SLJ 2001 Best Books, NYTimes Notable Books. I choked up at the end, but then dogs dying always gets me. I enjoyed how the beginning started out with an avowal of I hate poetry and turns out to be a big fan of poetry and quite a poet himself. How does he do that? By the tenacity of a teacher... encouraging and exposing a child to a subject until the point where understanding and integration kick in - and encouraging the student to go beyond the teacher