Rating: Recommended
Joanna Cotler, 2008, $16.89
ISBN: 978-0061430930
ISBN: 978-0061430930
Age/Grade Level: ages 9 and up
Grief's sting is still palpable in Sharon Creech's Hate That Cat, an appropriate sequel to Love That Dog. The main character, Jack, continues his poetic bildungsroman with room 204's Miss Stretchberry. A critical uncle, a hearing-impaired mother, a nasty cat, and a summons to love another animal provide grist for his self-expressive poetry. What is to "love, love, love" about this gem of a book is its real and raw look at death and the pain that follows loss. Poetry provides a nice vehicle for the call to love again. The question is not whether to read this book, but how much time to allow between reading the two Creech companion books.
Reviewer: Rebecca Porter, Orange County Public Library/Laguna Beach branch
