HATE THAT CAT a novel

HATE THAT CAT a novel
Author: Sharon Creech

 

Creech, Sharon. Hate that cat . New York: Joanna Cotler Books, 2008.

ISBN:9780061430923

Summary:
“Hate that Cat” is a continuation of “Love that Dog” both penned by the creative author Sharon Creech.. In this verse novel we find Jack in a new room with the same teacher Miss Stretchberry. Although, Jack is a year older he is happy to have a teacher that understands how his mind works.  For any reader discovering this book as a stand alone is an enjoyable find. Sharon Creech has rhythmic vocabulary while putting a special flare on Jack’s reality.  Jack in through Ms. Creech’s writing refers to metaphors, onomatopoeia and alliteration with ease. By the end of the novel you understand the love for a mother, the enjoyment of school and a disdain for a cat..

ONOMATOPOEIA
Made my ears frizzle
 Today.
All the buzz, buzz, buzz
and
pop! pop! pop!
and
drip and tinkle and trickle---
the sounds are still buzzing and popping
in my head (p19)

Excerpt/Poem Introduction

You can just hear and see the sounds in this excerpt of the novel. What a great way to introduce how poetry can literally be music to the ears. POP! DRIP! BUZZZZZZZZZZZ! This excerpt would be a great start for a class to think about the importance of sound words make. After reading the excerpt the librarian/ teacher can discuss what onomatopoeia is and then start a list of words that have the characteristics of onomatopoeia. After the discussion she can challenge the class to create their own poetry using the words listed or new ones not shared. Since the books talks about metaphors and alliteration could be used as a start to all of those topics.