Author Sharon Creech's Love That Dog was first published in 2001 by HarperCollins. Written in free verse in the form of daily diary entries, Creech's novel tells the story of a young boy named Jack. At the start of Love That Dog, Jack is portrayed as a lost boy who doesn't have a voice and doesn't know who he is. But when Jack starts English class (and the poetry unit in particular) with his teacher, things change. Initially, Jack balks at his teacher's assignment to read and write poetry. But he quickly discovers that he has a knack for it and uses it as a way to discover who he truly is and his voice. And over time, as Jack grows more confident with his poetry, his confidence in himself grows stronger too.
When it was published, Love That Dog received incredibly positive reviews. Many critics praised Creech's writing and cited the novel's complex and relevant themes as high points of the work. Many educators across the world are using Love That Dog to teach their students more about empathy and navigating difficult circumstances in their lives. In their review of Love That Dog, Common Sense Media called Creech's novel "moving." Kirkus Reviews felt similarly. In their review of the novel, which they cited as one of the best of the year, they wrote that "This really special triumph is bound to be widely discussed by teachers and writers, and widely esteemed by Creech’s devoted readers."
