PATCHES AND SCRATCHES

Sarah—the “Idea Girl”—Simpson uses her trademark ingenuity to solve a tricky problem for a friend in this third installment of the series. When her best friend Peter pines for a pup to call his own, Sarah takes on Mr. Gurdy, her building’s curmudgeonly superintendent, as well as Peter’s grandmother’s misgivings, in an attempt to help her pal. However, it soon appears that Sarah may have finally come across an insurmountable problem when Peter stoutly refuses her substitute offerings of a goldfish and a turtle and the super won’t bend on the building’s “no dogs” rule. It is the timely arrival of an orphan animal in need that proves to be just the impetus for Sarah to unleash, as it were, her creative problem-solving abilities and discover the perfect solution. Ramsey’s ink-and-wash illustrations complement the tale, adding humorous details to spark the reader’s imaginations. The universal appeal of Sarah and her friend’s kindhearted compassion, combined with her dogged determination to resolve dilemmas, will keep readers anticipating further adventures of the ever-resourceful Sarah. (Fiction. 6-9)