Textbook Assignment #6: Wonderstruck & Love That Dog

1. Adriana Hernandez LSSL 5360 – Dr. Perry November 13, 2015 Textbook Assignment #6: Wonderstruck & Love That Dog

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Three other books by Brian Selznick are: The Marvels, The Invention of Hugo Cabretand 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.