When Aggie the dog does not mind, Ben takes her to obedience school which ends in disaster, but while practicing at home one day Ben realizes what really motivates Aggie to mind.
When Joshua, a baby whale, disobeys his mother and swims too close to shore to visit with a friendly human boy, he becomes stranded on the beach. Includes factual information about whales in a separate section in the back of the book.
When his best friend drowns while they are both swimming in a treacherous river that they had promised never to go near, Joel is devastated and terrified at having to tell both sets of parents the terrible consequences of their disobedience.
When Mr. Portly finds a kitten, he and his wife raise her like a child, but unlike a typical child, Minifred the kitten does not like to follow rules at home or at school.
