Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech is the sequel to Love That Dog. In Hate That Cat, Jack has moved on to the next grade in school, and his teacher, Ms. Stretchberry has moved up with him! The poetry that Jack writes this year focuses on cats. First, on how much he hates them, but then, when he gets a tiny black kitten for Christmas, his poems change. Jack also struggles with what poetry means. His Uncle Bill doesn't think any of the poems Jack likes or writes are true poetry. Jack, however, thinks a lot about what's in his heart. He thinks about hearing and seeing and feeling the words. This is especially meaningful to Jack's mother, who is deaf and communicates through sign language.

I was SO excited to read this book! I have loved every book I've ever read by Sharon Creech, this one included. It was a quick read because it is written in free verse format. There were parts where I laughed out loud and one part where I was close to tears. Any time I have reactions like those to a book, I know it's a good one. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes poetry, anyone who doesn't like poetry, anyone who likes animals, and anyone who doesn't like animals (especially cats!).