Dying to Tell Me by Sherryl Clark - OPTIONAL

Clark, Sherryl Dying to Tell Me, 217 p. Kane Miller, 2011.  Violence: PG (severed sheep’s head, beating, drug use).  Neither Sasha, 13, nor her little brother are happy to be moving to Manna Creek, a tiny town outside Melbourne, Australia – a really tiny town.  With a few days before they have to start school, Sasha and Nicky try to explore the town and are plunged right into mystery and danger.  Someone  - maybe more than one someone – doesn’t want a new cop in Manna Creek, and they are willing to use intimidation and force to make their point.  And could Sasha’s life to stranger?  She seems to have a telepathic connection with her family’s new police-trained German shepherd.  Clark’s book tends to go a little all over the place with a bit of magic, a trio of mysteries and vengeance from the past, but it has lots of action and I grew fond of the dog, too.  A good recommendation for your reluctant readers.  EL, MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher