Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters From Obedience School (LaRue Books)

Summary: A dog named Ike gets sent to obedience school. While at obedience school he writes to his owner about how horrible it is while through the illustrations you can tell that Ike is exaggerating. At the end, he escapes obedience school and returns home just in time to save his owner.
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Reaction: This book was really cute and has a lot of lessons in it. I really liked it because you can make it interactive.
Classroom Extension: This book can be used to teach the format of a letter. It can also be used to explain the literary term of exaggeration.

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Ike LaRue is a misunderstood dog, incredibly loyal and brave he is being sent off to obedience school because he accidentally ripped Mrs. LaRue favorite coat. Read what happens to him at Brotweiler Academy.

This book is about a dog named Ike who is sent to obedience school by his owner, Mrs. LaRue. Ike sens her letters trying to explain that he isn't a bad dog. He decides to escape and wander for a while. He finally comes back just in time to save his owner.
I didn't like this book. If you have to take

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a dog to obedience school you should go with them. That's what we did with our dog. Plus there isn't really any real reason or purpose or lesson in this book.
After reading this book to a classroom I might have the children write letters to their parents talking about what they think about school.

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A fun book in which a wire fox terrier, Ike La Rue, is sent to obedience school after ruining Mrs. La Rue's coat. Ike writes letters home detailing the horrible conditions at the school. Color pictures juxtapose reality with Ike's melodramatic descriptions. Fun, fun, fun.

This book is about a dog name Ike who goes to obedience school. He gets out and wonders around. He writes stories to is owner telling her how good of a dog he is. He soons run for mayor.

I really loved this book. I thought it was really funny and i think the students would love it

I would read the

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book and have the kids write letters to their parents everyday for three days about their days at school.

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Mrs. LaRue is at her wit's end with her dog Ike and enrolls him in obedient school. Ike sends Mrs. LaRue funny typewritten and paw-written letters of how horrible the school is and he wants to return home. Ike escapes, but returns home in the end.

I think the story is very cute because it shows Ike

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in a posh, comfortable obedient school and all the while, his letters to Mrs. LaRue paint the place to be a horrible prison where he is mistreated. The illustrations of color and black and white show the two different stories in contrast. Another fun part is how the story is in letters and newspaper articles.

Some extension ideas would be to read this aloud when doing a unit on writing letters. After reading the story, the class can write their own letter or newspaper article to post on a board together.

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This was a cute story. I enjoyed the sly sense of humor although my daughter who is almost seven did not really get the sense of humor at all and didn't even want to finish this story. I also enjoyed the irony. I would use this book in second or third grade to illustrate multiple points of view.

A book that has a kind of inside joke for readers. The text tells one story while the pictures tell another. Very fun and funny.

This could be used to teach about lying and perhaps about writing and illustrating books.

Ike, the misunderstood dog, has managed to get himself into more trouble than he can handle. When Mrs. LaRue finally gets enough of his bad doggy behavior, she ships him off to obedience school. Ike writes home every day trying to make her realize how important it is for him to come home. Finally,

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he escapes the school and arrives just in time to save Mrs. LaRue from being hit by a truck. This is a wonderful story that brings laughter from children and adults alike. The illustrations show just what Ike thinks about his time at the obedience school and how wants to be home.

I thought this book was absolutely adorable. Ike reminds me of my own dogs, constantly in trouble but it's just a big misunderstanding. All of the kids I have read this book with have liked it as well.

I think it would be a good book to use with letter writing skills. It would make a writing lesson more enjoyable for students who aren't very excited about writing. I think it would be fun to put the kids in groups and let them work together to write letters to Ike from Mrs. LaRue.

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Dear Mrs. LaRue is a bout about a dog who misbehaves and has to be punished. He gets sent out to dog prison and he then starts writing letters to his owner telling her how he is doing. He also tells her how horrible it is to be in there and for her to please get him out. He writes letters to her

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all the time and in one letter states that he is planning on running away. Then he is found and returned to his owner.

I can relate to this book because I used to write letters to my mom as a little girl to apologize to her for being bad and getting into trouble. Just like the dog in the story, I begged my mom to get me out of trouble and to "unground" me. I even once threaten my mom to call child security on her because she would not unground me.

I would use this book in a classroom to teach students about obeying and listening and how staying out of trouble is very important. I would maybe use it in a lesson, also, about writing, to show students how letters could be written.

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Ike is an imprisoned, misunderstood, well-behaved dog that is being wrongly treated - or, at least that's how he feels. His letters tell Mrs. Larue of the urgency of his situation. But, the reality of the situation can be clearly seen in the colorful, detailed illustrations.

This hilarious book is fun for all ages. Make sure the illustrations are clearly visible, as they show so much of the dissonance between the dog's thinking and reality. Great for persuasive writing, voice and irony.

The illustrations in this book are hysterical. Ike is sent to obedience school by his owner Mrs. La Rue. His letters trying to persuade Mrs. LaRue to come and rescue him from a supposedly horrible place are so imaginative and funny. I laughed throughout the entire book.

Teague, M. (2002). Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School. New York: Scholastic Press.

0439206634

Appetizer: Ike LaRue, a dog, has been sentenced to go to obedience school for two months after proving to be a bit of a trouble maker at home. Ike shares his worst daydreams about what is

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happening at the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy to Mrs. LaRue through the letters he writes home. Growing frustrated with his situation and Mrs. LaRue's refusal to help, Ike decides to attempt a daring escape.

To balance and contrast Ike's letters, excerpts from newspapers are also included reporting on why Ike was imprisoned. This also draws out more parallels to positioning Ike as a criminal.

Ike's imaginings of being taken to a scary school building, dragged off by prison guards, etc. are all shown in black and white and include humorous touches to prevent the imagery from becoming too upsetting or scary. Also, preventing the imagined events from being upsetting is the fact that the readers are shown--in bright colors--what Ike's real school experiences are like (let's just say pats on the head and doggie treats are not denied). Readers will like how imaginative Ike is.

It's also worth noting that there are some difficult vocabulary words throughout the text--they're not only difficult for first and second graders, but for fourth and fifth graders as well. Terms like "melodramatic" and "hypochondriac" are included, which could become brief teaching moments. A teacher, on the second or third time sharing the book with students, could also explain the historical significance of "I like Ike."

Dinner Conversation:

"Dear Mrs. LaRue,

How could you do this to me? This is a PRISON, not a school! You should see the other dogs. They are BAD DOGS, Mrs. LaRue! I do not fit in."

"Day after day I'm forced to perform the most meaningless tasks. Today it was "sit" and "roll over," all day long."

"Finally, I had to be taken to the vet. Dr. Wilfrey claims that he can't find anything wrong with me, but I am certain I have an awful disease. I must come home at once.
Honestly yours,
Ike"

"By the time you read this I will be gone. I have decided to attempt a daring escape. I'm sorry it has come to this, since I am really a very good dog, but frankly you left me no choice."

"So I have decided to return home. You may try to lock me up again, but that is a risk I must take. And frankly, even more than myself, I worry about you. You may not know it, Mrs. LaRue, but you need a dog!"

To Go with the Meal:

This picturebook could also be used in a lesson on letter (or email!) writing. A teacher could go into how to open and close a letter. Plus, since there's a huge difference between Ike's black and white imaginings of what the obedience school is like and the sunny reality, a teacher could discuss the books in terms of it having an unreliable narrator. With younger students this will almost certainly turn to a discussion of trust and how wrong lying is.

This would also be a great read for students nervous to go off to school or summer camp for the first time. And the idea of using Dear Mrs. LaRue for that purpose has special meaning for me. My first letters home to my parents from a girl scouts summer camp when I was 7 said something to the effect of "I hate it here. Come and get me now!!!!!!!" Clearly, I found Ike's experiences and voice to be relatable.

I also like this picturebook because the story begins with a newspaper article about Ike's sentencing. From the wording and incidents described, the reader may conclude that Ike is a bad dog. But as the letters are being written, the reader is shown Ike's reasonings for his past and current actions.

In terms of this book being about the experience of going to school, it shows the real teachers as supportive and encouraging even during assignments that Ike doesn't see the purpose of completing. But a student will understand why it's good for a dog to be able to sit. So, by extension, this can be a lesson on why it's still important for kids to do their lessons, even when they don't always immediately see the point.

Tasty Rating: !!!!

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Mrs. LaRue sends his dog Ike to an obedience school. Ike hates it there and sends letters to Mr. LaRue with the hope of Mrs. LaRue coming and taking him to back home. Mrs. LaRue does not reply to his letters and Ike runs away from the obedience school. After wondering alone, he decides to come back

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home. His timing could not be better. He saves Mrs. LaRue’s life, becomes a hero, and goes back home with Mrs. LaRue.

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SUMMARY: Ike writes letters to his owner telling her the tragedy he is living in a day to say basis at obedience school. Ike finally gets what he thinks he deserves after saving his beloved owner, and moving back home!
PERSONAL REACTIOB: As a dog lover I quite enjoyed this book. I loved being inside

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the mind of Ike te dog, and laughed throughout his entire journey.
CLASSROOM EXTENSION: Incorporating this into a lesson over writing letters or a newspaper article would be really fun. Also, I would like to use this as a writing prompt and have the students journal about what the classroom pet might be thinking while he/she watches us do our daily activities.

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A funny story that shows letter writing. It is also good to teach character analysis.

Summary: A dog acted bad and was sent to obedience school. He kept wrinting his master letters complaining about it.

Personal reaction: I really liked this book. It was really cute and funny!

Classroom extensions: I think this book would really come in handy while your teaching your students about

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writing letters.

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This is a cute story about a dog getting sent to obedience school and writing home to his mom/owner. He keeps writing about how terrible it is, but as you can see by the illustrations it is actually very nice so really he is just homesick. I like this book a lot because it is silly and I like dogs

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a lot. It is a series and I will probably share with you one or two more.

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A book about a dog that is sent to training school and writes his owner throughout his stay in an attempt to convince her to let him come home. Eventually he escapes and comes home just in time to rescue her. The story is told with newspaper articles and letters. This is a great book for teaching

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the basic part of a friendly letter, persuasive writing or a news article/report.

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I really loved reading the story "Dear Mrs. LaRue" because of many reasons, but two aspects especially stuck out. Through the creative use of first person point of view and successful character development of Ike the dog, I enjoyed this story whose big idea was that you have to deal with the

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consequences of your actions. First off, the story was told through letters home from Ike to his owner while at obedience school, which made this book stand apart from many other children's books. Although we only saw his point of view in his letters, Ike gave a detailed account of his adventure, which made the story very fun to read, such as when he describes life right after his prison break to his owner as him "continuing to suffer horribly as I roam this barren wasteland." Second, the author's development of the main character Ike was thorough so his personality and emotions strongly came through to the reader. This is shown well as Ike describes his shocked, stubborn, and dramatic reaction to the guards at school telling him to sit still and be a good dog. I highly recommend this exciting account of Ike's time at obedience school because it was such a fun read!

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Dear Mrs. LaRue is an extremely funny story about Ike a dog who's been sent off to obedience school. Ike has done some extremely mischievous things, and it seems that everyone else is to blame except him. Ike, loves to stretch the truth. While in obedience school, he'll do anything for his owner to

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reconsider and let him come home. So Ike writes her and tells her of how awful it is there and that he's planning to escape. As you read this book pay close attention to the illustrations. The illustrations shows the truth versus Ike's reality. Enjoy reading this story!

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I really liked this story for several reasons. I truly loved the illustrations in the book. My favorite part of the illustrations is that they contrast Ike’s point of view of what is happening and what is actually happening. For example, when he is feeling ill and has to be taken to the vet his

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point of view is that is dark and prison like when in actuality he is laying in a comfy bed in a room with a large window. The contrasts shown in the illustrations guide the reader to see the different points of view within the story. Another aspect of the story I enjoyed was the writing style. The author wrote the story as Ike, the dog, and writing letters to his owner, Mrs. LaRue, while he is in obedience school. These letters also highlight the differences in point of view throughout the story. For instance, Mrs. LaRue is extremely upset when Ike ate her chicken pie but in Ike’s letter to her he questions why she simply didn’t have a discussion with him about it. He does not agree that him eating the chicken pie is a big deal whereas Mrs. LaRue sees it as an issue. Finally, I like the plot of the story. One of the reasons Mrs. LaRue sends Ike to obedience school is because he tore her favorite camel’s hair coat. However after escaping from obedience school Ike returns to his home to save Mrs. LaRue from being hit by a car and the only thing that is harmed is her new camel’s hair coat. I like that the story comes full circle and that Mrs. LaRue sees that there are things more important than her coat. The big idea/message of this story is to appreciate those around you and forgive them for their mistakes.

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This is a book about a dog that was sent to obedience school and was writing letters to his owner trying to persuade her to let him come back. This is a very funny book based on the point of view. This story is being told by a dog and I have always wondered about what my dog would say if he could

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talk and this story gives us a little look into what the dog might say. Based on the title it drew me in and made me want to read it. This was a very well put together book. Throughout the book there were many humorous characteristics. The book showed the different view points, one is what is actually happening and what Ike says is happening. For example, when he was talking about how sick he was in the hospital he made it seem as if he felt horrible and being taken out of the obedience school on a stretcher but we see him sitting in a hospital bed fine. This shows that he was trying to play on the emotions of his owner. I think that this books was well put together for a child with the different components. Another important feature of the book that was very engaging were the pictures. The pictures were very detailed and engaging. The illustrator put a lot of time and effort into them. Every detailed that was talked about in the text was shown in the picture. This book although humorous and fiction, it can be used in a classroom to create a lesson. If students are drawn to a book they will be able to understand it more and be able to apply it to a comprehension lesson. I also liked how at the end of the book Ike rescued his owner which showed that he has some positive characteristics to him as well.

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