Written and Illustrated by: Mark Teague
Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction
Grades: 3-5
Awards: None
This book follows a dog, Ike LaRue, that is put into a dog obedience school after eating his owner's chicken pie. From Ike's perspective, he feels as if he is put into jail and sends his owner, Gretrude LaRue, typewritten and "paw" written letters. Ike over exaggerates in his letters throughout the book. For example, Ike writes how his teacher or warden commands orders to him, how he is "severely punished," and is taken away to a solitary confinement room, when all of it was fabricated. In reality, his teacher was giving dog treats to those who followed her commands and Ike used different books like "Gruesome Prison Tales" to use for his letters to his owner. Eventually, Ike escapes the dog obedience school and travels the world, while writing to Gretrude and how he quickly misses her. Ike comes back to town just in the nick of time to rescue his owner from an oncoming truck that was going to hit her. Gretrude celebrates Ike for rescuing her and that he is back home, to enjoy her chicken pie.
I enjoyed reading this book and would love to have this in my classroom. It is funny and something that third to fifth graders would enjoy. After reading this to my class, I would have my students write their own letters to Ike and ask him about his adventures in the dog obedience school and when he went traveling. This would help the students on how to write letters to their friends and family.
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