Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech is the award-winning author’s newest book. I had been dying to get my hands on it after I happened to see an Advanced Review Copy behind the counter of my favorite children’s book store, Cover to Cover. Sharon Creech was the keynote speaker for NCTE’s ALAN breakfast. It was a double dose of goodness since Laurie Halse Anderson was there to accept an award (I need to check what the award’s title is) for her book.
Jack is still with Miss Stretchberry.
Miss Strechberry is still introducing poetry to her students.
Jack and Miss Strechberry continue to have a special relationship.
We learn more about Jack and his family through his poetry.
While my daughter was “Star Student” for her classroom, my husband and I needed to write something for her teacher to read to her classmates. My husband wrote a great creative piece, and I wrote a “Love That Dog” inspired poem.
While her presentation was not as long as I hoped, getting to hear the inspiration for Love That Dog/Hate That Cat, was worth the early morning hour I had to awake. I was also tickled by how Sharon Creech wove references to Laurie Halse Anderson’s acceptance speech (from moments before), into her own.
Assembly on Literature for Adolescent Breakfast (ALAN)-mark it on your calendar for next year in Philadelphia!
Don’t let the name “Adolescent” fool you! All teachers, not just middle and high school teachers would enjoy the breakfast and speaker!
September 13
I don’t want to
because boys
don’t write poetry.
Girls do.
Jack
Room 204—Miss Stretchberry
February 25
Today the fat black cat
up in the tree by the bus stop
dropped a nut on my head
thunk
and when I yelled at it
that fat black cat said
Murr-mee-urrr
in a
nasty
spiteful
way.
I hate that cat.
This is the story of
Jack
words
sounds
silence
teacher
and cat.
