28 May 2014

La Rue to the booksale. Postcards from the vacation. by Jo (age 8+)

Earlier this year, we decided to brave traffic to attend the Big Bad Wolf Box Sale. Oh it was exciting scouring through thousands of books looking for ones we may like. Among the books we picked up was LaRue Across America: Postcards From the Vacation (LaRue Books) by Mark Teague.

Jo was tickled by the story, and loved its so much, she became inspired to write her own story, but based on the same character, La Rue the dog. However, artistic person she is, she only works when inspired, and didn't complete the story when "steam" ran out. Here's her story three quarters done. No mum's input at all, thus grammar/spelling mistakes all intact.
As pics are not so clear, I've retyped what she's written, exactly as it is, mistakes and all.
  Warning...grammar nazis, and English teachers might squirm at her spelling and grammar errors.
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COVER

(notice her best seller stamp, given  to herself!)
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Page 1


"Cooking diaster has miss millians?
Larue brings cat to booksale  ______________________________
This week miss millians had more worst splats everywhere! Ovens burned, smoke filled the air, cakes were black, dough hung from the ceiling, the floor was a sweet pool of milk. She fainted and landed on her favourite soft fresh homade italian bread. her body envoloped in bread crumbs, milk honey, oats, and dough. fireman extinguish the fire. her neighbour offers to help her two stranded cats, miss millias accepts and thanks her neibour but the neibours dog with the cats won't get along...so well?? Will they??

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Page 2 
(Notice how dog is nice, but really feels like flinging the cat!)

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Page 3

Dear Mrs. Millians                 July 10
We have boarded a ferry leaving from Penang. The cats made me take care of them! I complained to miss martha about them so she went to talk to them. she came back telling me that the cats claimed they were seasick! I served them orange juice    they shouted "I said cherry not orange!!" they made me so frustrated.      _________________________________
your frustrated neighbour
Ike
p.s did you feed them breakfast? they keep asking for food!

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Page 4


Dear Miss Millians                    July 11
Your cats are real annoying. we went to the reef to scubardive, when we were on the boat your cat called me Ikebanana and began to fill my ears with loud english poetry.
now I know why you let us take care of the cats. I didn't know they eat fish so rudely.
Your sincere neighbour   [picture]<--dead fish
Ike
p.s. if you ack quickly no books will be harmed.

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 Page 5

Dear miss millians    we are now in ipoh    we went to a fancy chickenrice shop. The cats said they would not eat chicken rice so they brought in their cat food, when my chicken rice came the cats at once said give me some! I tried to reason with them but they insisted and begged and finally complained to miss martha. I was forced to give them each some. They asking for more and more and I haven't got one single bite yet until there was one tiny chicken and a little bit of rice, they shouted at once Mine!
What a nuisanse.
honestly Ike.
p.s. hurry the booksale is coming closer!

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Page 6
Dear Miss millans
We are on the way to the booksale
(to bad you did not pick them up on time) I can't wait a few more days to the booksale! (of course without the cats no offence)
the plain scenenery is making my mood sour, so I played the guitar. one of the cats reached out to grab it and his paw got scratched by a string      next thing I new I was outside apologising. when we started to drive again and the city came into view, people bustled everywhere.
Truly your neighbour
Ike    [picture]<-swallows feather
p.s. Sure your not coming? p.p.s or send them in mail?

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Page 7

Dear miss millans
We are getting closer to the booksale. I started of my day with a big breakfast    
while I was crunching on a bone, miss marthe ask me  to do something hard      when I could not do it she scolded me
she hurt my feelings badly she called me a dumb, lazy dog!
(bad way to start the day) I did not know miss martha changes so much when the cats are around. I tried to turn the signoard to make her go back to Penang and drop the two rascals off but she caught me red pawed!
hurt Ike
p.s or I'll mail myself at the next post office.

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Page 8

dear miss millians
Your cats have been cutting holes in my carseat, and tearing holes too! So I quickly grabbed a sack of Molly's mud and poured it onto the middle carseat, that did the job but I was cleaning one minute after that. we were getting closer, the signboard said 30 more km! You should train your cats!
hopeless
Ike      [picture]----stamps
p.s do you have enough money to pay for tears?

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Page 9

dear miss millians
your cats have been very noisy             they are always yelling
I've tried complaining to miss martha about them instead she said my whistleling was noisy! our chairs kept on turning around in the car because of the lever.
truly yours
Ike
p.s you should teach your cats to sing instead of fight











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~Update:

Jo worked on this further and completed the story. She typed the whole book (I helped her sometimes), she redid some of the pictures, and then we took it for binding, and she sold about 30 books at a little book sale/exchange fair.






.To be continued----------------------
@poundthegarlic.blogspot.com 2014

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5 comments :

Lux AeternaLucille said...


It's good! It makes me want to read on. I'm really curious to know what happens at the book sale! The drawings are brilliant esp. the back of the car. Dog's side and Cat's side! She's only 8? Good job, Martha.

Emma K said...


Enjoyed your story, Jo, and please do continue with it. Looking forward to the ending. Like the drawings too!

RuennShy N. said...


Wow......so what happened at the book sale?
She reminds me of my own nephew, who started drawing before he started speaking (he was really late in picking up words)... so my nephew draws a lot, but without words. By looking at his drawings you can tell story...

Azliza Ija said...


Her writing is so "ber-sahaja" ...ehem ehem "Ms Martha"....love love the details of her drawings especially the "pretend look nice dog" pic ha ha What happen next?????.....pls continue aunty ija looking forward to read on. :)
Spontaneous = ber sahaja

Divoo said...

My My My! What a delightful story, complete with excellent pictures. I enjoyed the read and feel like reading it again! Love to the girls!

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