The Beloved Dearly

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Summary: Cooney Blockbuster
Review: Doug Cooney bursts into the world of children's literature with his delightful story of love and loss. The pet funeral business is booming and characters like Swimming Pool, Ernie, and the dead bunny bring humor and warmth to his tale. Five thumbs up!

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Summary: Entrepreneurial spirit alive & well in Beloved Dearly
Review: How to describe this book? If you're under 13, think ABC Saturday Morning's "Recess" morphed with Nickelodeon humor (more sharper edged). If you're over 35, think "The Little Rascals" for a new millenium. I'm not doing it justice, but that's the best way to explain the kids in "Beloved Dearly." These are distinct and memorable kids, and out of scraps, odds and ends, and sheer will, they transform an abandoned lot (and their own lives) into a venture (and adventure) with a real (albeit moneymaking) purpose - to help the grieving children/pet-owners achieve closure with a funeral, including a viewing, eulogy, mourners, and custom-made coffins.

Ernie's the con man whose mind never stops working. Swimming Pool is tough but heartfelt as the girl who cries over the pet funerals Ernie stages. Dusty is the artist who pours his soul and his creative energy into the functional artwork (not mere coffins) that celebrate the lives of the dearly departed pets. And a whole rich cast of wacky characters (mostly kids but a couple of adults too) make childhood a whole lot cooler than you remember (if you're a grownup) or may be currently experiencing (if you're not).

Mind you, this was a stage play that Doug Cooney was asked to turn into a book, and so the dialogue is amazing, fluid, fun to read and fun to say aloud (and hear read aloud, for that matter - an audiobook version is on its way as of this writing, with a full cast of kids clearly having fun in their roles).

There's nothing vanilla in this sixteen scoop/seven different toppings/whipped cream with a cherry on top/sprinkles *and* nuts sundae of a book. It's inventive, unpredictable, engaging, and fun ...and touches upon several deeper themes without ever slowing down the pace or the language. The relationships between Ernie and his dad, and Swimming Pool and her brother, will tug at you long after the story ends, when you're no longer diverted by the snappy and clever dialogue and the subplots have time to sink in.

Just before she read this, my 10 year old daughter woke up one morning to find that her beloved crayfish (brought home from a 5th grade science "observation" project and tenderly cared for for weeks) had died in the night. She was utterly torn apart, just as much as if it had been a small furry mammal. Oddly enough, reading this book (even though it was a humorous look at pet funerals) helped her because it honored a whole host of "pets", not just the ones that look cute as babies.

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Summary: Move aside,Harry Potter!
Review: My sons, who are 9 and 10 years old, really loved this book.They laughed out loud through many of the chapters.They are not the most enthusiastic readers in town, so it was great to see them so engaged. It was also fun to hear them discussing what they had read and their take on childrens literature. They are fairly burned out on Harry Potter,and the Lemony Snicket books. The Beloved Dearly is by far their favorite book of all time, or so they say. Now we just have to wait for Mr. Cooneys next book to come out.Could you ask him to try to have it ready in time for our long flight to Orlando this June?

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Summary: "Beloved Dearly" is the best book I have read in years!
Review: This book addresses children's grief issues in a personal and intimate tone. Adults and children of all ages can learn from this insightful expression of love and loss. Cooney's use of dramatic language brings color and passion to every chapter. The book is inspiring and a joy to read. I highly recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: "Beloved Dearly" is the best book I have read in years!
Review: This book addresses children's grief issues in a personal and intimate tone. Adults and children of all ages can learn from this insightful expression of love and loss. Cooney's use of dramatic language brings color and passion to every chapter. The book is inspiring and a joy to read. I highly recommend it!

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Summary: Disgusting
Review: This book makes light of a serious subject without any true aim or benefit. Shame on all of you for calling this thing good.

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Summary: Fun Book Filled With Important Life-Lessons
Review: Twelve-year-old Ernie Castellano has been a tycoon for years. His thoughts are always about how he can make a fast buck. Hence, he's always getting into trouble. This time, however, Ernie has started up a new business - against his father's wishes. One that will make him more money than he ever dreamed of. Pet funerals. After all, dying pets are a hot commodity for the 8-12-year-old gap. Ernie quickly hires a kid named Dusty to decorate burial boxes - which, might I add, are always perfect for the occasion - a boy named Tony to dig the holes, and the best of all, Swimming Pool, a tomboy who can shed tears on cue, and cry for hours and hours. Business goes through the roof, and suddenly Ernie is hosting up to five pet funerals a day. But when Swimming Pool quits over a pay raise, the business quickly unravels. As if that weren't bad enough, Ernie experiences something that can break the heart of any young kid, and realizes that maybe it wasn't too fair to cash in on the broken hearts of others.

As a fan of the Disney Channel TV Show, RECESS, I found that Doug Cooney's THE BELOVED DEARLY, reminded me greatly of some of my favorite characters, who appear daily on that show. Swimming Pool is a unique tomboy, whose tough exterior is really just a cover, as she is quite sensitive on the inside; Dusty is an artistic designer, who shines as the obedient, yet, at times, strange one of the group; Tony is the digger, determined to dig the best holes for the world to see; and Ernie is the schemer. The one who loves money, but realizes that it isn't right to take the hard-earned money from grieving kids in the end. Filled with an array of quirky characters, as well as some important life lessons, THE BELOVED DEARLY is a fabulous book for all readers.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Rating:
Summary: The boy who got less gready wile helping others
Review: When I began reading the story, I kept in mind the "delightful Norman Rockwell style image" of Ernie, Swimming Pool, and Dusty from the book jacket. This is actually why I picked up the book. Consequently, that image kept the story line alive for me. I questioned whether or not I would enjoy reading about children losing their pets; however, as I continued reading the story I found in spite of the deaths, the book is not excessively sad. It is more about the characters becoming friends and learning to care for others, which is why I could not put the book down or stop reading it.
Ernie is in a "confounding dilemma...living a double life."
He is a businessman during the day and a kid at home. How can a twelve-year-old boy run a successful burial business for pets? Ernie does more than run the business; he engages a casket maker, a hole digger, and a professional mourner (Cat-Lady's suggestion). This is not his first business and if his Dad discovers he has started another business, he will be "grounded...no, ifs, and, or buts."
All of the children in Ernie's neighborhood seem to have some kind of pet; one by one a pet dies so the burial preparations begin. Dusty makes the ceremonies grow into productions with his elaborate box making and staging. Swimming Pool becomes an expert at throwing her arm around the grieving pet owners while Ernie delivers the eulogy.
When you read about Ernie and his friends, I believe you will relate to at least one character in the book. The author implies early in the story that the ending will most likely be a bittersweet one, which makes it more believable and realistic.