Kids into books - Agnes the Sheep

This week's title: Agnes the Sheep

Author: William Taylor

Publisher: Scholastic $11.95

Illustrator: Fraser Williamson

Age Group: 9-13 years

Old Mrs Carpenter was eighty-nine years of age when she died. She left behind for her nearest and not-too-dearest relatives her large house on Gladstone Road, everything inside the house and the land the house stood on. Mrs Carpenter died peacefully in her sleep at the end of a full life and with few regrets about leaving this world.

Mrs Carpenter also left behind Agnes, her pet sheep. "I want you to promise me something," she had said to Belinda and Joe not too long before she died. "I'll be going soon."

"Where to?" asked Belinda.

"Heaven," said Mrs Carpenter firmly. "I am charging you two with looking after Agnes for the rest of her natural life."

"Hey! That doesn't seem too fair to me," said Joe.

"Why not, pray?" said Mrs Carpenter. "You've had your money's worth out of me since first we met. If I remember rightly, it was you who wanted something from me back then. If poor, dear Agnes suffers the misfortune of falling into the hands of my great-nephew, Derek, I would doubt that her life would be extended one little bit."