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 can cry on cue.

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.

Author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi was born in Los Angeles, California in 1969. He received a degree in graphic design from the Florida School of the Arts and the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in 1992. He spent six years working as a freelancer for TSR, the publisher of Dungeons and Dragons. His first picture book, Jimmy Zangwow's Out-of-this-World Moon Pie Adventure was published in 2000. He won the University of Chicago's Zena Sutherland Book Award for Ted and a Caldecott Honor in 2003 for The Spider and the Fly. He has written and illustrated numerous books including G is for One Gzonk! and Kenny and the Dragon. He met author Holly Black during a magazine interview on his work for Dungeons and Dragons. Together, they created two series: The Spiderwick Chronicles and Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles. In 2008, a live action adaptation of The Spiderwick Chronicles was made by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies.

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.