The Beloved Dearly

Ernie Castellano, fast-talking wheeler-dealer kid, has come up with his greatest idea yet: pet funerals! With his pals Dusty (an artist in coffins) and Swimming Pool (one of the world's great criers, an asset to any funeral she attends) Ernie creates a thriving business burying bunnies and interring iguanas. But when Ernie's ego gets out of control, he digs a hole for himself that may be too deep to climb out of. High- spirited, hilarious, and unexpectedly moving, THE BELOVED DEARLY is a sparkling debut for a major new voice in books for young readers. "Witty, clever, yet touching . . . certain kid appeal." -- School Library Journal