The Beloved Dearly #1

The Beloved Dearly

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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.

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 1,2001

This edition

Format
192 pages, Paperback
Published
August 1, 2003 by Simon \u0026 Schuster Books for Young Readers
ISBN
9780689863547
ASIN
0689863543
Language
English

About the author

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Community Reviews

Rating(4 / 5.0, 75 votes)
5 stars
24(32%)
4 stars
25(33%)
3 stars
26(35%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
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75 reviews All reviews
April 17,2025
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Just as good the second time. Love the evolution of friendship and the reconsideration of priorities our hero goes through in his quest for the mighty dollar. Swimming Pool is the best.
April 17,2025
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A funny read for kids about an enterprising young man who seeks to make a fortune on pet funerals.
April 17,2025
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A quirky little book about a boy about my age trying to make money! His funny little money making ideas make for entertaining reading. for example my favourite idea of his was the fast buck hamburger where he bought 30 cheap hamburgers and sold them at lunch for $3 each! hmmm maybe I should try that!
April 17,2025
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Listened to the full cast audio book on a long car ride with the kids. The characters were fairly endearing.
April 17,2025
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It took me a long time to finish this book. I loved how the kids talked and acted like grown-ups.
Such a sweet short story with memorable characters. A great book overall.
April 17,2025
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I read this a long time ago -- and remembered it fondly. So I was glad when I came across it again in the bargain bin at my local bookstore. The title of the book is what first grabbed my attention, since it is backwards from what is usually said.

SUMMARY: Ernie is a twelve-year-old tycoon always looking for the next big business opportunity. This time he stumbles onto a very creative adventure: pet funerals. He hires Dusty who repurposes items into burial boxes and then employees Swimming Pool, a tomboy who can cry on cue.

Ernie is a great business man but not a great boss. He has to learn how to treat his employees who are also friends. He also has to keep the business a secret from his father who is tired of his schemes and has promised to ground him if he did it again.

The creativity of the burial boxes and Dusty's knack of creating the right box for the right pet. I wish there had been more pictures of the boxes included.

There is an underlining story of grief -- a single father raising his son the best he can and they are both still grieving for the mother. There is also the mother's dog, Mister Doggie, who is getting older and is the only thing that reminds them of her. There is also Swimming Pool and her older brother who runs away from home and who she worries about and tries to help in secret.
April 17,2025
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“Sometimes, children glow inside.”

“It’s never too late to stand up for yourself!”

Enjoy this immersive audiobook narrated by Doug Cooley, starring a variety of male and female voices that bring Ernie and his friends to life!

Also read if you love middle grade stories about friendship and pets that are funny and heartfelt. :)
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