that poetry can be hard at first but gets easier over time and can be meant for anyone.
8. Sky's death affected Jack deeply. If you had just lost a much-loved pet, what things could you, or other
people, do to help you cope with the loss? Create a list of ideas.
8. · I could pray for the lost pet.
· Others could pray for the pet
· (if cremated) I could give the ashes to a person I trust
· Others can comfort me
· I could write about it or draw a picture of the pet
9. Miss Stretchberry is able to convince Jack to write poetry and share his feelings even though he doesn't
want to. Point out the qualities Miss Stretchberry has as a person, and as a teacher, that allow her to reach
Jack.
9. Miss Stretchberry is nice, patient, very helpful, and caring for her students and those qualities help her help Jack.
10. Why does Jack fall in love with Walter Dean Myers' poetry? What effect does Mr. Myer's visit to the school
have on Jack? How do you know?
10. Jack falls in love with his poetry because the poem talks about things that he did with Sky. The effect the visit to the school had on Jack was that he was very excited and got mostly over missing Sky. I know because of the way that he tells the story that he is excited and happy.
11. There are many ways a poet can paint a picture in a reader's mind with words. They include similes,
metaphors, onomatopoeia, and more. Find examples of the techniques the poets use in Love That Dog.
As a group, choose three verses from the novel that created the most vivid pictures.
11. “So much depends upon a blue car splattered with mud speeding down the road.”(p. 4) “There is not too much traffic on my street – not like in the middle of a city” (p. 32) “Mr. Walter Dean Myers is really really really coming to our school” (p. 75)
12. How might Jack's life have been different if he hadn't had Miss Stretchberry as his teacher?
12. He would not have been introduced to poetry, he would still be very sad about Sky, and he would not have met Mr. Walter Dean Myers.
13. It's the end of the school year, and Jack wants to thank Miss Stretchberry for being such a great teacher.
Compose a letter or write a poem from Jack that show his appreciation for Miss Stretchberry.
13. Dear Miss Stretchberry, Thank you thank you thank you For teaching me How to Write a Poem
Your student,
Jack
14. How did reading Love That Dog change your point of view about poetry. Explain your answer.
14. It made me like reading poetry a lot more because this book was fun and easy to read.
15. At the end of the book, the author includes poems by seven famous American poets. Which poem did you
like the best, and why?
15. Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost was my favorite of the poems because of the setting, the characters, and the way its written.
Activity
- Create your own poem where the words make the shape of the poem’s subject. Use The Apple, by S.C. Rigg and My Yellow Dog, by Jack, as models to work from.
6. Beginning of the Year
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End of the Year
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