The Beloved Dearly

Ernie is a twelve-year-old tycoon, always on the lookout for a fast buck. This time he stumbles onto a money-making bonanza: pet funerals. He hires Dusty to decorate the burial boxes and Tony to dig the holes, but his prize find is Swimming Pool, a tomboy who delivers a crying jag not to be missed. Business goes through the roof -- until Ernie loses Swimming Pool over a raise and the whole venture unravels. Here is a rollicking, fun-spirited novel about friendship, loss, business -- and how we learn to express our feelings.

As a stage play, The Beloved Dearly was toured by the Lincoln Center Institute in a production directed by Elizabeth Swados. The play has also been produced at TADA!, where it was awarded the First Look Prize; South Coast Repertory; Florida Stage; and Riverside Children''s Theatre; and it has been published by Dramatic Publishing.

Doug Cooney is an accomplished playwright and screenwriter who has written numerous works for youth theater, including The Legend of Alex (Mark Taper Forum), Beeswax (Raymond F. Kravis Center for Performing Arts), Can Do! (Florida Stage, Michigan Public Theatre), and The Wind That Blew (International Very Special Arts Festival, Royal Museum of Brussels), a production that was later invited to the White House. His work has been honored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the MacArthur Foundation, the Kennedy Center, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and the State of Florida. He recently adapted Dr. Seuss''s 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T as an animated feature for Sony Pictures. Doug Cooney lives in Los Angeles, California.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ernie, a twelve-year-old entrepreneur, has money on his mind. Although Ernie is used to going it on his own, his most lucrative moneymaking scheme -- a pet funeral business -- involves employees. This proves to cause a few disagreements as Ernie learns that money isn''t everything.

THEMES

Pets; Death; Funerals; Moneymaking scams; Friendship

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

? Why were the neighborhood kids leery of Cat Lady? Was Ernie brave in going to see her? What did Cat Lady think about Ernie? Did Cat Lady help Ernie? If so, how?

? How did Swimming Pool feel about her brother, Rick? Describe their relationship.

? What would you have done if you were Swimming Pool and Ernie did not give you the raise he promised? Do you think that Swimming Pool deserved a raise? Did Ernie make a good business decision? Why or why not?

? Dusty was a neutral friend of Ernie and Swimming Pool. Is there anything that he could have done differently to help the relationship between the two? Do you think that Ernie treated Dusty fairly for his share of work in the business? Why or why not?

? Was Ernie a good businessman or did he take advantage of people? Explain.

ACTIVITIES

? Design your own theme for a pet funeral. Plan the entire funeral including the schedule, program, and any props to enhance your theme.

? Write an obituary for a pet.

? Write an advertisement for one of the jobs in the story.

? Choose a character and write a persuasive letter asking your boss for a raise.

? Research salaries of interesting jobs.

? Create a 3-D tombstone for one of the pet funerals. Do research to find out what information is included on a tombstone.

This reading group guide is for classroom, library, and reading group use. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these purposes.

Prepared by Theresa Love

© William Allen White Children''s Book Award

Please visit http://www.emporia.edu/libsv/wawbookaward/ for more information about the awards and to see curriculum guides for other master list titles.