Hate That Cat (Jack #2) by Sharon Creech

Rating: ★★★★★

I believe Sharon Creech is brilliant in this sequel with Jack and how the title of this book has a double meaning. While I enjoy the company of cats, I will always be a dog lover because I love the thrill of seeing this beautiful animal get excited to kiss me and be loyal and want to play with a ball every morning when I wake up. I have never owned a cat so I cannot tell you whether I would enjoy them as pets but they are funny and cute creatures.

This book follows the same formula as the previous book in which we read journal entries of Jack through the usage of poetry with the same teacher. The dialogue is between Jack and his teacher but we only see Jacks response towards the poems they discuss in class and the events that take place outside of school. Jack has the same teacher and in many ways he has blossomed in the world of poetry.

While he has discovered the basic fundamentals of poetry now this new school year he will discover new literary devices that poets incorporate into their work. I love how the author introduced Jacks uncle because he reminds me of the teachers in my upbringing who dictated what was considered art. His uncle is a pain in the ass who dictates that what Jack has been practicing is not consider poetry.

The last time I checked if words are able to make you feel emotions and they are written in the format of a poem then it's poetry. Poetry does not have to rhyme, have philosophical themes, or the right amount of stanzas. Poetry is able to share a bond with words and memories that either brings out nostalgic memories (whether good or bad) or helps nourish your soul and creativity. Nowadays what is consider art whether it be music, films, and other entertainment can be considered garbage by tomorrow so live in the now and enjoy the creativity of your peers regardless if they are a genius or not.

Besides that drama, Jack finally gets a cat as a new pet. At first he's apprehensive about the whole experience because he's still hurt by the death of his dog. I do not blame him, sometimes animals come into our life and when they leave it creates a hole that can never be cured. Luckily his family embrace the new experience and the kitten is adorable.

A new expansion in this book is Jack's mother. I do not remember if the previous book made any indications about this which I believe it did but Jack's mom is deaf. In this book we get more insight into his personal life and it's cool how he communicates with his mother and how when he writes poetry he's more interested on how words make you feel then see because he wants his mother to experience the same effect that poetry has on him and the ending of this book is beautiful.

I'm glad that thoroughly enjoyed this book and I wish the author had written more stories with Jack but at the end of day each book deals with an animal in Jacks life and he already has a cat. If the author had written 5 books in total then how many pets he would have? Birds, turtles, fish, bunny, horse? That would be too much and unrealistic. The author has a marvelous ability to suck you into the story and I felt like Jack was a real person and I wish I could see him grow up and learn whether he is still pursuing the dream of becoming a poet or rather an author. Hopefully someday Sharon Creech can write more about Jack and his family. Until next time...

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

Rating: ★★★★★

Warning: I knew what I was getting myself into when reading this book and yet I still kept reading and last night I was emotional wrecked by this lovely book.

The emotions I experienced:








Love That Dog deals with a boy named Jack who is learning about Poetry in his classroom and refuses to participate in any assignments dealing with the subject. I can understand him because poetry is a delicate subject to get young kids to appreciate and if you are not careful enough it could ruin the wonderful experience of reading and relating to another human being with the use of words. I do not know about other states but I never divulge myself in poetry until high school because teachers didn't find it necessary to teach kids poetry if it wasn't going to be on a state exam. Once in high school it was too late and some teachers made the experience complicated and ruin the whole fun aspect in poetry.

The book is written like a diary with journal entries and the creative part is written in poetry-style format and the conversation that we witness with Jack is between the teacher and him but the only response we see is only Jack. At first poetry doesn't make sense to him but throughout the school year you see a change in him and how he opens himself to expressing his emotions about poetry and the grief of his dog. When he writes poetry it doesn't make sense at first but once you get the big picture as to what happens to his dog it makes complete sense and I was heartbroken by the end of the book.

I have a soft spot for animals regardless whether it is a dog, cat, bird, elephant, or any other species. Since I currently have a German Shepard, anything that deals with dogs is an easy target for me to open the flood gates and pour my heartache out. Animals are such innocent creatures and it pains me when they are suffering because they should live a long-life full of happiness and love. I knew what was going to happen to his dog and yet I still cried my heart out. I believe the book is utter brilliant in showing young readers that with poetry it has a wide window for creativity.

It is such a short and simple book that I highly recommend everyone to read regardless if you are a kid or a grown adult. Plus whats cool is the poems that Jack references in his entries are available in the back so if you liked any of those poems then you have a marvelous opportunity to discover poets and their creative works.