Sally's Bones

Gr 4—6—In this mildly macabre yet decidedly entertaining girl-meets-dog story, 11-year-old Sally Simplesmith is mourning the recent loss of her mother and facing life as a social pariah when she calls on her mother's spirit to "Give. Me. Death." Instead, a little skeleton dog with floppy ears and a tongue appears at her side in the graveyard. For a lonely outcast like Sally, lovable Bones is both a cuddly pet and a needed friend, not to mention the perfect antidote to the misery caused by her obnoxious nemesis, the very popular and very vile Viola Vanderperfect. Sally's absent-minded father is well meaning but still dealing with his grief, and his reaction to Bones is more scientific than empathetic. Fortunately, having a "cadaverous canine" for a pet gives Sally's status at Merryland Middle School a needed boost, and for the first time she feels accepted and even liked. But when someone or something starts stealing bones from the neighborhood dogs, all evidence points to Sally's beloved pup, leaving her to figure out the real culprit or lose her pet forever. With its black-and-white illustrations, fast-paced text, whodunit plot, and spot-on depiction of fickle middle-school friendships, this book is sure to appeal to those not yet ready for truly dark fiction.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library