The Legend of Diamond Lil

Gr 2–4—A former search-and-rescue dog, J. J. Tully is having a hard time enjoying his retirement. With a coop full of chickens to protect and a possum to keep out, he has his hands full. In this follow-up to The Trouble with Chickens (HarperCollins, 2011), a canine named Lil appears next door, and J. J. becomes suspicious of her. She is nice to him, and together they take walks at night; but every time they do, the possum reappears and attacks the pen. To make matters worse, when asked about the owner of the house's daughter, who recently moved away, Lil seems to know nothing about her or the family. Is she the sweet, refined dog she appears to be or is something else afoot? Although this early chapter book is only moderately paced, the characters are endearing and funny. The mystery of Diamond Lil plays mostly in the background but does a good job of holding readers' interest. Tully's search-and-rescue stories sprinkled throughout are entertaining and will attract the attention of those who like adventure. The eye-catching illustrations do a great job of drawing readers' attention to important story details. Children who like a little bit of everything mixed into their reading, particularly mystery, adventure, and animals, will enjoy this book.—Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT