Cover of Love That Dog

Love That Dog

by Sharon Creech · Grades 4–8 · Poetry

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech is on US reading lists at grades 4–8. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 3 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 9–13 · Grades 4–8 · 92 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9789655114126). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 3 states

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Vermont Golden Dome Book AwardMaine Student Book AwardLand of Enchantment Book Award

This page shows where Love That Dog is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range
Grades 4–8
Age range
Ages 9–13
Pages
92
Reading time
about 1h 40m (est.)
First published
2001
Genre
Poetry
ISBN-13
9789655114126

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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About this book

Book facts and sources (3)
On award reading lists
Catalog record
First published 2001 · 92 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Love That Dog→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This poetry title is typically read at grades 4–8. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on poetry, fiction and poetry; cited on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists.

Themes

poetry, fiction · poetry · authorship · new york times reviewed

Where this book is recommended

Love That Dog by the numbers: pages, reading time and where it is listed, on Book Statistics.

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Common questions

What grade level is Love That Dog?
Love That Dog is listed for grades 4–8. It appears on 3 state book-award lists across 3 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Love That Dog?
It takes about 1h 40m to read Love That Dog (92 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 100 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Love That Dog?
Love That Dog appears on reading lists for Land of Enchantment Book Award, Maine Student Book Award, Vermont Golden Dome Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Love That Dog banned in schools?
Love That Dog does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally. See the banned books list by state.
What themes does Love That Dog explore?
Central themes in Love That Dog include poetry, fiction, poetry, authorship, new york times reviewed.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 4–8 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 3 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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