TEXTBOOK ASSIGNMENT #6:
WONDERSTRUCK &
LOVE THAT DOG
Adriana Hernandez
LSSL 5360 – Dr. Perry
November 13, 2015
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Love That Dog is the story of a little boy who
is adamantly against having to write poetry
for his class. The book is written as diary
entries. We go along with Jack as he slowly
discovers he may be quite the poet after all,
despite his best attempts not to be. This
book is a very quick read and there are not
many words on each page, given the free
verse subject matter. I think this book would
be appropriate for students who do not enjoy
reading. It flows very quickly and before you
know it you are engaged in the story then,
suddenly, you are done. I also think it would
be good for students who are resistant to
poetry as well. They might see some of
themselves in Jack and be able to draw some
inspiration from him.
Creech, S. (2002). Love that dog. New York: Scholastic.
Three other books by Sharon Creech are Hate That Cat, Walk Two
Moons and Ruby Holler. Creech’s writings actually seem quiet
diverse, based on these samples. Hate That Cat is really the main
exception though. It is a companion to Love That Dog and is also
written in a similar style continuing the story of Jack, the reluctant
poet as he is tortured by a neighborhood cat. Walk Two Moons (a
big favorite in my school) is quite a bit lengthier and is the story of
a young girl on a road trip with her grandparents to see her
mother. It is much more of a traditional novel and the book’s main
character is also a bit older than Jack. Lastly is Ruby Holler. This
book is another lengthier text and it is a departure from the others
as it tells the tale of twins who are taken in by an older couple and
have their lives changed as a result. If a student likes Love That
Dog or Hate That Cat, I would not necessarily think that Creech’s
other books would be a natural progression for them since the
style, length and content are all quite different from those texts,
but if they enjoy realistic fiction, I think they are solid choices.
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
I think one of the main appeals of
Wonderstruck, besides the engaging story, is
the artwork throughout. The size of the book
is very intimidating, but I think hesitant
readers might be more likely to give it a
chance when they realize such a large portion
of the book is actually made up of beautiful
illustrations. I think it helps to tell the story
nicely, in conjunction with the words, so it fills
in any gaps in understanding a child might
have. Besides the reluctant reader, I also like
this book for students who like fantasy that is
not TOO fantastical, if that makes sense. The
plot elements in Wonderstruck seem unlikely
at some points, but at others they seem like
magical destiny and I think many kids would
be taken by it.
Selznick, B. (2011). Wonderstruck: A novel in words and pictures. New York: Scholastic.
Three other books by Brian Selznick are: The Marvels, The
Invention of Hugo Cabret and The Houdini Box. In large
part, I do find these books to be similar to Wonderstruck.
Particularly Hugo Cabret and The Marvels. Each of these
books is quite large and uses pictures heavily to accent the
story. The Marvels is also similar because it has two
seemingly unrelated stories that eventually intertwine;
Hugo Cabret is similar because it mixes historical elements
with fiction. The Houdini Box is a little bit of a curve ball
however. It is aimed at a different audience (more
elementary) and is much smaller at less than 100 pages.
Similarly, though, it does feature Selznick’s beautiful
illustrations, but in a much more restrained amount! It
was his first children’s book, so it is possible he was testing
the waters a bit before he threw his big novels out into the
world.